Comparison charts of Frames, Templates, Server Side Includes, and CSS

Conclusion / Frames / Templates / SSI / CSS

My personal conclusion:

I do not use frames, there are too many negative aspects to their use. I do encourage the use of templates and CSS styles with my students and I have also used them on this web site.

I have created a set of tables comparing and contrasting the various technology avaible for speeding up web design work flow, if you have a point that I missed, please feel free to e-mail me so that I might research and add it to the tables.

Frames:

Frames are essentially individual html pages combined into one page. Your title, buttons and content may each be a separate 'frame' or html page. As one frame is updated each page that uses it is also updated.

Positives	Negatives
You can use one frame to create the buttons for an entire site, when you update that one frame, all pages that use it are also updated.	Not supported by all browsers
	Can not be searched by spiders or web crawlers which essentially decreases the chances of your audience finding the information they are looking for.
	Can not print the entire site, will only print on frame at a time which will often exclude your companies logo, contact information and other pertinent information about the site.

Templates

You can create a template to standardize the appearance of several pages. Or you can create the template first and then use it to create pages that use the same format. A template is like a stencil. You have a cut out pattern and information can only be placed in theses holes or 'editable regions'. When you make a change to a template all of the pages which use this template can be automatically updated. Dreamweaver will prompt you, "would you like to update?"

Positives	Negatives
Uses the <div> or division tag.	You must then upload all of the pages that have been updated to the server. A template is not downloaded and referenced by a user's computer. You must update the pages yourself and them upload these changes in order for them to take effect.
Good for clients and users who want to be able to update a web site, but who are not the web designer or developer. It keeps the main content and design the same, but allows the user to enter new information in editable regions.

SSI or Server Side Includes

One SSI file is created and applied to a page. Anytime this SSI or include file is updated, any and all pages connected to it are also updated.

Positive	Negative
Do not have to upload all of the updated pages to the server, just the include file.	Can not be used by htm or html pages. You may only use SSI in SHTML, ASP, and PHP pages.
	The include file must be named as either .asp or .php if there is sensitive or confidential code included in the include file. Otherwise the user may be able to view the source code.

CSS or Cascading Style Sheets

Positive	Negative
Reusable, you can create one CSS file and apply it to several pages or an entire site. This means that if you or your client wants to change a font you can change it just in the CSS page and you do not have to change it on every single page.	Not fully supported in every browser and in particular they are not supported by older browsers.
Enhance your site's look
Increased accessibility
Reduces file size