EVENT HANDLERSEvent handlers are special attributes usable by JavaScript enabled browser. Essentially they sit, like any other attribute, within a tag but when an event happens they trigger a JavaScript command Now that command can trigger a larger Javascript to run, but more importantly it can be a useful stand alone command Because they respond to interaction (i.e. events) they allow you to create a more dynamic page consider this link back to our advanced HTML menu page back to menu Notice how when you pass your mouse over it in the bottom left (Netscape and Internet Explorer) of your browser window the following message appears "go back to menu" and it disappears when your mouse goes off it Essentially it is coded as follows <a href="advanced.htm" onMouseOver="window.status='go back to menu'; return true" onMouseOut="window.status=' '; return true"> back to menu</a> Okay now the first and last lines of that HTML are nothing new but there are 2 new attributes in the <a> tag - onMouseOver & onMouseOut. Not unsurprisingly onMouseOver triggers its JavaScript command when you pass your mouse over the link. This command tells the browser to display the message as a status message in the corner of the screen (window.status) The onMouseOut attribute (not unsurprisingly) triggers when you move the mouse off the link. It effectively blanks out the last status message (try the code without the 4th and 5th lines (i.e. the onMouseOut attribute - the message often won't disappear and will only be temporarily replaced by other link status info) Another key event handler is onClick. No prizes for guessing how it works. It is triggered by clicking on something like this example To Reload Page Click Here
Now this is coded as follows
<a href="event.htm" onClick="('Warning page reloading')"> Click Here</a> This causes the link to trigger an alert box on clicking (note you need to include the href attribute for this to work on Netscape navigator -this then causes problems) The same code can be used with onMouseOver There are several event handlers. Here is a list of some that you will see onClick | see above | onMouseOver | see above | onMouseOut | see above | onDblClick | triggers when mouse double clicked | onMouseDown | triggers when mouse button depressed | onMouseUp | triggers when depressed mouse button released | onKeyDown | triggers when any keyboard key is pressed down | onKeyUp | triggers when a depressed key is released | onKeyPress | triggers when a keyboard key is pressed & released | onLoad | Occurs when the page, frameset or image loads (only usable with <body>, <frameset> &<img>) |
The onLoad attribute is particularly useful. You can use it to create events that trigger once the page has loaded. Click here to see an example This creates a new window but of a set size & with no controls We have special section on controlling how windows appear Back to Advanced HTML menu (watch out for Event Handler)
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