IFrames (exporting the HTML to an IFrame)

[Coleen]

I have a web site that I have created and have the Home page and all roll-overs working beatifully (thanks Xara!) but I need to open my new pages in an IFrame and don't see any Hep files or Tutorials on ow to do this. Can anyone please point me in the right direction? TIA

[steve.ledger]

Xtreme 4 can export designs as a website using absolute positioning .css and HTML. It is not really a HTML editor with all of the freedom and functions of purpose built HTML editors. It has no code view and does not enable creation of frames etc.

However, that said - there are methods you can use to include some of the things that Xtreme is not (yet) designed for.

Inline Frames was covered recently in a thread here.

[Coleen]

Thanks sledger, I appreciate it. I had found that thread and tried to do that, but I must be missing something or not understanding the steps involved.

First, I did create my entire "Home" page, and it works/looks awesome, but then when I click on my roll-overs, of course they are pointing to a URL that either hasn't been created yet, or isn't linked yet to the page.

I then open my HTML - what I am a little confused about is do I need to put the Iframe into my default.htm file(I am presuming this is the case) and point it to my second page's URL or do I put the Iframe in my second page and "point" to the Home page? Obliviously I've never worked with Irames before. I am a .net/.aspx developer by trade and they don't recommend using Iframes...

So I put in a path to my second page that points to my local host so that I can test this. The problem that I am having with the steps in that thread is that I only have one place in the HTML where there is: <a name="HomeFrame" ><img src="default.htm_files/2.png" border="0" alt=""... and I have 8 roll-over buttons! I can see where my roll-over that I put the path to my local host is: .../My Documents/My Pictures/Web Design/Journey-Belize/JBTemplatetestfiles.htm_files/altunha.htm')" style=..."

So I am a little confused as to where to insert the Iframe. That's what I could use some help on... Any help would be much appreciated.

[steve.ledger]

Basically, once you have followed the 'placeholder' idea as explained in the other thread, you need to insert the <iframe tag and appropriate attributes to replace (most of) the placeholder image code.

This is how I would do it.

For example:
<a name="HomeFrame"><img src="default.htm_files/2.png" border="0" alt="" style="left: 21px; top: 36px; width: 751px; height: 401px; position: absolute;"/></a>

Is replaced with:
<a name="HomeFrame"><iframe name="inlineframe" src="otherpage1.htm" frameborder="0" alt="inline frame" scrolling="no" style="left: 21px; top: 36px; width: 751px; height: 401px; position: absolute;"/></iframe></a>

You must retain style= etc so that the frame remains in the correct poistion on the page.

Once you have this inserted as shown, any links which are required to load into the inline frame must use the target attribute TARGET="inlineframe" in order to load the source into the inline frame space.

For example:
<a href="otherpage2.htm" target="inlineframe">
( The iframe name attribute can be whatever you like, just make sure that the links that you want to show in the iframe use this name in their target= )

As far as all your mouse-overs are concerned, I'm afraid I can't follow what you are saying well enough to provide a response...

[Coleen]

As far as all your mouse-overs are concerned, I'm afraid I can't follow what you are saying well enough to provide a response...

What I mean is that I have 8 oll-overs, all with different URL's but I only see 1 place with the <a name> tag and am confused as to why there aren’t 8 of them. Did I possibly do something wrong when I created my "Home" page, where it did not generate a <a name> tag for them?

When I created them, I linked both the buttons and the roll-overs to the associated URL for each page by clicking on the button/rollover, going to Utilities, Web Address and typing in the URL in the URL Box. In the Target frame box, I put the name of the frame on my home page and saved and exported, but it only created the one <a name> tag, which happens to be for the home page (not for any of the buttons/roll overs) thus my confusion.

I thought you linked the "Home" page to point to the URL that you want to pt in that frame - am I way off base? What am I missing?

Thanks very much for your help, I truly appreciate it

[steve.ledger]

What I mean is that I have 8 oll-overs, all with different URL's but I only see 1 place with the <a name> tag and am confused as to why there aren’t 8 of them. Did I possibly do something wrong when I created my "Home" page, where it did not generate a <a name> tag for them?

No idea - can you possibly attach your .xar file?

In the Target frame box, I put the name of the frame on my home page and saved and exported, but it only created the one <a name> tag, which happens to be for the home page (not for any of the buttons/roll overs) thus my confusion.

The target frame name should be the <iframe name="name" and not the <a name="name" which you used when you named the placeholder.

However this isn't done in Xtreme, it's done by hand when editing the source later (and after exporting from Xtreme)

I thought you linked the "Home" page to point to the URL that you want to pt in that frame - am I way off base? What am I missing?

Inline frames are used to load an external resource into the host page so that it appears to be part of the host page.

[Coleen]

Inline frames are used to load an external resource into the host page so that it appears to be part of the host page.

Yes, I know/understnd that - I guess I am having trouble explaining myself (I am having trouble typing too - bad cold lots of cough syrup so I'm a little...off -sorry)

Okay my .xar files are attached - the main page is "Journey-Belize" the roll-over page is altunha. Your help is so appreciated (especially since my mind is a littel foggy with the cough syurp rightnow...)

[steve.ledger]

Thanks Coleen I've had a quick look and will find some time to try to explain a bit later.
However I can say from looking at your files that you have not quite grasped how inline frames need to work.

One other thing. You have used non-web-fonts throughout. As you have grouped most of them, they will be exported as images (necessary in order for them to show as you want) this will make your site much bigger in terms of kilobytes. Best to stick with standard web fonts and use pixel sizes rather than points. Easier for your visitors to read also

Also remember that any photos which are not specifically name JPEG will be exported as (larger kb sized) PNG
Your site (only exporting NewJourneyBelize.xar so far) is almost 1mb when exported to html, so will take a little while for poeple on slow dial-up connections.

Currently all images you have showing on the page are exported as PNG.
There are three images exported as JPG but they don't actually appear on the page (33/38/16) as they are concealed under the top right three images.

As I'll need more time to understand your files, I'll save further comment until later.

[Coleen]

Oh Steve, you are a dear - thank you! See, learning all this stuff while trying to put together a site for a client isn't exactly how I wanted to learn, but I am finding that once i understand the way it's supposed to work, that I will definitely be purchasing it. I just wanted to make sure I can use it/do what I need to do with it first...and it's a learning experience coming from .net.

Okay, I will go back and make sure that all my images (including the collage) are saved as .jpg's and double check that I have all the objects grouped. I used that font because it was what the client had on her business cards, and she wanted to stick with it, personally, I would ave used Tahoma or Arial,or even Ludicia Script. Maybe I can convince her to let me change it - thanks for the heads-up on it.

I ran a tutorial I found on the web about Iframes, and I think I m understanding it better now, and will work on it tomorrow to. This cold is kicking my butt and I'm off to bed at 8:00!

Thanks again for all of your help!

[steve.ledger]

..but I am finding that once i understand the way it's supposed to work, that I will definitely be purchasing it. I just wanted to make sure I can use it/do what I need to do with it first...

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