Frame Basics

Frames divide a browser window into several pieces or panes, each pane containing a separate XHTML/HTML document. One of the key advantages that frames offer is that you can then load and reload single panes without having to reload the entire contents of the browser window. A collection of frames in the browser window is known as a frameset.

The window is divided up into frames in a similar pattern to the way tables are organized: into rows and columns. The simplest of framesets might just divide the screen into two rows, while a complex frameset could use several rows and columns.

There are few drawbacks also you should be aware of with frames are as follows:

• Some browsers do not print well from framesets.

• Some smaller devices cannot cope with frames, often because their screen is not big enough to be divided up.

• Some time your page will be displayed differently on different computers due to different screen resolution.

• The browser's back button might not work as the user hopes.

• There are still few browsers who do not support farme technology.

To create a frameset document, first you need the element, which is used instead of the element. The frameset defines the rows and columns your page is divided into, which in turn specify where each individual frame will go. Each frame is then represented by a element.