pull-down menu implemented in Frame

[cpliu]

I have pull-down menu on the left bar that navigates to different pages.
It's done in multiple tables. Because each page needs to have the bulk of
the navigation scripts, it's bigger in file size and harder to update the
menu. I'd like to try using frames so the left frame is the menu and right
frame is the content (+ the top graphics). I'm hoping my content would be
independent of the navigation. The problem is: my menu won't show other
than the frame size defined in "cols= a number". I can't extend the size or
my content frame would be smaller than it should be.

Is there a way to over lap content between frames? Or, there should be a
different ways to implement the menu?

TIA,


cpliu

 

[Neal]

I have pull-down menu on the left bar that navigates to different pages.
It's done in multiple tables. Because each page needs to have the bulk of
the navigation scripts, it's bigger in file size and harder to update the
menu. I'd like to try using frames so the left frame is the menu and
right
frame is the content (+ the top graphics). I'm hoping my content would be
independent of the navigation. The problem is: my menu won't show other
than the frame size defined in "cols= a number". I can't extend the size
or
my content frame would be smaller than it should be.

Is there a way to over lap content between frames? Or, there should be a
different ways to implement the menu?

You're selecting the absolute worst possible remedy for your issue. It's
like taking poison for a headache.

The best way to solve your issue is to eliminate the table layout to
lighten the page, replacing it with CSS positioning. Hopefully you're
using a CSS + Javascript dropdown solution - see
http://www.htmldog.com/articles/suckerfish/ for a lot of info on how to do
that.

If you still wish to have the navigation included from one source onto all
pages, use SSI or PHP (if available on your server) to do that. Do a
search for "Include one file in another" or something like that for more
on this.

Note that this won't decrease page download time, but will free up server
space and you won't have to look at all the navigation stuff when you
update a page. But if you replace the bulky HTML with sleeker CSS you'll
probably end up with half the page weight - as you didn't give a URL,
that's a wild guess - so it's not really important after all.

 

[Karl Core]

I have pull-down menu on the left bar that navigates to different pages.
It's done in multiple tables. Because each page needs to have the bulk of
the navigation scripts, it's bigger in file size and harder to update the
menu. I'd like to try using frames so the left frame is the menu and right
frame is the content (+ the top graphics). I'm hoping my content would be
independent of the navigation. The problem is: my menu won't show other
than the frame size defined in "cols= a number". I can't extend the size
or
my content frame would be smaller than it should be.

Is there a way to over lap content between frames? Or, there should be a
different ways to implement the menu?

1) Do not use dropdown menus for navigation. Users hate them
2) Do not use multiple dropdowns, either. That's only compounding the
problem
3) Frames are not the answer

You've recognized that you have a problem. Unfortunately, what you're trying
will create more problems and won't fix the original problem.
Your issue is with the navigation. You need to solve that first. Do NOT use
dropdown menus to navigate.

I'm just assuming here, but chances are, you've convinced yourself that
you've got so many navigation options that you need something compact like a
dropdown. This is the wrong answer.
You need to compact the navigation, while using real links.

If you have a lot of content, here's what you do:
Gather a few people who are interested in what your site's about (but NOT
people who are very experienced web users). Then, print off index cards with
the titles and a sentence or so of what each page is about.
Then, tell them to imagine they have 7 bins in front of them and that they
need to place these cards in those bins. (Don't tell them this up front, but
if they need to "create" a few more bins, let them)
Ideally, do this with 7-12 people.
Then, compile your results. Majority rules here.

If you REALLY have a lot of content, take each "bin" and make the users
organize them into 7 sub-bins. Rinse, lather, repeat.

Now you have a navigation structure! Using the first round of organization,
you have your top-level links. The next round is your sub-level for each top
level and so on.

-Karl