Frames
provide a way to divide a browser window into multiple regions, each of which
can display a different HTML document.
In the most common use of frames, one frame, displays a document containing navigation
controls, while another frame displays a document with content.
For
example, your frame layout might consist of three frames: one narrow frame on
the side that contains a navigation bar, one frame that runs along the top,
containing the logo and title of the website, and one large frame that takes up
the rest of the page and contains the main content. Each of these frames
displays a separate HTML document.
Fox example
In this example, the document displayed in the top frame
never changes as the visitor navigates the site. The side frame navigation bar
contains links; clicking one of these links changes the content of the main
content frame, but the contents of the side frame itself remain static. The
main content frame on the right displays the appropriate document for whichever
link the visitor clicks on the left.
Create frames and frame sets:
There are
two ways to create a framesets in Dreamweaver: you can design it yourself, or you can select from several
predefined framesets. Choosing a predefined framesets automatically sets up all
the framesets and frames needed to create the layout and is the easiest way to create
a frames-based layout quickly. You can insert a predefined frameset only in the
Document window’s Design view.
Creating a predefined frameset:
Predefined
framesets make it easy for you to select the type of frameset you want to
create.
There are
two ways to create a predefined frameset: using the Insert bar and using the
New Document dialog box. The Inset bar allows you to create a frameset and
display the current document in one of the new frames; the New Document dialog
created a new empty frameset.
The predefined
frameset icons in the Frames category of the Insert bar and in the Framesets
category of the New Document dialog box provide a visual representation of each
frameset as applied to the current document.
To create a predefined frameset and display an existing
document in a frame:
Before
creating a frameset or working with frames, make the frame borders visible in
the Document window’s Design view by choosing View > Visual Aids > Frame
Borders.
1.
Place the insertion point in a document.
2.
Do one of the following:
In the Frames category of the
Insert bar, click the icon for a predefined frameset.
Choose a predefined frameset from
the Insert > Frames submenu.
To create a new empty predefined frameset:
1.
Choose File > New.
2.
In the new document dialog box, select the Framesets
category.
3.
Select a frameset from the Framesets list.
4.
Click Create.
To display the Frames Panel:
Choose
window > others > Frames
To select a frame in the Frames panel:
Click the
frame in the Frames panel.
To select a frameset in the Frames panel:
Click the
border that surrounds the frameset in the Frames panel.
To split a frame into smaller frames, do one of the following:
·
To split the frame where the insertion point is
, choose a spitting item from the Modify > Frameset sub menu.
·
To split a frame or set of frames vertically or
horizontally, drag a frame border from the edge of the Design view into the
middle of the Design view.
·
To split a frame using a frame border that isn't at the edge of the Design view, Alt-drag a frame border.
·
To divide a frame into four frames, drag a frame
border from one of the corners of the Design view into the middle of a frame.
Tip: To create three frames, start
with two frames and then split one of them. It’s not easy to merge two adjacent
frames without editing the frameset code, so turning four frames into three
frames is harder than turning two frames into three frames.
To delete a frame:
Drag
a frame border off the page or to a border of the parent frame.
If
there’s unsaved content in a document in a frame that’s being removed,
Dreamweaver prompts you to save the
document.
Note: You can’t remove a frameset
entirely by dragging borders. To remove a frameset, close the Document window
that displays it. If the frameset file has been saved, delete the file.