Hiermenus Go Forth, IV - DHTML Lab

Hiermenus Go Forth, IV:
Version 4 - The Page-Specific Parameters

Besides the naming scheme and the addition/removal of parameters, the Version 4 Page-Specific Parameters differ from the Version 3 Global Parameters in two very important ways:

	Version 3	Version 4
1.	The inclusion of in-page parameters on every page that used HM was mandatory. Also, every parameter had to be included. If these prerequisites were not met the HM script would not run. The parameters set the initial, global, HM look and behavior.	The inclusion of in-page parameters is optional. Any number may be included or they may be omitted completely. Their purpose is not to set the initial HM values but to override these values on a per-page basis. For example, if you want a specific menu rollover color scheme for a particular page that's different from all the other pages that use HM, you would only include the four font and background color parameters in the page: HM_PG_FontColor = "blue"; HM_PG_FontColorOver = "white"; HM_PG_BGColor = "#DDDDDD"; HM_PG_BGColorOver = "#FFCCCC";
2.	The Global Parameters could only be declared with a specific value type. For example, the menu item font size parameter, `fntSiz` accepted only a string value: fntSiz = "10";	The Page-Specific Parameters can usually be declared with several different value types. The menu item font size parameter, `HM_PG_FontSize`, can be declared in any of the following ways: HM_PG_FontSize = "10"; (string) HM_PG_FontSize = 10; (integer) HM_PG_FontSize = (isMac) ? 12 : 10; (JavaScript expression) HM_PG_FontSize = getFontSizeFunction(); (JavaScript function return value)

Version 3

Version 4

The inclusion of in-page parameters on every page that used HM was mandatory. Also, every parameter had to be included. If these prerequisites were not met the HM script would not run. The parameters set the initial, global, HM look and behavior.

The inclusion of in-page parameters is optional. Any number may be included or they may be omitted completely. Their purpose is not to set the initial HM values but to override these values on a per-page basis. For example, if you want a specific menu rollover color scheme for a particular page that's different from all the other pages that use HM, you would only include the four font and background color parameters in the page:

HM_PG_FontColor = "blue";
HM_PG_FontColorOver = "white";
HM_PG_BGColor = "#DDDDDD";
HM_PG_BGColorOver = "#FFCCCC";

The Global Parameters could only be declared with a specific value type. For example, the menu item font size parameter, fntSiz accepted only a string value:

fntSiz = "10";

The Page-Specific Parameters can usually be declared with several different value types. The menu item font size parameter, HM_PG_FontSize, can be declared in any of the following ways:

HM_PG_FontSize = "10"; (string)
HM_PG_FontSize = 10; (integer)
HM_PG_FontSize = (isMac) ? 12 : 10; (JavaScript expression)
HM_PG_FontSize = getFontSizeFunction();
          (JavaScript function return value)

On the following pages, we'll look at each of the Page-Specific Parameters in detail.