On Mon, 06 Dec 2004 16:55:43 -0500, Frank W. Zammetti <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I tend to give just the opposite answer :)
Freedom of speech rules! :) > > I agree that frames can be difficult in a number of ways, however, once > you get a handle on them it's really not a big deal to deal with. More > importantly, depending on your application, you may find that > performance is significantly increased. "Premature optimization is the root of all evil." --Donald Knuth > > Also, with frames you can do some tricks that you can't do otherwise. > For instance, having a hidden frame with cached data and Javascript > cuntions can be incredibly powerful. You can boost perforance by not > sending that stuff down with every request, lower the load on your > server and make your user interface more robust. A hidden frame is not what Nadia was asking for. She wanted a layout solution, not a data cache. > > What are some of the difficulties? Navigation can be tricky to deal > with because the user can ultimately control each frame independently. > Also, simply bookmarking a site can sometimes be diffcult depending on > how you've architected things. Automated load testing can also be > complicated by frames, as can things like periodic checks of whether an > app is up or not. So you mess up navigation, bookmarking and load testing in exchange for a boost in performance? > > In short, if the parts of the UI you don't think will change much > doesn't contain too much, I'd say go with tiles because you probably > won't benefit very much from frames. If however the contents of those > parts is significant, and/or you can see the need for caching data and > common code, frames can be very powerful. > There is a common bias, as > Luiz demonstrates, against frames, and certainly tiles is more common in > the Struts world, but I really believe this is more out of force of > habit than real tangible reasons. I beg to differ. First, I am not a bigot. Frames were used extensively in the early days of web applications and they proved to be a pain in the ass for the reasons you exposed yourself. Second, "tiles" exist because there is a real need for them: separate UI elements in modules that are combined at the server, not at the client. By saying that "tiles" exist for intangible reasons you dismiss all the effort put into it. > Some people get burnt by frames early > on and never want to touch them again (I can certainly understand that). > And sometimes frames will simply make your life more difficult, so you > do have to make the decision properly. But don't discard frames simply > because it's not the "Struts way". Make the decision, as you should any > other, on what will truly suit your needs best. > When you are starting out you really can't make the decision all by yourself, can you? The only reason you presented for using frames is increasing performance. If your application doesn't have the huge performance requirements that frames can help with, why bother using them at all? Cheers, Luiz --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
