Using FastCart with Frames Based Websites

Frames Based Websites

You can use FastCart with frames based websites, but not inside a frame or frameset. Using FastCart inside a frame on your website is probably the biggest mistake users make - and it's very simple to fix.

To use FastCart with frames based sites, you need to add target="_top" to your link code. When someone clicks the Add to Cart button, all content in the browser (including all frames) is replaced by FastCart.

With basic text or image links, include the extra code within the anchor tag, ie:

Add to Cart

<a href="http://www.fastcart.co.uk/cart/index.php?id=1223&item=Big+Blue+Widget&price=9.99" target="_top"> Add to Cart </a>

With form based links, add the code into your <form> tag, ie:

<form action="http://www.fastcart.co.uk/cart/index.php" method="post" target="_top"> <input type="hidden" name="id" value="1223"> <input type="hidden" name="item" value="Big Blue Widget"> <input type="hidden" name="price" value="9.99"> <input type="submit" value="Add to Cart"> </form>

FastCart will then replace all content within the main browser window rather than just the single frame. You will also need to ensure that your "Back to Store" button links back to the main frameset that loads your main catalogue page, or only part of your site will be displayed when the shopper returns to your site.

Opening FastCart in New Windows

Some users prefer to open FastCart in new windows to keep the shopper on the products pages of the site. That is fine. To do this, simply add a small snippet of code to your links or <form> tags in the same way as for frames based sites above.

One method is to use target="_blank". When the shopper clicks the BUY NOW or Add to Cart links, a new browser window will open. However, a new browser window will open every time the shopper adds a product to the shopping cart. The shopper could easily be overwhelmed by new browser windows!

A better method is to give your new window a name, ie, target="mywin". When the shopper adds a product to FastCart, a new browser window will open called mywin. If the shopper adds another product to the shopping cart, mywin is updated - no new window is opened. If the shopper closes mywin and then adds a product to FastCart, then mywin will open again.

You can use any name you like when naming the new window, except for _blank, _parent, _self, _bottom and_top. Test your web site carefully to ensure all links work as intended.