ET Image Menu - Documentation


 

 

 

  

Features o Examples o Get Started
Parameters o Known Bugs o Future Features

Features

  • Creates interactive buttons that are linked to URLs.
  • The buttons can "stay pushed" and in that way indicate which page that is viewed in another frame.
  • Progressive loading. The applet shows the buttons as soon as the background and normal image are loaded. This makes it possible for the user to use the applet even while the alternative images and the sounds are being loaded.
  • Individual offset on the button images.
  • Audio support.

Examples

Get started

  1. Start with a simple web-page where you want the applet. (E.g. Test.html)
  2. Copy the class files to the same directory as Test.html:
    ET_ImageMenu.class
    ET_Com.class
    (ET_ButtonPusher.class)
  3. Copy the applet and parameter tags from the simple example (or any other example, but it is safer to start with something simple).
  4. If you get it to work you can add more parameters from the list below. Check out the other examples for inspiration. If you have problems, check the FAQ for more help.
  5. If you still don't get it right, read the tutorials at http://www.htmlgoodies.com/ regarding Java applets.
     
   

Parameters

This is the list of parameters that can be used in the HTML code with this applet. If the applet is unable to interpret a parameter, it will be ignored.
 

Unlocking the applet

   NumericalKey
If you buy the applet collection you will get access to a web page where you can generate keys to unlock the applets. An unlocked applet will not show the "by Entanke, Click for info" text and it will not have the four second delay when it starts. Use the NumericalKey parameter to assign these keys to the applet. If you have a domain with several names (like www.domain.com, www2.domain.com) you have to get a key for every domain name and enter them separated by commas. When the applet is run from the local hard disk it will behave as if you have a valid key.
Values: 0-66000[,0-66000[,...]]
Default: none
Example: <param name="NumericalKey" value="3956,213">
 

The Button Images

   ButtonImage
The image defining the normal look of the buttons. If you have a background image (the BGImage parameter), the ButtonImage will only be rendered in the rectangles defined by the B-n-Area parameters.

If the image is a transparent gif, the BGColor or BGImage will be seen in the transparent parts of the image. Netscape 3 and Netscape 4 have a bug regarding the handling of transparent images if the upper left pixel is non-transparent. Some images will sometimes show up incorrectly. The solution is of course to make the upper left pixel transparent.
Value: URL to image
Default: none
 
    ButtonImageOver
The image defining the look of the buttons when the user moves the mouse over any of them. The image is only rendered in the rectangles defined by the B-n-Area parameters.
Value: URL to image
Default: ButtonImage
 
    ButtonImageClick
The image defining the look of the buttons when the user clicks on any of them. The image is only rendered in the rectangles defined by the B-n-Area parameters.
Value: URL to image
Default: ButtonImageOver
 

Image offset

   ButtonImageOffset
The offset of the ButtonImage.
Value: xoffset,yoffset (pixels)
Default: 0,0
Example: <param name="ButtonImageOffset" value="40,10">
 
    ButtonImageOverOffset
The offset of the ButtonImageOver.
Value: xoffset,yoffset (pixels)
Default: ButtonImageOffset
 
    ButtonImageClickOffset
The offset of the ButtonImageClick
Value: xoffset,yoffset (pixels)
Default: ButtonImageOverOffset
 

The Background

   BGImage
The background image. If the image is smaller than the applet area it will be repeated to cover the whole applet area.
Value: URL to image
Default: none
 

 

   BGColor
The color of the applet background.
Values: 000000 - ffffff
Default: ffffff (white)
See Also: Color notation.
 
    BGLoadingColor
The color of the applet background while the applet is loading. Note that if this parameter isn't used the applet background will have the color given in the BGColor parameter while the applet is loading.
Values: 000000 - ffffff
Default: BGColor
See Also: Color notation.
 

The Button Behavior

   B-n-Area
The dimensions for button n. Note that the values are x,y,width,height and not x1,y1,x2,y2.
Values: x,y,width,height (pixels)
Default: none
Example: <param name="B-2-Area" value="20,20,10,10">
See Also: Button parameters.
 
    B-n-URL
The URL connected to button n. You can use any URL type supported by your browser including http: and mailto:. Note that it is not possible to set any default values with B-d-URL.
Values: URL to link
Default: none
Example: <param name="B-3-URL" value="fun.html">
See Also: Button parameters.
 
    B-n-URLFrame
The target frame of the URL connected to button n.
Values: _self / _parent / _top / _blank / frame name
Default: _self
See Also: Button parameters.
 
    B-n-URLText
The text to be shown in the browsers status bar when the user moves the mouse pointer over button n.
Values: text string
Default: none
See Also: Button parameters.
 

Button Sounds

   B-n-SoundOver
The sound to be played when the user moves the mouse pointer over button n (if the button is linked to something with the B-n-URL parameter). Sun sound files (.au) should be the safest choice for your sounds if you want them to work on all platforms. If the applet won't accept your audio file, try changing the encoding and/or sampling rate.
Values: URL to sound
Default: none
See Also: Button parameters.
 
    B-n-SoundClick
The sound to be played when the user clicks on button n (if the button is linked to something with the B-n-URL parameter).
Values: URL to sound
Default: none
See Also: Button parameters.
 

Button Stay pushed

  

B-n-StayPushed
If this parameter is set to true button n will render as clicked when the html page linked with B-n-URL is shown in any frame of the browser. To make this work, even when you use the back-button on your browser, you must use the ET Button Pusher applet on every page linked to by the sections with "stay pushed", set to true. Here's a summary:

  1. You have decided that you want the buttons to be rendered as clicked when the corresponding page is in view.
  2. You also have the applet in one frame of the browser with all "stay pushed" links targeted to another frame.
  3. Then add the B-n-StayPushed parameter for every button that you want to stay pushed or use B-d-StayPushed to make all buttons stay pushed.
  4. Copy the ET_ButtonPusher.class to the same directory as the other classes.
  5. Add the ET Button Pusher applet code on all pages linked to by the buttons in the main applet without parameters. (Something like <applet code="ET_ButtonPusher.class" width="2" height="2"></applet>)
  6. Wow, now it should work.

Values: true / false
Default: false
See Also: Button parameters.
 

   

Known Bugs

No known bugs.

If you find any other bugs please report them to us.
 

   

Future Features

It's always possible to improve an applet, but every feature creates more code, and more code will result in longer loading times. Here is a list of ideas and possible future features for this applet. Tell us what is most important to include in the applet, or if you have other ideas not listed here.

  • Animated gif support (this will require Java API 1.1).
     
 

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