MultiBoard
<APPLET
CODEBASE = "."
CODE = "de.ts.applets.MultiBoard"
ARCHIVE = "multiboard.jar"
WIDTH = 400
HEIGHT = 150
HSPACE = 0
VSPACE = 0
ALIGN = middle>
<PARAM NAME=DATFILE VALUE="MultiBoard.dat">
<PARAM NAME=LICENSE VALUE="PU">
<PARAM NAME=NOKEY
VALUE="get_your_key_at_www.todaysoft.online.de">
</APPLET>
Documentation for Applet MultiBoard, Version 1.0
(c) 1999 by Today Software
Released: 30.08.1999
- What is MultiBoard?
MultiBoard is a multifunctional, full configurable Java applet, which gives
you the ability to add various animation effects to your website.
- What are the advantages of MultiBoard?
- you don`t need any Java or JavaScript programming skills
- only one applet for the most used animation effects
- fast online loading times due to one only 16 KB sized jar archive
- full multithreaded applet, no slowing down of your website
- free configurable with a simple text file
- control your effects in milliseconds precision
- no plugin needed, pure Java 1.1
- online support via EMail todaysoftsupport@online.de
- What does the MultiBoard package contains?
MultiBoard V1.0 will be delivered in a ZIP file, which contains the following
components:
- MultiBoardDoc.html: this documentation.
- multiboard.jar: the applet itselfs as a jar archive.
- multiboard.dat: an example for one possible
configuration file.
- MultiBoard.html: a simple HTML site to have
a quick example how to use the applet.
- images: a folder with some images beloging to the example above.
- HowToDat.html: a description how to build up
your own .dat files.
- dat: a folder with some example dat files belonging to this documentation.
- Which effects can I use with Multiboard, version 1.0?
The simplest way is, to look at the examples and how they work. After that
you may just try some examples on your own. The following table gives you
a quick overview about the effects:
| effect |
description |
remark |
example |
| fading text "in" und "out" |
a text will be faded in or out |
free choose of foreground and background color, free timing for effect,
positioning in the applet area is configurable.
|
corresponding .dat-file
|
| scrolling text |
scrolls a text in one of 4 directions |
free choose of foreground and background color, free timing
for effect, positioning in the applet area is configurable. |
corresponding
.dat-file
|
| zooming text "in" und "out" |
a text will be enlarged and zoomed out |
free choose of foreground and background color, free timing
for effect, positioning in the applet area is configurable. |
corresponding
.dat-file
|
| font switching |
a special font will be activated for the effects |
valid for all text based effects, switching possible at
every time. |
corresponding
.dat-file
|
| link wwitching |
a link will be set for the applet |
valid for all text based effects, switching possible at
every time. |
see image switching |
| color switching |
a special foreground or background color will be set for
the applet |
valid for all text based effects, switching possible at
every time. |
corresponding
.dat-file
|
| repeating |
repeating of an effect or a sequence of effects |
valid for all effects |
see text fading |
| image switching |
an image will be displayed |
positioning of the image is configurable. You can combine the image
displaying with other effects (text, links, repeatings)
|
corresponding
.dat-file
|
| interaction |
an effect or a sequence of effects will be startet on
a user event |
in version 1.0 implementet: mouse pressed, mouse released,
mouse entered applet area, mouse left applet area, mouse clicked |
|
- How can I use MultiBoard, Version 1.0 in my own website?
That`s very simple: just use the code between <APPLET> und </APPLET>
from the example MultiBoard.html and copy it in the right place in yout own
HTML code. After that you may change the size and the other parameters. Some
HTML editoren can insert applets via "drag and drop". In this case
you just have to enter the parameters.
- What parameters are accepted from and needed by the applet?
First there is only one, the name of the .dat file to control the applet.
This is enough to test the applet on your local machine and design your website.
The parameter looks like this:
PARAM NAME=DATFILE VALUE="multiboard.dat".
The .dat-file is a kind of "batchfile" and contains all information
to control and configure the applets behaviour. The contents of such a .dat
file is descripted here.
For using the applet in the internet or intranet you need two parameters for
license. Details for getting a license can be found below.
- Is MultiBoard, version 1.0 free?
No, because there is a lot of work in programming, maintaining in the product,
MultiBoard, Version 1.0 cannot be without fee. You can get a license in the
following steps:
a) Test the applet on your local machine as long as you want without any license.
b) If you like it and want to test it in the internet, you can order a free
but 3-month-limited license via EMail
(how that works is descripted below).
c) If you still like waht you got, you can pay the fee and get your unlimited
license key.
- How can I license MultiBoard, version 1.0?
The license consists of a license code and a license key, both as parameters
for the applet. The code contains information if it is a host license (valid
for all applets on the server) or a page license (valid for all applets on
a directory on the server. So for example
PARAM NAME=LICENCE VALUE="PL012003" represents a page license, limited
until january (01) 2003 and
PARAM NAME=LICENCE VALUE="PU" a unlimited page license
and
PARAM NAME=LICENCE VALUE="HU" a unlimited host-license.
In the first step you set only the parameter for the license code (most "PU"
oder "HU") and publish your website (containing the applet) in internet
oder intranet. The applet will not run, but display a identifier, which an
be sent to us via EMail
with "license" in the subject. After paying the fee the license
key will be sent to you a soon as possible. This key will be finally used
for the last parameter of the applet as follows:
PARAM NAME=KEY VALUE="the_key_is_a_long_string"
Look at our homepage www.todaysoft.online.de
for the license costs.
