Frames

The use of frames allows a user's display to be divided into two or more simultaneously viewed Web pages. Each Web page displayed on the screen has full Web page functionality, including the ability to hyperlink to other pages. If a hyperlink to another Web page is executed from a framed Web page, the new page can be loaded into the same framed area of the screen or in one of the other framed areas. This option of changing one section of the screen by executing a hyperlink in another section of the screen can be very useful for indices and other navigational tools. A frame may also be used to position a static Web page configured without hyperlinks. Such a configuration is sometimes used for logos or advertisements that remain in position notwithstanding changes to other sections of the screen.

The display of frames generally includes borders between the frames, which create the appearance of distinct sections of the screen. These borders can be configured to allow each frame to be resized (by dragging the corner of the frame with the cursor) or to allow vertical or horizontal scrolling of a Web page that is larger than the frame display area. Some browsers allow frames to be viewed without borders. This can create seamless positioning of multiple Web pages on the screen at the same time. The look is very clean, and can even lead a user to believe that they are looking a single Web page.