Web Design & Development

Frames Defined

What Frames Are

With frames you are able to display more than one HTML document at the same time. Each HTML document shown is called a frame and each acts independently. They are controlled by a Frameset that tells the browser how to divide the window for each of the frames.

Benefits and Drawbacks

There are some benefits and drawbacks to using frames.

Benefits

Navigational control

One benefit is that you can ensure your navigation, logo, or other important information stays on the screen at all times.

Variable storage

In more advanced levels of programming you can use a frame in the frameset to storage variable values.

Drawbacks

Printing

Pages within framesets do not always print as expected. This can be remedied but needs to be taken into consideration.

Bookmarking

Pages within framesets do not always bookmark (aka, "favorites") as expected. This can be remedied but needs to be taken into consideration.

Editing

Also, when you are working on it as a developer, it is sometimes hard to remember exactly which page you are supposed to be editing.