Frames divide a web page so that different files can be loaded into defined areas on the same page. Frames commonly define a navigation and content area for a page.
A frameset is a file that defines a web page with frames. A frameset stores information about the size and location of the page's frames along with the names of the files that should be loaded as the content for each of the frames. What a user sees as a single web page with two frames is actually three separate files: the frameset file, and two files containing the content that appears inside the frames.
You can change the properties of frames and framesets, resize frames, and use links to control their contents.
Click Show Me for an introduction to creating frames.
You can open the file created in this ShowMe movie from a browser, or you can open it in Dreamweaver by choosing Help > Open Example and selecting !frames_example.htm.
When you split a document, Dreamweaver creates an untitled frameset file and untitled documents for the new frames.
When View > Frame Borders is off, the frameset appears exactly as it does in a browser. When frame borders are on, Dreamweaver adds space around the document for the border and widens borders less than 3 pixels wide for easier dragging and selecting.
The Frame inspector displays the framesets in the current document and lets you select frames and framesets in the document to change their properties. Choose Window > Frames to display the Frame inspector.
The Frame inspector also shows the hierarchy of the frameset structure in a way that may not be apparent in the Document window. Framesets have thick three-dimensional borders. Frames have thin gray lines and display the name of the frame.