User manual for EverJ's Easy Links menu applet (text-only version).

  • How to install.
  • How to create source file.
  • Source file example.
  • 1.Installation.

  • Document. Place somewhere your HTML file, containing the following tag (missing values explained below):
  • <APPLET codebase= "....." width=... height=... ... code="easy.class"> ... </APPLET>
    or
    <APPLET codebase= "....." width=... height=... ... code="easyUP.class"> ... </APPLET>

     

  • Classes. Your class package shoulld contain three auxiliary classes, JM.class, ML.class, MI.cllass, and one or both of the main classes, easy.class and easyUP.class. The menu type depends upon the main class used. If your menu should grow downward, use easy.class, otherwise use easyUP.class .
    Now, put all of the class files into the one directory somewhere at the same host as the HTML file (NOTE: when you test this on the local computer, place classes at the same directory as the HTML file). If you have placed classes and HTML file in a different directories, use the 'codebase' parameter in the tag. It should point to classes path:
         <applet ... codebase="[path]" code="easy.class">
    or
         <applet ... codebase="[path]" code="easyUP.class">.
    The path may be absolute or relative to HTML file.
  •  

  • Data source file.Now you should create a file which the applet will get it's data from. By default you should name it 'easy.dat' or 'easyUP.dat' ( accordingly to the main class used) and put it to HTML document's directory. Otherwise use:
         <param name=source value="path/name">.
    The path may be absolute or relative to HTML file.
  •  

  • The tag:
    <applet width=[applet width] height=[applet height] align=[..] codebase="[classes path]" code="easy[UP].class">
        <param name=source value="path/file" >
        <param name=round value="yes" >
    </applet>
  • codebase - points to the classes directory; optional;
  • code - points to the applet file,nesessary;
  • path/file - points to the data file, optional, default = JMt[UP].dat; path is relative to the document base;
  • round - optional parameter, if it's value equals "yes" the menu bars are round; otherwise they are sharp.
  •  

    2.Source file.

  • Applet gets all it's data from a source file (see previous chapter). Data are represented in SDL format. Source file contains some records, named struct, label, bounds, action, colors, font (see below explanation & examples), the first of them being key generic record, the next three of them being individual node context, and the last two being system context.
  • struct is the obligatory generic record. It looks like following:

    struct:

    ;

    All of the word expressions inside struct are interpreted as tree node's identifiers. Each internal record expresses the nesting relationship, the header being container's ID, and the body being the list of the nested nodes.The root record is obligatory, it points to the list of those nodes which will appear on the screen just after initialisation. All nodes appears on the screen in the same order as they were listed here.

    SEE EXAMPLE

     

    label is the context of node's label. The record looks like following:

    label:

    ;

    Record headers inside label are interpreted as tree node's identifiers, bodies as containing 1 or 2 string expressions, the first being node's label in normal state and the second being node's label in highlighted state. In absence of second string highlighted state label will be defined as equal to the first string, but converted to the upper case. In absence of appropriate record at all, node's normal state label will be defined as equal to it's identifier and it's highlighted state label derived as descibed above.

    SEE EXAMPLE

     

    bounds is the context of node's colored area bounds. The record looks like following:

    bounds:

    ;

    Each record header inside bounds is interpreted as tree node's identifier, body - as containing 1 or 2 string expressions, the first describing it's colored area in normal state and the second describing the same relative to it's highlighted state. In absence of the 2-nd string it's taken as equal to the 1-st. This strings have the following format:

    "sp0,sp1,sp2,sp3"

    where sp0,sp1,sp2,sp3 are the decimal integer numbers, representing the parameters of colored area:
    sp0 - the spacing between area's left border and node cell left border, in pixels, may be negative; sp1 - the spacing between area's upper border and node cell upper border, in pixels, may be negative;
    sp2 - the spacing between area's right border and node cell right border, in pixels, may be negative;
    sp3 - the spacing between area's down border and node cell down border, in pixels, may be negative;

    SEE EXAMPLE

     

    action - the context of node's hiperlink. It specifies the document URL and the frame which this document is to be loaded into, when the node is mouse clicked on. The record has the following format:

    action:

    ;

    Each record header inside action is interpreted as tree node's identifier, body - as containing the hiperlink expression and optionally the word expression, the first specifying the document's URL, absolute or relative to the current document base, and the second specifying the target frame to load in. The frame can be specified by name or by the special word from the following list: _self, _blanc, _parent, _top, _this. The last word specifies that the hiperlik points to the new data file, which will be loade and performed immediately, without reloading of the whole page. If the target isn't specified, its value is set to _self.

    SEE EXAMPLE

     

    colors - system context, specifying the node colors (it's colored area & label in normal / highlighted state). The record has the following format:

    colors:

    ;

  • bars record contains the list of the background color data, used to draw new bars. Position N of the color in this record determines the color of Nth level menu bar. If you will define less colors, than max menu level, colors will be applied cyclically.
  • items_n record contains the list of the background color data, used to draw new menu item. This works in the same way as bars data, but is applied to certain items.
  • items_h The same as above, but applied to highlighted (selected) menu items.
  • root record contains two colors, first equal to bars record, but is applied to root (Zero-level) menu, second equal to item record. These record allows to warranty the uniquity of root menu color scheme (in a case if you have a few repeating colors).
  • text_n record contains the list of the foreground color data, used to display the labels - in normal (not selected) state. Position N of the color in this record determines the label color of Nth level menu bar. If you will define less colors, than max menu level, colors will be applied cyclically.
  • text_h The same as above, but applied to highlighted (selected) menu item.
  • SEE EXAMPLE

     

    font - system context for the label's font. The record has the following format:

    font:

    ;

    font_name - one of the following strings: "Dialog", "Courier", "TimesRoman", "Helvetica".
    font_size - integer number.
    style_1, style_2 - word constant, one of the following: plain, bold, italic .

    SEE EXAMPLE

     

    3.Example.

    ***START***

    struct:

    ;

    // explanation of the above record

      

    label:

    ;

    // explanation of the above record

     

    bounds:

    ;

    // explanation of the above record

     

    action:

    ;

    // explanation of the above record

     

    colors:

    ;

    // explanation of the above record

     

    font:

    ;

    // explanation of the above record

     

    ***END***

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