More Information on our website.
If you have any questions, feel free to ask our support.
How do I write a .dat file to configure the applet
animations?
contents of a .dat-file
| Common |
A .dat-file is a simple text-file, whose lines are computed step by step
- from top to down - by the applet (some kind of batchfile). The file
can have any name and can be created and maintained with any ASCII-Editor
(e.g. notepad).
|
| a line in a .dat-file |
A line can start with a "#", which means that a comment follows.
Or it starts with a tag name. The comment lines are only for explaining
the rest of batchfile and won`t be processed by the applet.
Lines beginning with a tag will be analyzed and according to the meaning
of the tag executed. There are passive tags for setting parameters (e.g.
"FONT"), a passive tag named "action" which can trigger
an effect and the two control tags "LOOP" and "EVENT",
which offers some control structure in the file.
|
| tag-syntax |
A tag line is build up as follows:
<TAGNAME> [=<VALUE1>, <VALUE2>, <VALUE3>, ...]
A tag can obviously one or more parameters. A description of each tag
can be found below.
|
Description of the different tags
An expression in []-brackets has to substitutet by a concret value. An expression
in <>-brackets is optional.
| passive tags |
| BGCOLOR = <red>,<green>,<blue> |
Sets the background color to the value defined by its red/green/blue
(decimal) values.
|
| FGCOLOR = <red>,<green>,<blue> |
Sets the foreground color to the value defined by its red/green/blue
(decimal) values.
|
| FONT = <name>, <style>, <pixels> |
Sets the font to <name> with stylel <style>
und der size <pixels>. |
| IMAGE = <name>[, allignment] |
Sets the actual picture (image) |
| LINK = <link>[, target] |
Sets the actual link (referred to when you click on the applet).
The specification of a target is optional.
|
| NOLINK |
Removes the link. |
| TEXT = <text> |
Sets the actual text. |
|
| ACTION-tag |
| ACTION = clear |
Clears the applet area. |
| ACTION = fadein, <time>, <fps> |
The text will fade in in <time> milliseconds. The applet
will try to deliver <fps> frames per second. Recommended value
for fps: 20.
|
| ACTION = fadeout, <time>, <fps> |
The text will fade out in <time> milliseconds.
The applet will try to deliver <fps> frames per second. Recommended
value for fps: 20 |
| ACTION = hscroll_l, <time> |
The text will be scrolled horizontal from right to left.
|
| ACTION = hscroll_r, <time> |
The text will be scrolled horizontal from left to right. |
| ACTION = hscrollin_l, <time> |
The text will be scrolled horizontal from right to left,
but only to the middle of the applet area. |
| ACTION = hscrollin_r, <time> |
The text will be scrolled horizontal from left to right,
but only to the middle of the applet area. |
| ACTION = hscrollout_l, <time> |
The text will appear in the middle of the applet area
and then be scrolled horizontal from right to left. |
| ACTION = hscrollout_r, <time> |
The text will appear in the middle of the applet area
and then be scrolled horizontal from left to right. |
| ACTION = ihide |
The image will be hidden |
| ACTION = ishow |
The image will be shown |
| ACTION = show |
The text will be shown |
| ACTION = vscroll_d, <time> |
The Text will be scrolled vertically from up to down.
|
| ACTION = vscroll_u, <time> |
The Text will be scrolled vertically from down to up. |
| ACTION = vscrollin_d, <time> |
The Text will be scrolled vertically from up to down,
but only to the middle of the applet area. |
| ACTION = vscrollin_u, <time> |
The Text will be scrolled vertically from down to up,
but only to the middle of the applet area. |
| ACTION = vscrollout_d, <time> |
The text will appear in the middle of the applet area and then
be scrolled vertically from up to down.
|
| ACTION = vscrollout_u, <time> |
The text will appear in the middle of the applet area
and then be scrolled vertically from down to up. |
| ACTION = wait <time> |
The animation will wait for <time> milliseconds.
|
| ACTION = zoomin <time> |
The text will be enlarged from the smallest size in font to full
size in <time> milliseconds.
|
| ACTION = zoomout <time> |
The text will appear in its full size and then zoomed
out to the smallest size in font in <time> milliseconds. |
|
| control-tags |
| EVENT = <event> |
If the event <event> occurs, the following tags (and only
those) will be executed. Execution ends at the next EVENT tag or
at the end of file.
If multiple event tags one after the other the following tags will
be executed if one of these events occurs. The following events
will be recognized:
| none |
no event |
| mouseClicked |
A mouse key was pressed and released. |
| mouseEntered |
Mouse pointer entered the applet area. |
| mouseExited |
Mouse pointer left the applet area. |
| mouseReleased |
A mouse key was released. |
The use of EVENT tags is optional. If no event tags can be found,
the execution starts with first tad in the .dat-file and ends with
the last tag.
|
| LOOP END [= <repeat>] |
End of a loop: all former tags until the corresponding LOOP START
will be repeated <repeat> times. If you leave the repeat value,
you get a infinite loop.
Nested loops are possible.
|
| LOOP START |
Beginning of a loop: All following tags until the corresponding
LOOP END will be repeated.
Nested loops are possible.
|
|
Back to the MultiBoard applet
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