iframes :: for or against?

**autumn whispers2me** · 07-16-2005, 09:59 AM

I've noticed that a LOT of people on the web use iframes. I was under the impression that iframes aren't like the other kind... but a few people on another design forum say to lose "any and all forms of frames" on sites.

How do you guys feel about this? Some of the nicest site designs are made with frames, so what gives with this?

Also, what's up with these search engines anyway? Flash is bad, frames are bad, and everyone talks about search engines in relation to both Flash and frames (even iframes).

You'd think a big corporation like Google, or Yahoo!, or whatever would make their search engines compatible with current trends in design, rather than having designers keep up with their archaic standards.

Arrgh!

Seriously. What do you guys think? You know, the person that comes up with a search engine that can deal with Flash and frames is going to be one seriously rich individual.

This whole thing with search engines, browsers, and design/html/css, etc. reminds me of bizarro world. I mean, isn't the fact that designers have to jump through hoops for this browser or that browser, or because a search engine will or wont index this and that a bit like reconfiguring an entire city based on the cars that can or cannot access certain neighborhoods?

Seems easier to make a better car, rather than tear down a city to accomodate one lousy machine.

I'll shut up now.

((hmnnn. this is a good rant for my blog))

**Sean** · 07-16-2005, 01:48 PM

I personally dont use iframes for search engine reasons and i dont like iframes.
I prefer to use PHP include to include sections of the site like the header, footer and navigation so editing only takes modifying one file.

there is alot of obstacles in the way sometimes but that is the whole challenge i like

**autumn whispers2me** · 07-17-2005, 02:24 AM

Is using PHP difficult? So you think I should trash the iframe on the site and just go for the usual standard page layout?

PHP... do you mean it acts like frames, but isn't? I'm not sure I understand. And could a PHP illiterate like myself do this?

**Fragalot** · 07-18-2005, 03:35 AM

php is as easy as html
from the moment you get the hang of it, ur off

but in your case, autumn,
the iframe fits the theme, so i would leave it on there, google can still find the content, only not in the iframe xD

**autumn whispers2me** · 07-18-2005, 04:56 AM

thanks, Frag.

What I've done is made most of the pages from the links inside the iframe open in new windows. But, since they're content pages, they're sort of boring. So I may need to add a spash of something on those pages now.

**Fragalot** · 07-18-2005, 05:30 AM

? what do you mean, so you removed the iframe or sumthin?

**autumn whispers2me** · 07-18-2005, 05:44 AM

No, just made it so the links open in a new page instead of inside the iframes. This is for content that has thumbnails, etc. Makes it easier to see and navigate.

Also, why does target="_blank" work INSIDE iframes, but not out of them? When I use that it literally loads a blank page.

**Fragalot** · 07-18-2005, 06:29 AM

does the link point to a file that exists then?
(maybe the blank page = the 404 page)

cuz, the iframe counts as a differentbrowser...
if the file loaded in the iframe is in a diff. folder, you have to place ../ infront of the link you want. (1 level up)

**autumn whispers2me** · 07-18-2005, 06:50 AM

I'm not sure what you said, but let me try and explain it like this:

Inside the iframe, if I set a link to target="_blank" then the link opens in a new window. But OUTSIDE the iframe, like the links on the right-hand side of the main page, setting the target to "_blank" opens nothing, and leaving the link in normal mode with no target specified.. it redirects the current page to the new one.

Make sense?

**Fragalot** · 07-18-2005, 07:06 AM

not really no, rofl

clueless...