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The ultimate java resource for cascading menus. Unique benefits include:
superior performance
higher scalability
greater optical impact
faster development
true frame-crossing
This page explains all of the extra options hidden away in these menus.
How to embed a menu-loading trigger
STEP 1
Always begin editing the index file by opening the file in a simple text editor like Windows Notepad. The index file is the .txt file we send you by email when you configure the menu using the online configuration tool. It looks like a list, where each line contains exactly 10 inverted commas which sometimes have commands inserted between them.
The LOAD command is only available in the Enterprise version. Its effect is as follows. When the user activates the menu item by clicking on it, the menu will load an entirely new content from wherever you specify. It does this seamlessly and without reloading the page.
A possible use of this is as follows: you are using frames, with the menu in a constant frame and the site content loading in a central frame. Sometimes, when the user navigates to a major new section of your site, you want to change the menu contents as well, but without all the bother of completely reloading the menu frame. So you use an HREF command to target the new page into the central frame, followed by a LOAD command to load the new content into the menu.
STEP 3
Always finish your editing session with a test of the new addition. Ensure that you have saved the index file and placed it in the same directory as the other menu files. Do not change its name. And ensure that any additional resources you may have added, such as GIF or JPG files for icons, or AU files for sounds, are also in the correct place. Remember that when you try to view the results in a browser, an old version may be pulled out of cache and you won't see the changes. To avoid cache problems: with the Microsoft java interpreter you can keep CTRL-SHIFT pressed while reloading, and with the Sun java interpreter you will need to close all browser windows and then restart the browser.
GENERAL POINTS
To make sure that your index file remains correctly formatted, please observe the following simple rules. Each menu item is defined by a single line in the index file. This line must have 10 sets of inverted commas as shown in all the examples. Do not try to spread a menu item definition over more than one line - just make the line longer.
superior performance
