Abandon Framesets

1 Description

Framesets and frames have advantages and disadvantages. For most web designers today frames are evil, sometimes for reasons that may not be true (e.g accessibily - frames give structure and can help a person using a screen reader to quickly access a section), but also for good reasons. From the (PHP) implementation side, there are several things that make frame handling more complex. E.g. updating a frame, if the content of another changes, session data written by multiple frames in a frameset, or forwarding GET/POST information through a frameset.

Now HTML5 is near and HTML5 abandons framesets: "The following elements are not in HTML 5 because their usage affected usability and accessibility for the end user in a negative way: frame, frameset, noframes", see W3c - HTML 5 differences from HTML 4.

I may take years until the first browsers stop to support frames, but there are also very old ILIAS installations out there. So we need to get rid of them in time.

Where ILIAS currently uses framesets:

• Repository
• Mail
• Administration
• Learning Modules (Editing and Presentation)
• Forums
• Chat (?)
• Media Pools
• Glossary

2 Status

• Scheduled for: Release 4.4 (has been scheduled for v. 4.3 but postponed due to missing funding)
• Funding: Helmut Schmidt Universität
• Development: Feature is to be developed by Databay AG and Leifos

3 Additional Information

• If you want to know more about this feature, its implementation or funding, please contact: Alex Killing / alex.killing at gmx.de

4 Discussion

JF 8 Feb 2010: We agree that we need to elaborate a concept for the replacement of framesets. For now we prohibit the introduction of new framesets in ILIAS features. We also agree that a successive replacement over subsequent ILIAS releases is ok.

Matthias Kunkel, 17 Jul 2012: A part of this initiative has been implemented for 4.3: Framesetless Toc2Win Layout. The rest is set to "not scheduled yet" and needs to be set again on the agenda when funding is available.

Alex Killing, 10.10.2012: We got funding for 4.4!

JF 10 Dec 2012: We highly appreciate this and schedule it for 4.4.

5 Implementation

Since many framesets exist to show a tree structure (explorer) on the left and the current UIComponent/Explorer service is quite old and difficult to use, we started with the development of a new service at Services/UIComponent/Explorer2. See the developer documentation for this new explorer service.
 
List of framesets in 4.3 that need to be kicked:

• Media Pool, Folder Structure Frame (done)
• Mail, Folder Frame (done)
• Repository, Tree Frame (done)
• Learning Module Editor, Chapter Frame (done)
• SCORM Editor, Chapter/SCO Frame (done)
• Administration -> Repository/Trash/Permissions (done)
• Learning Module Presentation, 2-Window View (done)
• Learning Module Presentation, 3-Window View (done)