Re: Frames (was: Re teleconference - complex enough...)

Nir Dagan wrote:
> 
> Frames are a mechnism of _displaying_ different
> pieces of content in independent windows in _scrolling medium_
> It is impossible to make sense of frames in other media such as print.
> 
> In other words, frames are a presentational hint, for particular media.
> Therefore, stylesheets should be used for making frames.
> 
> I am not isolated in this opinion:
> 
> "...Frames aren't considered as the way to go. CSS2
> and its positioning capabilities is the preferred way."
> 
> Arnaud Le Hors  in
> http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/www-html/1998May/0018.html
> 
> The WAI authoring guidelines should state clearly:
> "Frames only via stylesheets".

Unfortunately, it is not possible to duplicate frame semantics
with CSS2 and HTML 4 alone. Special values of 
the HTML 4 "target" attribute (see [1], section 6.16)
allow authors to specify the window in which a document is meant
to appear. While CSS2 positioning allows authors to create
frame-like appearance within a single window, CSS2 does not
allow authors to refer to other windows.

This is one reason why frames weren't "more deprecated" in HTML 4.0;
the target window behavior could not be reproduced in CSS.
 
 - Ian

-- 
Ian Jacobs (jacobs@w3.org) 
Tel/Fax: (212) 684-1814 
http://www.w3.org/People/Jacobs

Received on Friday, 3 July 1998 16:12:16 UTC