IFRAME with Auto Height

[daddyo117272]

I know this topic is pratically everywhere, but I can't seem to find a solution that works. Please take a look at FreeWaves.net:

http://www.freewaves.net

The NAV bar has links targeted at the IFRAME (which is named "homebase"). Right now, the largest page (the sitemap) is 1,865 pixels high, so that is what my IFRAME is at. Here is the current IFRAME tag:

 
<iframe src="homesrc.html" width="750" height="1865" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" name="homebase">Your browser does not support this page.  Please use Internet Explorer if possible.</iframe>

Please do not post references to other solutions. I guarantee you, if it's at least a week old, I've seen it. I have spent months looking for a solution, and anyone who finds one will "forever be in my debt". Here's the rundown:

I would like to have an IFRAME in the center that changes its height according to the height of the page being displayed. All content displayed will be on the same server. Please know that I don't understand javascript hardly at all, so please provide examples if you can. Thanks very much!

[diddy]

Look dude, I don't know the answer at the moment but I will try and find it out for you.

BUT ..... the thing you need to know about iframes is that I hate them, and most people hate them becasue they are annoying. I consider them 'cheating' when writing code, but that's not the point. The point is that not everyone's browser supports iframes, just as not all browsers support frames and javascript. I suggest you try something else.

[mlseim]

You can't do it ...

The iframe height is determined before the contents inside are known.

All I can say is, instead of using <iframe>, use a normal <div>.
The only thing different will be that your whole page reloads.

Iframes are nice in that you can refresh only a part of your screen,
but only if the portion is always the same size. In your case, you need
to use PHP to control the <div> content ... which requires you to
refresh the whole page. It doesn't look as nice with a slow dial-up
service, but most connections now are fast, so it really isn't an issue.

Also, using PHP ... your "content" doesn't have to be HTML files.
You could use simple text files or a database for your content.
That's the basic idea of a CMS (content management system).

In fact, your whole site should not be layed-out using <tables>
Use valid XHTML and a CSS style sheet for your site layout.

[daddyo117272]

Cool! So, how would I apply a <div> tag to my site? Also, the way I'm setting up my site now is through tables. That's how I made the columns.

Also, where can I find more information on PHP? What else is PHP used for?

[diddy]

Personally, I like setting up my stie with tables, but it isn't the best way to go about it. If you have to lay out your site with tables, at least style them with CSS.
If you want to learn PHP, go to http://www.php.net

[diddy]

Also, when you say how do I lay out my stie with divs what do you mean? If you want the tab, it's just <div></div, but there are other attributes like overflow, width, height, border, background etc. Style them with CSS.

But what do you mean?

[daddyo117272]

Well, first of all, how would I make a CSS file? And, how would I apply it to a <div> tag and what tags can it be applied to? What is a <div> tag and what is its primary use? I'm sorry, but I'm new to most of this. All I know is what a CSS is (basically).

[mlseim]

<div> is for creating a "division" or section on a web page that
can be styled, sized, positioned on your page.

<table> is for "tabular data", such as a grid of information displayed
from a database, like calendars, charts, lists of files ... things in a
"tabular" format.

CSS "tableless" templates began to pop-up everywhere, and there
are many free templates and examples that you can use to pattern
your own designs from: http://www.intensivstation.ch/en/templates/

CSS has been associated with "no tables", but CSS is a style sheet,
which pertains to the style of tags/properties ... both <table> and <div>.
I'm not sure where CSS and "tableless" design became the "same thing".

One might think that tables are easier to program, and in a sense they
are, for simpler sites, but once you get into using PHP to dynamically
generate pages of content, it becomes really apparent that tables no
longer work. <div>'s are the way to control content on a page.

PHP is a server-side language to program websites ... example,
this forum is all PHP and MySQL (database) programming.
There are no static pages ... what you're seeing now is the generated
result of a PHP script.

Look at the source-code for this page and many others ... you'll see
there are no tables. Sites like Google, Yahoo, others still use tables
because they have no reason to spend the money to change now.
Don't change it if it aint broke.

[daddyo117272]

Thanks! I am learning PHP now, and will hopefully continue to do so as much as I can. It might be hard, since school just started, but I'll do it eventually. THanks mlseim for your very helpful post. It seems that CSS are basically templates for your website, like a stencil for painting a word on a road, or something like that.

Anyways, I hope my knowledge gets to a point where people can make accounts on my site, have profiles, and even a forum. I am currently learning PHP from:

http://www.php.net

Thank you guys very much for your help! If I have any more questions on the subject, I will post here, or start a new thread.

[Wired]

Keep in mind if you want a forum, just buy the software. It'll save you TONS of time. This forum is a customized version of vBulletin. Great software, and pretty affordable. Also has a large community behind it.