moving between framesets

[Madge]

Hi everyone!

Is is possible to reference specific frames in a frameset from another webpage?

Obviously not using only HTML, but can anyone point me to a JavaScript which does it?

Suppose I have a frameset called animalframes.htm with three frames:

The left frame contains site-wide navigation.
The main frame contains the content, initially an introduction called animals.htm
The right frame contains local navigation with links to (say) dogs.htm, cats.htm, pigs.htm which would load these pages into main.

At present when I link to this frameset it loads with animals.htm in the main frame because that is how I set up the frameset.

I would like to link direct to (say) "cats" from a webpage outside the frameset so that the frameset loads with cats.htm already in the main frame.

It sounds like this would be a commonly required feature, but I searched through several tomes on site design and javascript without finding how to do it.

There are ample instructions on referencing frames within the same family, including child frames, parent frames, uncle frames, and second cousin twice removed frames, but not starting from outside the "family".

(I can manage "_top", "_blank" etc).

I am not expecting you guys to do all the work, but if it is not possible I will waste no more time looking.

If it is possible, as I imagine is the case, could any kind person cite a script somewhere online or in a book and I will puzzle out the rest from there?

[Steven.Bentley]

There are JavaScript methods but they're fairly crude and have compatibility issues.

If you have PHP on the server it's not too difficult to have it generate a different frameset on the fly based on a value passed to it in the URL, but the easiest method is to have several copies of the frameset document and link to that

[Madge]

Thanks Steven

I have been reproducing my original frameset schema and then adapting it for each group of topics and, if I understand you, that is what you are recommending.

I feel good that I am not missing the obvious and that I asked the question. Now I won't waste any more time looking for another method.

I get the feeling that every question I ask the answer comes back "PHP". I may have a first look at it over the holiday if I get a chance, but then I have so much to learn in all areas. I do feel that I am making progress, and finding this site has been a great encouragement. Not only for the authoritative answers and tutorials but for the boost to morale in finding some decent people out there who are willing to help.

[Steven.Bentley]

Glad you like the site