Browsers and Frames

I have heard a rumor that not all browsers will display or support frames properly. This isn't true. Even if the odd browser doesn't support FRAMES directly, it does provide an alternate solution using <NOFRAMES></NOFRAMES>

Here is a few browsers that do not DISPLAY frames:

WINDOWS PLATFORM: AOL Browsers 1.0 and 3.0, MISE versions 1 and 2, Mosaic 1.0 and 3.0, Navigator 1.1, Opera 3.5 and 3.60 and Lynx

MAC PLATFORM: AOL Browser 1.0 and 2.7, Cyberdog 2.0, MSIE 2.0, Mosaic 1.0, 2.0, 3.07, Navigator 1.1, 2.0

Agreed this may not be an accurate reflection of ALL browsers and ALL operating systems, but I believe these to be the most popular browsers and operating platforms.

Now lets look where we add the NOFRAMES:

     <FRAMESET cols="50%, 50%">
       <FRAME src="main.html">
       <FRAME src="table_of_contents.html">

             <NOFRAMES>
             <P>Here is the <A href="noframes.html">Clcik here
     if you do not have a browser capable of displaying 
     frames>
         </NOFRAMES>
      </FRAMESET>

Now lets say that you were using two frames. One on the left was smaller and it only had buttons or some other navigational method, and the bigger frame was your main window. You could copy the ENTIRE contents of the main window between the <NOFRAMES></NOFRAMES> element, By providing a drop down box, or a series of links on the bottom of your page folks who are using non-frames browsers will never know they are visiting a site that uses frames.

As far as browsers that do display frames, the MAIN problem is that not all versions of browsers display them the same. This is the MAIN complaint. Guess what?

It isn't true. All browsers that support displaying frames, can display them the same. The problem arises from folks who are specifically coding their frames for ONE browser, and not the others.

Coding frames is another issue, and so is frames and search engines.

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