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<title>DM 160A : Frames</title>
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<p>
As you can tell, this page looks different than the other pages in this site. That 
is because this page is contained in a <strong>frameset</strong>.
</p>

<h2>What are framesets and frames?</h2>

<p>
Framesets allow you to divide the browser window into several frames (sub windows). 
Each of these sub windows contains a separate web page. This example 
has two frames in the browser window; this page with content and some navigation 
links on the left.
</p>

<h2>Frame Advantages</h2>

<p>
The principle advantage of frames is <em>persistence</em> of content. Notice that 
as you click on the links to the left, the navigation links remain unchanged. Site logos 
and advertising banners are other examples of content that you wish to remain in place as 
your user browses through your web site.
</p>

<h2>Frame Disadvantages</h2>

<p>
Frames have a number of disadvantages; you will rarely find a commercial web site 
that uses them.
</p>
<ul>
	<li><strong>Indexing Spiders</strong> - Search web sites like Google and AltaVista 
	use automated programs called spiders that roam the internet looking for web pages 
	to add to their links. Frameset pages have no content themselves, so the spiders
	don't pay attention to them. They will find the content pages of the frameset though 
	which can lead to the next problem.</li>
	<li><strong>Navigation</strong> - Users may gain access to your content pages via a 
	search engine independently of the frameset. If you have not included links on each 
	content page, it becomes a dead end. Having navigation links on each content page 
	eliminates this problem.</li>
	<li><strong>Bookmarks</strong> - Framesets make it difficult to bookmark an 
	individual web page. Users are often interested in a single page among all your 
	content but bookmarking the page only bookmarks the frameset and its starting page.
	The only way around this if the user opens the content page in a new window 
	(right click on the page for the PC, control click for the Mac) and then 
	bookmarks the page.</li>
</ul>
<p>
Lets move on to the <a href="basic_frameset_tags.shtml" >basic frameset tags</a> and important attributes.
</p>
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