Message Window

Class File Names: mwindow.class
Total Size: 13K
Notice Tag: Message Window, (c) 1997, OpenCube Technologies, Registered 3184

For Faster Customization of the applet tags try the template.

Receiving Technical Support:

If you are having trouble customizing the applet or cannot get the applet to function appropriately please contact OpenCube by phone or e-mail at 207-947-1955, or [email protected]. When contacting support by e-mail please include any error messages you received and an explanation of the problem. If you have already customized your tag please e-mail the HTML document which includes the tag and any support files such as images that the applet uses and we will correct the problem and e-mail the working tag with your page back to you.

How to use the applet Tags:

The applet tag identifies the location, class file name, and size of a Java applet. Below is a small sample applet tag (or view the source for this document to see the applet tag for the above implementation of the applet). The first part of the tag code="myclass.class" identifies the name of the Java program. The second part codebase="java/" identifies the relative location of the file (leave codebase blank if the class file is located in the same directory as the HTML document).

The third and fourth part of the applet tag identifies the width and height of the applet (usually measured in screen pixels).

The parameters are defined below the applet start tag with the parameter name first, followed by the value of the parameter. (see below for the complete parameter list for this applet). You may add as many parameters as the applet allows for. (If a parameter is not working first double check that its spelling and case are typed correctly.)

The last part works like all other HTML tags and defines the end of the applet tag </applet>.

Information about the applet and its parameters

Required Parameters

Parameter 1 (the "notice" tag) must be included in the applet tag in order for the applet to work. Most of the parameters will default if you fail to define them, at a minimum you must include the notice tag and description parameters for you messages. Usually the easiest way to customize the applet is to cut and paste the applet tag information used in the sample and modify it to fit your web page.

Defining Colors

This applet uses a simple RGB or Hexadecimal color definition scheme. On most systems (depending on the software being used to choose a color) its easier to define a color using RGB, however since most web pages define colors using a HEX value we have allowed for both methods of color definition. To define a color using RGB use commas to separate the values such as 255,255,255 (White). To define a color using a hexadecimal value use a pound sign ('#') followed by a 6 digit hex value in the rage of 000000 - FFFFFF (e.g. #FFFFFF is equal to the color White).

Note: There is a possible bug, depending on the platform in Netscape, with Hexadecimal color definition. When users may be viewing this applet with Netscape use a RGB color definition scheme to avoid the possibility of an error.

Color Definition with RGB: To define a color in one of the color parameters using RGB choose a value between 0 - 255 for the red, green, and blue components separated by commas and typed out in the correct r,g,b order. Below is a sample of how a color parameter using RGB should look, the example specifies several different sample colors for the "bgcolor" parameter.

WHITE: <param name="bgcolor" value="255,255,255">
GREEN: <param name="bgcolor" value="0,255,0">
BLACK: <param name="bgcolor" value="0,0,0">
YELLOW: <param name="bgcolor" value="255,255,0">
OFF WHITE: <param name="bgcolor" value="240,239,234">

The best way to choose the exact color you are looking for without having to guess the numbers is to access your systems Color Picker. Color Pickers usually allow you to drag the mouse over a rainbow type color grid to select a color, and show you the appropriate RGB values. In windows the Color Picker is accessible through MS Paint as well as a majority of the popular Imaging and HTML Authoring Software.

Defining Multiple Attributes with the same parameter name

Parameters used to customize a specific message are indicated using a range, such as "desc0" - "descN". To define a parameter for a specific message (available when noted as above), use "textcolor0" to define, in this case, the text color for the first message - "textcolor3" would define the text color for the fourth message, etc., etc.

The Applet Parameters

The Applet

Parameter 1
Attribute: Copyright notice.
param name="Notice"
value = "Message Window, (c) 1997, OpenCube Technologies, Registered 3184"
Note: This must be included for the applet to work.

Parameter 2
Attribute: Background Color
param name= "bgcolor"
Value=r,g,b or #000000 - #FFFFFF - See above for more information on defining colors.
DEFAULT: WHITE

Parameter 3
Attribute: Default Status Bar Text when mouse is over applet
param name = "onsbtext"
value="X", where X is the message to appear in the status bar when the mouse is over the applet but not over a URL link.
DEFAULT: "OpenCube - Message Window"

Parameter 4
Attribute: Default Status Bar Text when mouse is off applet
param name = "offsbtext"
value="X", where X is the message to appear in the status bar when the mouse is not over the applet.
DEFAULT: "Java by OpenCube"

The Scroll Bar

Parameter 5
Attribute: Scroll Bar Position
param name = "barright"
value=true or false. true = position the scroll bar on the right side of the applet. false = position the scroll bar on the left side of the applet.
DEFAULT: true (right side)

Parameter 6
Attribute: Scroll Bar Background Color
param name= "bgcolor"
Value=r,g,b or #000000 - #FFFFFF - See above for more information on defining colors.
DEFAULT: Black

Parameter 7
Attribute: Scroll Bar Line Increment Value
param name= "barlinejump"
Value=X, Where X is the value to increment in screen pixels when the line increment buttons are pressed (up arrow or down arrow). Note: In Netscape this value also effects how smooth the the applet will scroll when dragging the bubble (page position indicator located between line increment buttons). The page up and page down values are automatically detected (used when the user presses between the bubble and a line increment button).
DEFAULT: 5

