Why do links in a frame open a new window?

SpecialBrew · June 25th, 2007, 07:06 PM

Hi Everyone.

I am having a problem trying to get a link in the top frame of a two-frame page, to open a page in the bottom frame. But the links keep opening a new page. An example of my problem is at:

http://www.darrellburnett.com/Frame_Test/

And the relevant code from the top frame is below:

<body>
<div align="center"><strong><span class="style2">This is Top_Menu_Frame.html</span> <a href="Page_1.html" target="Bottom">LINK 1</a> <a href="Page_2.html" target="Bottom">LINK 2</a> <a href="Page_3.html" target="Bottom">LINK 3</a> <a href="Page_4.html" target="Bottom">LINK 4</a></strong></div>
</body>
</html>

As you can see, the links are 'targeted' at the bottom frame (named 'Bottom') and all resources I have looked at say that it SHOULD work! I'm using Dreamweaver 8.

I would be grateful for ANY help anyone can offer.

Thank you!

pa007 · June 25th, 2007, 09:50 PM

There is no need to use frames. There is never any need to use frames. But have you tried the attribute name="Bottom" as well as just the id? I don't know, I don't use frames but it might work.

You really should try to do this without frames though.

Pete.

SpecialBrew · June 26th, 2007, 12:16 AM

Hi PA007

After reading quite extensively on the web about people's opinions on frames, I was beginning to come around to the same conclusion!

Thank you again.

delusion · June 26th, 2007, 04:33 AM

yup.. Use css instead

pa007 · June 26th, 2007, 05:04 AM

Here are some great resources for you. They will show the why and how of css layout. Linky link.

Pete.

clark · December 18th, 2007, 02:32 AM

I got to this thread by doing a search on "frame name target". I would really like to see the question answered - ie, why doesn't it work?

HTML Code:

<html>
<head>
</head>
<body>

    <frameset>
        <frame name="framename">
            frame content
        </frame>
    </frameset>

    <p>
    <a href=" copy.shtml" target="framename">load new content into frame</a>

</body>
</html>

This results in the content of copy.shtml being displayed in a new page, rather than in the frame called "framename". I have tried firefox, netscape, explorer and opera.

All the documentation that I can find, either in books or online, says that it should work. But it doesn't.

karinne · December 18th, 2007, 12:44 PM

If you want a frame in a page, you should be using the IFRAME element...

Just replace

HTML Code:

     <frameset>
        <frame name="framename">
            frame content
        </frame>
    </frameset>

with something like

HTML Code:

<iframe src="foo.html" name="framename" width="400" height="500" scrolling="auto" frameborder="1">
  [Your user agent does not support frames or is currently configured
  not to display frames. However, you may visit
  <a href="foo.html">the related document.</a>]
  </iframe>

cosmicbdog · January 25th, 2008, 04:41 AM

I don't think its really true that frames don't have a place in the world. Personally, I don't use frames but I have started implementing Iframes in a backend application. Sure, to the regular front end "get good SEO compatibility" designer frames may be a marketing nightmare... but to a backend platform creator where you are wanting the website to act more like an application I can't see how CSS can do quite the same trick on its own.

Pete, your suggestion to give iframe the 'name' attribute just fixed my firefox issue. In safari the 'id' was sufficient but with them both its across the board. Thanks!

cosmicbdog · January 25th, 2008, 05:50 AM

p.s. with all this being said, I would actually LOVE to know how to go beyond iFrames... e.g this ajax stuff with loading some fresh content into a DIV on the fly without a full page refresh seems pretty neat to me and probably better than the iframe solution I have going.