flash (or other) navi and frame

[AndaleTheGreat]

DaybreakPhotography dot org

I know there are some current issues on the site, not looking into that right now (tho feel free to pm notes to me).

 

My questions are:

Do you think the following idea is actually worth the time? / Necessary?

 

Can I make it so that most of the site is within a frame and navigated by flash (or whatever)?

 

My reasons are:

To add a little eye candy to the menus.

To prevent that 'full page', 'load from nothing' flash of white background that always occurs. I think it's ugly and distracting.

Edited August 19, 2009 by AndaleTheGreat

[administrator]

You can use Flash for your navigation to as you say, add eye candy.

 

But I will spend more time on a simply layout that emphasizes your photography.

 

Stefan

[AndaleTheGreat]

so through coincidental circumstance of buying a budgie I also discovered a pretty good example of what I was talking about.

http://budgietalk dot com/

Edited July 28, 2009 by AndaleTheGreat

[AndaleTheGreat]

just so folks know, i am not looking for direct answers, just a vaguely guiding hand

 

and on that note i'd like to share that i've found exactly the 2 tutorials i needed (in case anyone else ever stumbles across here)

one for the flash setup (not really a tutorial) but it gives you Flash NavBar Generator, the site is GUIstuff com

the other site is webdevelopersnotes com cuz they've got some great tutorials for advanced html stuff (like frames)

[falkencreative]

Just be aware of some of the limitations of frames... They really aren't used anymore, at least not for current web design, and are generally frowned upon.

 

Some of these limitations include:

-- breaking the back button, so users can't use that as an easy way to navigate if necessary

-- breaking URL functionality -- the url/title doesn't change if the page changes

-- DIfficulties for search engines indexing your content

-- Opening a frame in a new browser window can disorient or simply annoy users

-- Breaking bookmarking functionality, in case they bookmark the page content frame, rather than the full site

-- breaking accessibility for disabled users (screenreaders and the like)

-- printing issues if the user wants to print the page

 

More info:

 

http://www.hobo-web.co.uk/tips/41.htm

http://www.useit.com/alertbox/9612.html

http://issuemarketing.com/seo/no-frames.html

[AndaleTheGreat]

good, cuz i spent all morning messing with frames and i am in over my head a bit

i definitely have a headache from it and now my test version of the site looks like shite

 

well i've read thru your links and while i agree that frames suck (and always have) I still don't know that there's anything else I can do. For now I have developed a nice looking flash menu to replace the current one and I guess that'll do

Edited July 29, 2009 by AndaleTheGreat

[administrator]

Frames were essentially invented to deal with browser layout limitations - you could use frames to divide the page and load different pages into those divisions. I remember when they first came out ... it was amazing and amazingly confusing.

 

But today with CSS positioning, scrolling divs and iframes, frames are a relic and should never be used.

 

Stefan

[AndaleTheGreat]

i guess i'll just rebuild it from scratch using DIVs, it's how i did the first version, i just don't really like the current look is all