Hierarchical Menus Version 2
Parameter Creation

WebReference

Pass your mouse over link above to reveal menus.

This tool is written in DHTML. It is only accessible with version 4 browsers.

Related Column: [20] Hierarchical Menus, Version 2.

Purpose of Tool: To help authors assign appropriate values to the menu parameter variables by creating cut-and-paste code through a real-time, interactive browser session.

Prerequisite: Familiarity with the Hierarchical Menu code, especially the role of the parameter variables. The menus were developed in:

[14] Hierarchical Menus, Part I - Concepts
[15] Cross-Browser Hierarchical Menus
[18] Hierarchical Menus in Frames

and finally, Version 2 was discussed in:

[20] Hierarchical Menus, Version 2.

On the next five pages, we will cover all the menu parameter variables. Using a regular HTML form, you may choose the menu look and behavior most appropriate for your application. The necessary parameter values will be displayed in a text area. The parameters created on one page are carried over to the other pages through the use of JavaScript cookies, using an adaptation of the functions created by Doc JavaScript in Crispy JavaScript Cookies.

The text area display cannot be modified manually, to avoid potential typos. The code can only be generated dynamically, by the tool. You may highlight the generated code in the text area, at any time, using the Select Code button.

The five tool pages are organized by theme, making some much shorter than others. You will spend the most time on the first page, which develops the menu "look", and creates the most parameters.

It is highly recommended that you use the tool pages in order and grab the code on the final page.

Let's start with the parameters that define the size, color and font of the menus.