frames: are they good or bad? - HTML Forums

special_k · 04-17-2001, 07:26 PM

Hi,

I am just wondering what your opinions are on the use of frames. I want to use frames in the redesign of my site, as it will reduce loading time as the navbar will only have to load once. Of course, there is no frame border, the frames aren't resizeable and so on so it isn't really obvious that frames are in use. What are your opinions on this?

Basically, are frames good, bad or past it?

kevin · 04-17-2001, 10:15 PM

I have no problem with the use of frames. If your website design can benefit from the use of frames go ahead and use them.

Regards,
Kevin

Goldilocks · 04-18-2001, 07:49 AM

This would make a good poll.

I have no problem with them either, as long as they are used for a good reason. I try to avoid using them where possible, especially frames within frames, because things can begin to get more complicated than it's worth.

whkoh · 04-18-2001, 09:18 AM

Well, there aren't any definite goods or bads. It depends on the individual visitor. If his/her browser renders it correctly, it's likely that they will like it. If they can see the rendered page correctly, oh well...

04-18-2001, 06:36 PM

I was once a Frames person but I after a while I tried tables and found it much more better.

I have no problem with frames, yes it does load faster and I have seen heaps of nice looking sites that have used it.

TheKman · 04-18-2001, 10:18 PM

Only if, as you said, the nav area doesn't scroll or resize etc.

---that's my 2 cents worth---

whkoh · 04-19-2001, 05:10 AM

Well, tables are good, but I like CSS positioning better.

04-24-2001, 07:04 PM

I'm with K-man. When used right, they're okay, but I've been on some sites where I found them so annoying to work around I just left. Guess it depends on how they're integrated. I'm still learning, but when it comes to seeing things on the web, I'm all over the map and have seen some sites with frames that you barely knew they were there, others the whole blasted page looked like nothing but a mess of frames...
well, theres my 2 cents..lol..

Batch · 04-25-2001, 09:12 AM

Following on from an earlier reply, the acid test surely must be (in all but a very few cases) that visitors to the site are not aware of the frames.

This can be difficult when you design a site for viewing with the browser maximised (presumably for 800 x 600 minimum) as you cannot stop people using smaller windows and this will often (invariably even) lead to scroll bars and thus making the frames apparent.

I consider that two good reasons for using frames are:
1. A large site with extensive menuing. Frames can minimise load times. If the menu system is simple, the load times should be small and so frames are not really warranted.
2. A site where two (or more) semi-independent dialogues run parallel to one another. For example, a site which displays an item in frame one with a commentary on the contents of frame one being shown in frame two.

Batch

Ashy · 04-25-2001, 10:10 AM

I agree with what most people have already put. Frames are OK if they are integrated correctly but there is no denying that scrollbars are ugly and a pain if they appear too much. I prefer the use of tables but thats not always guaranteed to look great so basically its your call mate.

04-25-2001, 12:40 PM

I used to use frames, but tables look better and are more cross-platform in the fact that frames may not look right in 640by480 compared to 1024by768.

04-30-2001, 05:08 AM

Frames are easy to use so if your a designer rather than a developer, you should use them. Am a web designer and for my home project I used frames to good effect on http://www.futuremovies.co.uk

Option1 · 05-02-2001, 01:14 AM

Hmmmmm, the http://www.futuremovies.co.uk/ mentioned in the previous post throws up a horizontal scroll bar on my 800x600 res screen - something to be very much avoided.

There is one major problem that I find with frames and that is that hitting refresh/reload will take you back to the "home" page of the site. It's really frustrating when that happens.

Like some others here, I once used frames, but have since seen the light and prefer tables (I'm still to move onto CSS positioning

).

Batch · 05-02-2001, 03:50 AM

I don't find that refresh takes one back to the home page of the site.

Although this might occur if the site has some "logic" to handle situations such as where content pages are loaded outside of the frames page and re-load themselves inside the frames page. Depending upon how this is implemented unwanted side affects such as refresh re-loading the home page can occur.

wid101 · 05-02-2001, 09:15 PM

I wouldn't use them it gets messy to do them tables work better!
check my old site out for an ok use of frame
http://www.angelfire.com/pe/skatepark/home.html
skating page, now look at one of mine with tables
http://www.envy.nu/tabworld/test.html
table look cleaner!
~later