How to work with frames in Dreaweaver?

           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.

            When you apply a frameset using the Insert bar, Dreamweaver automatically sets up the frameset to display the current document (the document in which the insertion point is located) in one of the frames. The blue area of a predefined frameset icon represents the current document, and the white areas represent frames that will display other documents.

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.