How to Set the Size of a Frame

Frames enable web designers to create an overall architecture for a website.

Before the addition of frameset properties to hypertext markup language, or HTML, a web designer had to modify or add information that he wanted displayed on each page of a website to the HTML of every page. The frameset property enables a designer to structure an entire website into multiple, overlapping segments. Designers can then insert different content into each "frame", for example, displaying a left-column table of contents or company logo that appears in all pages of a website. To set the size of a frame, you need to add lines of HTML code to your website's frameset page.

Things You'll Need

• Windows Notepad
• Website design software

Instructions

1. Open the file containing your website's frameset page code by double-clicking on the ".txt" document for your website. If you use a website design program, such as Adobe Dreamweaver, double-click on the program icon, then open your website's code.

2. Add a frameset column tag to divide your website into two or more vertical frames. Insert the <frameset COLS="A, B"> code after the close header line (</head>), but replace "A" and "B" with the number of pixels you wish each column to occupy, or replace "A" and "B" with a number followed by a percentage symbol to divide the page architecture into two columns that each occupy a certain percentage of the page architecture. Please note that you can create as many vertical frames as you desire by placing a comma and another number or numbered percent after the value you insert for "B."

3. Add a frameset row tag to divide your website into two or more horizontal frames. Insert the <frameset rows="A, B"> code after the close header line, but again, replace "A" and "B" with either pixel dimensions or a numbered percent. You can also add more than one horizontal frame by adding a comma and another number or numbered percent after the value you insert for "B."

Tips & Warnings

• You will need to make a frameset page if you have not already created one. The frameset page will act as the overall architecture for the rest of your website pages. See References for instructions on how to make a frameset page. Note that a frameset page, unlike all other pages, does not contain a body tag.

• If you add a body tag to a frameset page, your frames will not display.

References

• SpinNet: Frame Basics
• World Wide Web Consortium: 16 Frames

Resources

• SpinNet: Misc. Frame Stuff
• Media College: The Pros & Cons of Using Frames in Web Pages