Smooth Scrolling

Parameter 8
Attribute: Use Smooth Scrolling
param name= "smoothscrolling"
Value=true or false, true = yes turn smooth scrolling on, false = do not use smooth scrolling. Note: Smooth scrolling creates an animation scroll transition when the scrollbar moves the page to a new position. The relative speed of the transition can be manipulated with the "smoothjump" parameter. When set to false the page simple moves without any special effect to the new position.
DEFAULT: False

Parameter 9
Attribute: Smooth Scrolling Jump Value
param name= "smoothjump"
Value = X, Where X is the distance in screen pixels for each frame of the smooth scrolling animation effect. Note: The lowest possible number, 1, creates the smoothest animation, however takes the longest to transition, the higher the value the faster the effect, hence the choppier the scroll. Watch that this value does not exceed your "barlinejump" parameter value, exceeding this value may cause the page to scroll inappropriately when the line increment buttons are pressed.
DEFAULT: 2

The Scrolling Messages

Parameter 10
Attribute: Message
param name="desc0" - "descN"
value=X, where X is the message to be scrolled
Note: Messages longer than the width of the applet are automatically put in a multi-line format. To use a message as a blank line break break use a space character " ".

Parameter 11
Attribute: Default Text Color
param name= "textcolor"
Value=r,g,b or #000000 - #FFFFFF - See above for more information on defining colors.
DEFAULT: BLACK

Parameter 12
Attribute: Specific Text Color
param name= "textcolor0" - "textcolorN"
Value=r,g,b or #000000 - #FFFFFF - See above for more information on defining colors.
DEFAULT: BLACK

Parameter 13
Attribute: Default Message Font Size
param name="size"
value="X", where X is the default size of all message fonts.
DEFAULT: 14

Parameter 14
Attribute: Specific Message Font Size
param name="size0" - "sizeN"
value="X", where X is the specific size of a message font.

Parameter 15
Attribute: Default Message Font Name
param name="fontface"
value="X", where X is the name of a standard Java Font (Dialog, Helvetica, TimesRoman, Courier, Symbol)
DEFAULT: "Helvetical"

Parameter 16
Attribute: Specific Message Font Name
param name="fontface"
value="X", where X is the name of a standard Java Font (Dialog, Helvetica, TimesRoman, Courier, Symbol)

Parameter 17
Attribute: Default Font Style
param name="style"
value= bold, italic, bolditalic, plain
DEFAULT: plain

Parameter 18
Attribute: Specific Font Style
param name="style0" - "styleN"
value= bold, italic, bolditalic, plain

Parameter 19
Attribute: Default Center Text
param name="centertext"
Value = true or false. true = yes center text, false = no left justify text
DEFAULT: false

Parameter 20
Attribute: Specific Center Text
param name="centertext0" - "centertextN"
Value = true or false. true = yes center the specific line or lines of text, false = no left justify the specific line or lines of text.

Parameter 21
Attribute: Left and Right Margin Width
param name="lrmargins"
Value = X, Where X is the width of the right and left margins.

Parameter 22
Attribute: Automatically Size the Starting Position of the following Message.
param name="autosize0" - "autosizeN"
Value=0 or 1 or 2: 0 = do nothing, this is the default value, 1 = Identifies a message as the starting message to be automatically sized to fit applet area, 2 = Identifies the ending message to be sized. To automatically size messages that span multiple description tags, simply set the starting message to 1 and the ending message to 2 with this parameter. For example if you wanted your desc0 and desc1 tags fit within the height of the applet area and your desc2 tag to sit just out of view, ready to be displayed as soon as the user scrolls the page down you would simply identify the desc0 as a start sizing message by setting "sizepuase0" = 1 and define desc1 as the end sizing message with "autosize1" = 2. To size only one message to fit the applet height only identify that message as a ending message and do not define a starting message (e.g. "autosize0" = 2, forces the desc0 message to be the only visible message on the screen, desc1 would sit directly off screen just out of view.)

Messages that act as URL Links

Parameter 23
Attribute: Destination URL Link
param name="desturl0" - "desturlN"
Value = X, Where X is the location of the document to load relative to the location of the HTML document containing the applet (e.g. if the HTML page containing the applet was located at http://www.opencube.com and the document to load was located at http://www.opencube.com/myhtml/mydoc.htm then the desturlN value would be "myhtml/mydoc.htm"). Note: The desturlN tags directly correspond to the descN tags, setting desturl0 will add a link to the first message description identified in desc0, desturl1 uses a link with desc1, etc.

Parameter 24
Attribute: Default Load Destination URL Link Where? (Frame Targeting)
param name="loadwhere"
The "loadwhere" tag specifies where the document specified in the "desturlN" tags should be loaded. The default is "_self"

"_self" show in the current frame
"_parent" show in the parent frame
"_top" show in the top-most frame
"_blank" show in a new unnamed top-level window
"name" show in a new top-level window named name

Parameter 25
Attribute: Specific Load Destination URL Link Where? (Frame Targeting)
param name="loadwhere0" - "loadwhereN"
The "loadwhere" tag specifies where the document specified in the "desturlN" tag should be loaded. The default is specific with the default loadwhere tag described above

"_self" show in the current frame
"_parent" show in the parent frame
"_top" show in the top-most frame
"_blank" show in a new unnamed top-level window
"name" show in a new top-level window named name

Parameter 26
Attribute: Highlight Color
param name= "hlcolor"
Value=r,g,b or #000000 - #FFFFFF - See above for more information on defining colors.
DEFAULT: Blue

Message Window, � 1996, OpenCube Technologies