Prob with any sliding nav bar like Dynamic-FX Slide-In Menu

[Hannes]

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Script:
http://www.dynamicdrive.com/dynamicindex1/davidmenu.htm
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or any other sliding navigation bar (so I think).

Hello,

I would like to use a sliding navigation bar to open different content in a frame.

However

1. when I include it into the frameset it will not be visible
2. when I include it into a frame and refer the link to the same frame it will be gone after the click.
3. when I refer the link to another frame it will be still there and functional.

Please look at http://www.palmrouter.de/shop/starttest_frames.htm for an example. r refers to the right frame, l to the left.

#2 would work but I would have to reload the bar with every new content ... so it would blink and I would have to do a lot of copies.

#3 would be an option if I make the left frame very thin. But the bar will show only within the borders of the original window, see here: http://www.palmrouter.de/shop/starttest_frames2.htm

I made the borders of the frames visible to show what I mean.

Basic question is: Is there any way to maintain the floating bar after the click when new content is loaded to the same page .... without wasting the space for an extra frame at the left side ... which is likely the purpose of the floating bars?

Any help is highly appreciated.

[jscheuer1]

This script was not designed to be used with frames. You might notice the demo page is frameless, it has a sort of frame like look to it but, that is just the way the page is laid out. If you really want to use it in frames then the:

#2 would work but I would have to reload the bar with every new content ... so it would blink and I would have to do a lot of copies.

Would be your best bet. I didn't notice any pronounced blinking going back and forth between 'test' and the empty frame. I don't understand the copies thing, aren't these external files that can be linked to any page? As for the style, you could make that a style sheet. If you want to get really stingy about how much you type on each page, you can create an external script that writes the links into the head and then only have to write its link into each page.

[Hannes]

OK, thank you very much. So it would be an option to make a master file with the floating bar code.

But ... if I don't want to use frames, what would you recommend me to use then? (If you could drop in a keyword please).

[jscheuer1]

You're welcome, I haven't really done much.

So it would be an option to make a master file with the floating bar code

That's the real beauty of the Dynamic-FX Slide-In Menu (v 6.5). You only need one copy of it. If you call it from different directories you may have to use absolute paths for the links.

As for what to use besides frames. Well, the main reason to have frames is to maintain a menu in one frame while other pages are loaded into another frame(s). With this slide in menu you can use regular whole pages and have the entire page (almost) available for content, while still having a menu that follows you around wherever you go*. If you occasionally want content inserted (perhaps from another site), use an iframe or frame page for that but, for that separate, to one side look, a well formatted table, div or paragraph will do. Many if not most sites use regular pages. They're nothing to be ashamed of, have a wider compatibility and can be quite beautiful, functional, informative - whatever is needed. Dynamic Drive is a pretty spiffy site (for an information/promotion type site) and uses regular pages almost exclusively.

*One problem with a slide in menu is that non-JavaScript folks will be lost if you don't at least include a text menu top and/or bottom of each page. Fortunately these can be hidden from JavaScript browsers with the <noscript></noscript> tags. What I use for commercial work are understated JavaScript enhanced menus (that degrade well for non script users) on every page, no frames except in areas that have alternative content for noframes browsers. For my pet projects I use whatever I am in the mood for.

[Hannes]

Hmmm .... I see that maybe I made myself too much work in the past for introducing frames just to have a logo and a navigation bar in place ... will think about it.

Many thanks!

[Hannes]

Hey, I just found out that the menu will float over iframes. So what I wanted is exactly possible, by making a table with an iframe in the middle.

For an example see here and click on the last tab:

http://www.palmrouter.de/shop/menutest.htm

I like this much more because the menu (and also what is outside the iframe - or iframes if you have more than one) will not be reconstructed everytime you make a selection. More peace to my eyes ...

Thank you jscheuer1, I would never been coming to this all alone!

PS.: I think this can be done with all the sliding menus. Would this be useful for others?

[jscheuer1]

I've been waiting all my life to say this and have it mean something. Just because a thing can be done, should it be done? Doesn't quite fit the situation here, but close. Your demo, though fine in IE6 here fails somewhat in NS7.2 and FF1.0.2. What happens is the slide in menu doesn't slide away. It gets stuck unless the mouse pointer goes outside of the iframe. Another thing not addressed (yet) is what happens to folks without JavaScript or with JavaScript disabled? I hate to rain on your parade. I know the thrill of discovering that something you've been racking your brain to achieve; can be done! In my experience it is just as often followed by an oops, not quite, as by further confirmation. So don't take it too hard. There may be a way to get it working in those other two browsers. Looking at the code just now, the moveback() function is supposed to fire onmouseOut. Not sure how to get NS and FF to recognize onmouseOut over the iframe if they don't want to. Also, if we get that worked out, set your width to 99% or 100%, on lower resolutions the 986 width is too much, higher resolutions too little.

[Hannes]

I've been waiting all my life to say this and have it mean something. Just because a thing can be done, should it be done?

Normally I use this sentence in relation to atomic bombs and gen food ...

Actually I would really like parts of the window like the logo, the wallpaper and other things to stay calmly on the surface and to be reloaded for visitors surfing my site. Yes, this is a question of personal taste ...

Also I like very much the slide in of the menu in the iframes solution after a click.

You are right about the NS and FF problem, what a pity. One very unorthodox workaround would be to write "<-- click me!" on the last menu item ... and hope that the click can be read out better than the onmouseOut ...

[jscheuer1]

You really are determined to have this work. So be it. I think your idea should work. To implement, one, the other or both of these strategies should do the trick:

1) In ssmItems.js make the link field descriptive like "Retract Menu" and have the target field be

"javascript:moveBack();"

or

2) Similarly with the description but use this in the target field -

"# onClick='moveBack();'"

Good luck!

[Hannes]

Yes, the second works.

Many thanks!