[Bug 9337] New: Frameset/Frame Specification Amendment

http://www.w3.org/Bugs/Public/show_bug.cgi?id=9337

           Summary: Frameset/Frame Specification Amendment
           Product: HTML WG
           Version: unspecified
          Platform: PC
        OS/Version: Windows 2000
            Status: NEW
          Severity: normal
          Priority: P2
         Component: HTML5 spec proposals
        AssignedTo: dave.null@w3.org
        ReportedBy: brille1@hotmail.com
         QAContact: public-html-bugzilla@w3.org
                CC: ian@hixie.ch, mike@w3.org, public-html@w3.org


Frames are a great way for splitting a document into several distinct areas and
for providing a dynamic, resizable, easy-to-use head/navigation/content view.

The current specification describes a rendering scheme that is insufficient in
regard to control of frameset background, resp. frame gaps and borders. (E.g.,
it is currently not possible to eliminate the gap between frames in a frameset
or to define a frame's border visualization.)

The assertions made in the current specification result from algorithms put in
place before CSS became a wide-spread method of adding presentation to content.

I'd like to suggest to amend the HTML/CSS specification on HTML <frameset> and
<frame> elements in order to provide sufficient control over frame rendering to
the web site editor.

My suggestions splits into following (independant and disjunct) suggestions:

___________

*  "cols" and "rows" attributes should become deprecated
   in favour of following new attribute:

      flow  (horizontal|vertical) #IMPLIED

Reason:

The number of rows/colums results from the number of frames contained within a
frameset. There is no need to duplicate this information by using a separate
attribute, which adds unnecessary ambiguity.

It is sufficient to define the direction of frame flow, either horizontally or
vertically. The suggested "flow" attribute provides for this.

If flow="horizontal", frames within a frameset are aligned from left to right,
equally distributing the available with amongst them.

If flow="vertical", frames within a frameset are aligned from top to bottom,
equally distributing the available height amongst them.

___________

*  Leave presentation information to CSS.

I.e.: Following frame attributes should become deprecated:

   -  frameborder
   -  marginwidth
   -  marginheight
   -  scrolling

Reason:

The current specification leaves a gap defining the layout of frames. Instead
of trying to fill these gaps, HTML should rely on CSS regarding frame layout.

The CSS properties for border and margin are self-explanatory. Scroll bar
visibility should be defined using the CSS "overflow" property applied to the
frame/frameset elements.

___________

*  Changing the value of a frame's "noresize"
   attribute should not affect layout/presentation of frames.

Reason: Visual feedback on the availability of a resizing option should be the
responsibility of CSS.

For functional specification, it is sufficient to specify that resizing is
allowed and an appropriate NS/EW cursor will be displayed only if:

   a) The gap space is greater than 0
      - and -
   b) None of the affected frames' noresize attribute is
      being set.

___________

I have added a PDF file to this suggestion report, trying to visualize the
concept's details.

RFC,
Axel Dahmen
www.axeldahmen.de


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Received on Friday, 26 March 2010 14:18:38 UTC