[1] From: "Charles L. Creegan" <ccreegan@ncwc.edu> (12)
Subject: Re: 9.579 frames in HTML
[2] From: Neil Randall <nrandall@watarts.uwaterloo.ca> (24)
Subject: Re: 9.579 frames in HTML
[3] From: "Gary W. Shawver" <gshawver@epas.utoronto.ca> (32)
Subject: Re: 9.579 frames in HTML
--[1]------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 14:51:11 -0500
From: "Charles L. Creegan" <ccreegan@ncwc.edu>
Subject: Re: 9.579 frames in HTML
The ins and outs of going forward and back in frames, and bookmarking a
particular frame, are explained at Netscape's home page. The history
information doesn't seem to be quite as well maintained, which might be
expected given that this is a major extension of the standard. But it does
work, most of the time.
More disturbing is that this is netscape's proprietary technology, and
implies already the fragmentation of the web. I'm not big on the idea of
having to keep two browsers to deal with two incompatible sets of
extensions. 'Course, as long as they give us .edus free copies...
-- Charles L. Creegan N.C. Wesleyan College NEW PREFERRED ADDRESS: ccreegan@ncwc.edu http://www.ncwc.edu:80/ncwc/religion/ccreegan.html--[2]------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Feb 1996 23:14:20 -0500 From: Neil Randall <nrandall@watarts.uwaterloo.ca> Subject: Re: 9.579 frames in HTML
-- [ From: Neil Randall * EMC.Ver #2.5.02 ] --
> the loss of the memory of the navigational path very troubling. In using > frames, whenever you reload your page you are presented with the page at its > initial status. That is, any choices you have made in navigation have been > lost. If you click on the "back" button, you are brought to the page you had > visited before entering the frame. Since much of the power of the hypertextual > organization results from the abililty to move forward and trace your steps > back incrementally, all the time retaining a sense of "where you are," the loss > of this ability when using frames is very troubling. Does anyone know how to > get around this or will I have to wait for HTML scripting to mature?
The way to get around the Back button problem is to right-click inside the frame (I use Windows, so Mac or X windows should use whatever key combination produces the pop-up menu), and then choosing Back. But you're right about losing the history benefits. Frames also seem to take longer to load, and on low resolutions they muddle the view considerably. I used to think frames would revolutionize the Web, but I'm quite convinced now that they'll be short-lived.
Neil Randall
--[3]------------------------------------------------------------------ Date: Mon, 26 Feb 1996 00:01:34 -0500 From: "Gary W. Shawver" <gshawver@epas.utoronto.ca> Subject: Re: 9.579 frames in HTML
On 25/02/96 Laurie Dickinson wrote:
>While frames do make it possible to do some nice things with page setup, >for example, allowing the user/reader access to an index or table of >contents at all times, rather than just at the top (or bottom) of the >document, I've found the loss of the memory of the navigational path very >troubling. In using frames, whenever you reload your page you are >presented with the page at its initial status. That is, any choices you >have made in navigation have been lost.
That's strange, it doesn't happen that way with the pages I've been to, nor with the ones I've made. There is a possibility that beta versions of Netscape 2.x are a bit buggy in this regard. Are you working with the final release (2.0)?
If you click on the "back" button, >you are brought to the page you had visited before entering the frame. >Since much of the power of the hypertextual organization results from the >abililty to move forward and trace your steps back incrementally, all the >time retaining a sense of "where you are," the loss of this ability when >using frames is very troubling. Does anyone know how to get around this or >will I have to wait for HTML scripting to mature?
Frame navigation is a bit tricky. Here's how Netscape describes it:
If you're using a Macintosh, you can go back one frame by positioning your cursor inside the frame that originally displayed the information you're seeking and holding down the mouse button. A pop-up menu will appear. Choose Back in Frame, and the frame will fill with the information that last appeared in that frame. Repeating the process will step you back through everything you viewed in that frame in reverse order. Windows and Unix users can click the right mouse button to make the pop-up menu appear.
Netscape has more information on frames at its homepage (http://home.netscape.com/).
Hope this has been helpful.
Gary W. Shawver, University of Toronto E-Mail: gshawver@epas.utoronto.ca WWW: http://www.epas.utoronto.ca:8080/~gshawver/gshawver.html