Frames FAQ: Updating multiple frames at once

How do I update two frames at once?

As there is no way to address a specific combination of frames, there is no direct solution to this.

If the two frames you want to update are adjacent, you should create one frameset document containing the two frames, and use that instead of the two individual frames. Then, have the 'update' link change that frame. This will result in the two frames being updated.

An example: suppose we have a frameset with three frames, roughly like this:

+----------------------+ <FRAMESET COLS="30%,*">
|       |     Banner   | <FRAME SRC="list.html" NAME="List">
| List  |--------------|   <FRAMESET ROWS="20%,*">
|       |              |   <FRAME SRC="banner.html" NAME="Banner">
|       |    Content   |   <FRAME SRC="content.html" NAME="Content">
|       |              |   </FRAMESET>
+----------------------+ </FRAMESET>

We wish to update both "Banner" and "Content" when a certain link in "List" is followed. To do this, we replace the nested frameset declaration in the above text with a FRAME element pointing to a document that calls the two frames:

<FRAMESET COLS="30%,*">                    
<FRAME SRC="list.html" NAME="List">
<FRAME SRC="right.html" NAME="Right">
</FRAMESET>

and the new document calls the two frames:

<FRAMESET ROWS="20%,*">
<FRAME SRC="banner.html" NAME="Banner">
<FRAME SRC="content.html" NAME="Content">
</FRAMESET>

To update both the Banner and the Content frame, all we have to do now is to update the Right frame.

The disadvantage of this solution is that it requires a lot of extra effort and managing several extra documents with just frameset declarations. It also does not work if the frames are not adjacent.

Using Javascript

Using the scripting language Javascript, a small script can be written to update two frames at once. It would lookb basically as follows:

<SCRIPT LANGUAGE=JAVASCRIPT>
<!--
function fnUpdate(){
   top.frame1.location="URL1";
   top.frame2.location="URL2";
}
// -->
</SCRIPT>
...

<A HREF="URL1" TARGET=frame1 onClick="fnUpdate();">Update frames</A>

The names frame1 and frame2 would have to be replaced with the names of the actual frames you want to have updated. Using the link above, if the browser does not support Javascript (or has it disabled), only the first frame will be updated.

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