Pages published using Fixed Page Layout can only be viewed accurately in Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 or higher or Netscape Navigator 4.x browsers. Older browsers can view the pages, but with unpredictable results; in many cases the page content is stacked flush left down the page.
Fixed Page Layout uses cascading style sheet positioning, layers, or both to achieve a high level of layout accuracy. NetObjects Fusion determines which of these options are applicable based on how you set up Browser compatibility in the Current Site Options dialog. See Setting the Site’s HTML Output Method.
When you choose Fixed Page Layout, NetObjects Fusion expresses the location of content in terms of absolute positioning. For example, instead of using HTML workarounds such as empty table rows and transparent .gifs to position a line of text below the top of the page, the absolute positioning supported by Fixed Page Layout defines placement of the text box a specific distance from the top left corner of the page in a simple statement of x,y coordinates.
When you select Fixed Page Layout:
NetObjects Fusion generates HTML code that produces the same results in Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator 4.x.
Pages are typically more compact and download faster than table-based HTML pages.
You can overlap objects in Layouts or Layout Regions. See Layering Objects.
You get consistent results with pages containing actions. See Building Dynamic Pages.
There is some risk for text-rich pages. If a Fixed Page Layout page is viewed in a browser with large font settings, the text boxes expand without regard for other objects on the page, which can result in unplanned overlapping of objects.