CSS Layout & HTML Question

[TheCrazyK]

I am trying to find details on a CSS & HTML combination that works properly and loads the way I'm looking to have it loaded.

I used to use frames, but ever since I began using CSS It's just so much cleaner and professional looking I'd never want to go back. I'm sorry to have my first post be a brand new request but I've already spent the last 5 days searching various sites for this information.

I'm trying to build a site that organizes a header, nav bar, main body section, and of course a footer, which is easy enough to make on my own. What I am looking for isn't the layout itself, but how to make links from the nav bar load new information to the main body section without reloading the entire page. Not that it's a necessity to have it on a web site, but it's nice if the user visiting a site with a slow connection doesn't have a completely white screen for a duration of load time.

Is there a way to use a div box setting of some sort and load a new seperate html file altogether into it, like for example as an embed, object, link or such. I've tested and can get a page to load as an object, but it's not "connectable" so if I wanted to add javascript it has difficulty communicating to the rest of the document, like an onload javascript command to a function in the index.html it's attatched to.

Can somebody give me details, can it be done without anything as fancy as say php, and I don't want my site to be reliant on javascript code, but I am planning to include it to some extent.

Thanks ahead of time, if you know an answer to my dilema it'd be greatly appreciated.

[thetestingsite]

AJAX would work to include the page without reloading. Other than that, not sure what else you could do.

[TheCrazyK]

Perhaps I've a bad misconception of javascript, it's been a long time Since I even studied it. Is there an option to turn javascript off on browsers? Wouldn't that render using javascript useless, or specifically relying on it to do the work? Maybe it's just cookies or specific functions of javascript, but I thought it could be literally turned off and on like a switch or something.

I don't like making a web site where somebody can turn a switch off and it messes the whole thing up, so if I'm wrong tell me before I sound even more stupid. That is why I said I wanted to avoid javascript for the most part, and ajax seems to be entirely compromised of it.

That aside, I was hoping for a much simpler solution. It seems like frames could easily be manipulated without even using scripts, you set a name for the frame to be adjusted, targeted it in the link and changed it's url. Isn't there a way to do that targeting a div box, or object of some sort?

Sorry, I did want to say thanks for replying at least, and ajax isn't a bad solution, i'm just not sure if it's what I'm looking for.

[thetestingsite]

Is there an option to turn javascript off on browsers?

Yes, users can choose to disable javascript if they want. But; in browser (FF), I have a plugin that allows me to turn off anything on a website (styles, text, images, etc). So, in theory, anything on a website can be disabled.

As far as loading a page without actually reloading everything, as far as I know there is not other way of doing it without either using Frames or AJAX/Javascripts.

Hope this helps.

[TheCrazyK]

An update to this, I was wondering as to what might be another object I could use, I have heard of iframes, but as usual I'm skeptical because I want to know it will work. I've heard both good and bad things about iframes, obviously it'd be easy to adjust and seperated somewhat from the web site, so it fits the many catagories of what I'm looking for, but what are the downsides to having iframes? Is there some incompatibility issues between browsers, or is it that whole bit about xhtml and what not. Not that I have anything against strict code, but I just don't see the point if you're trying to get information to the web without causing yourself tons of extra hassle, in my case I'm doing it for a group who in particular is PC Illiterate, and I want to have one of them update it by simply adding text every now and again, but I want it to at least look nice.

[thetestingsite]

Well, I have an iframe on my website, but there is an incompatiablity (spelling?) with older browsers. In my newest design (which I am working on) will not have any frames whatsoever due to this browser problem.

[TheCrazyK]

I guess I'll probably use iframes then, they seem to be the easiest thing out of the bunch to work with, as fun as ajax could be it'd surely confuse whoever was trying to change up update content. It might be nice if I was doing something I would upkeep. From what I've heard only older versions of netscape navigator have difficulty with this, but I have a tough time thinking that anyone wouldn't upgrade if they were actually still using it. I'll just have to test it and see how well it works between different browsers, thanks a bunch for your help.

[thetestingsite]

but I have a tough time thinking that anyone wouldn't upgrade if they were actually still using it.

You'd be suprised as to the amount of people still using old equiptment, and try having them call you to troubleshoot their internet connection, because they can't see the contents of a frame or something.

Sorry, I'm currently still at work and it's been a long day. Only half an hour left Woo Hoo!