Template Information

Flash-Enhanced Templates
A flash-enhanced template is merely a table template that contains, in certain areas of the new web, either Flash or Swish "movies". In the templates available, sometimes it is simply an image that has animation to it, sometimes it is just lettering (which you can customize), and sometimes it is both.

Frames Templates
If you want to use frames on your website, you're not an exception to the rule. Many people prefer frames because they make navigating a website simple for the non-experienced surfer: the left side menu is *always* there, it's virtually impossible to get lost in the website. So, let's talk about frames...

Advantages

Ease of navigation - the menu never gets lost as you scroll down the page or navigate from page to page
Name recognition - your company name/information as placed in the upper frame is always in site, no matter how far down the page your content goes
Ease of web construction - no page templates are required with framesets, as each new page simply opens within the existing frameset structure. To add pages, you simply go to the Navigation view, click once on the page that will be the parent of the new page, then hit the little white page icon in the upper left of the FrontPage menu. Left click the New Page and select "rename" to give it the name of your choice, then open it and add your content! If the page is directly beneath the Main home page, then the button will automatically show up in the left navigation frame.
Show other content within your web - a growing number of services are available that allow you to pay a fee and then provide the content selected on your own website, as if you had done the content yourself (generally, these are related to news and financial markets). In frames, you can open that page within your own left and top frame - simply link to the page, then in the hyperlink properties, select "Target" - and type in the word: bottom

Disadvantages

Search engine difficulties - search engines do NOT follow any content in the page that has the frames statement, so your entire site will not be indexed. You can somewhat circumvent this by opening the index.htm page in FrontPage, then going to the little tab at the bottom that says "No Frames". In that page, put everything you want the search engines to be able to see, including links to other pages.
Limited left links - although you are unlimited in the amount of pages you can add to a frameset template, you ARE limited to the number of links that will show up on the left in various viewer resolutions. Generally, 8 links is the maximum viewable in 800 x 600 resolution. This issue can be dealt with by using careful planning and structuring your site so the main topic areas are on the left, and sub-pages are linked on the actual topic page with either text links or a horizontal navigation/link bar.
Ability to open your pages outside of frames - many web owners in a frames environment are completely shocked to learn that their individual pages can be opened outside of their index frames structure. Let's understand what frames really are, then. The index or default (main home page) page contains a set of instructions. The instructions give HTML commands that define an area on a "virtual page" - in our environment, we have named the areas "top", "left", and "bottom". When the areas are defined, there are further instructions that define the pages that will initially show up in those areas - again, in our environment, those will be top.htm, left.htm, and bottom.htm. The bottom.htm page is the first page of content the viewer will see; after that, whatever link is followed is what will show up in the "virtual page" the viewer sees. Now, understanding that each page opens "virtually" within the frameset, you can probably surmise that the actual pages as named here can be typed into the browser address window and viewed separately. Yes so if someone links to one of your "body" pages - not to your index/default page, then yes, the page will show up without your frames, without your links to other pages, and without your company information in the top section. To aid in this, it is wise to put text links to "child pages under home" at the bottom of each page, and also, a standalone link that goes directly to your index/default page. When it's all "said and done," you feel the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages. Whether you are right or not boils down to personal preferences, and what you feel you are capable of accomplishing.