So, is the problem when you reload the document in the parent window, you 
lose the opener reference in the child window?

And by using frames, you ensure that the original parent window is always 
present in the parent window?

I'm thinking of trying to implement a navigation tool in a modeless dialog 
and finding a way to keep track of the opener and the child as the opener 
loads different documents.  From these discussions, I'm beginning to think 
this is hopelessly difficult.

Can y'all point me to some reference material on this topic (keeping track 
of the window hierarchy)?  Especially trying to keep the windows 
synchronized.  For instance, making sure the child window closes if the 
parent window closes.

Thanks!

-Van

> 
Recently I also have experienced same problem even a little more 
complicated than this case. In my case along with the window.opener 
reference I was also loosing window.childWindow reference from the parent 
window. And finally to resolve this problem I used frames in both the 
child and the opener window and used two frames inside them.   I left one 
frame of each window unchanged in order to save each other window's 
reference there. But I used to navigate the webpages in other frame in 
each window.
As long as the document in any of the window remains available i.e. not 
changed you have handle of associated window but as quickly as you change 
the document there you loose the reference of associated window. SO. Why 
not have a frame always untouched in both windows and navigate any URL in 
the other frame in the window???. In this way you will be able to access 
both windows from each other. :)