University at Albany Libraries

How to Navigate Web Pages Using Frames

For Navigator 3.x with Windows 3.x

Web pages created with frames divide the computer screen into two or more active windows. For an example, see the frames demonstration on the University Libraries home page.

Increasingly, Web browsers support the viewing of frames. Currently, Netscape Navigator 2.0 and later versions have this capability.

It is not easy to navigate a site that uses frames. Netscape Navigator 3.0 has solved some of the problems and made the frames environment easier to navigate.

Frames Navigation

How to Move Back to a Previous Frame

When working in a frames environment, special navigation techniques must be used in order to move forward and back inside a particular frame. Let's say that you have clicked on a link and the file loads into one of the frames. How do you return to the previous item in that frame?

For users of Netscape 3.x, click on the Back button.

For users of all earlier versions of Netscape, follow the directions below.

For IBM-PC users:

  1. Press down on the right mouse button (not on a link or an image) and hold it. A pop-up window will appear with two choices.
  2. Slide down the mouse until you highlight the choice, Back.
  3. Let go of the mouse button. The previous file will appear in the frame.
For Macintosh users: the technique is the same as above, except that you will hold down the entire mouse button.

How to Move Forward to a Frame

If you have loaded several new files into a particular frame and have traveled backwards using the above procedure, you can then go forward again one by one through the files, as follows:

For users of Netscape 3.x, click on the Forward button.

For users of all earlier versions of Netscape, follow the directions below.

  1. Press down on the right mouse button (PC users) or the entire mouse button (Mac users) and hold it. A pop-up window will appear with two choices.
  2. Slide down the mouse until you highlight the choice, Forward.
  3. Let go of the mouse button. The next file will appear in the frame.

How to Download, E-Mail, or Print a File Within a Frame

To print, download or e-mail a file within a frame window, you must load this file into a separate full-screen window. Netscape allows you to start up a second copy of the browser to view this file on the full screen.

To accomplish this, the link to the file must be up on your screen. If the file is already loaded into a frame, return to the file in which the link appeared.

To view the desired file in a full window, here's what you do:

  1. Position your mouse pointer on top of the link pointing to this file
  2. Press down on the right mouse button (PC users) or the entire mouse button (Mac users) and hold it.
  3. A pop-up window will appear with several choices. Slide down the mouse until you highlight the choice, Open in New Window.
  4. Let go of the mouse button. A new copy of Netscape will launch with the file loaded into the entire screen.
  5. Print, download or e-mail the file
To return to the frames environment:

PC Users: Press down the Alt key and hold it. Then tap the Tab key. Let go of both keys and you will be returned to the original copy of Netscape. OR, simply close the newer copy of Nescape.

Macintosh Users: Press down on the mouse button. Slide down the mouse and highlight Back.

Laura Cohen | 1/97
lcohen@cnsvax.albany.edu