DESIGN TRICKS 1 The Story Of Magic Dave

Image Maps

If you want to create Links within a specific IMAGE on your page...(This is called Image Mapping)...

Put these codes into your source (for "Client Side Image Maps") NOTE: Be advised that Search Engines CANNOT follow Image Map Links:

IMPORTANT: The values (x,y) are the upper left corner coordinates for where you want your LINK BOX OUTLINE to appear...and the (X,Y) are the lower right corner coordinates for the box! ["x or X" being the Horizontal cooridinate, and "y or Y" being the Vertical cooridinate]

To find these coordinates on your Image... you can use DRAACS IMAGE MAPPER

You can make as many Links as you want within your image (be reasonable)...if you want to Image Map another Image on the same page you must use a different name for the new map such as "mymap2" etc.

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Mouseovers

Before we discuss real JavaScript MouseOver Effects using Images, here is a method using the STYLE TAG and CSS Coding that will give the effect of having a color change for text or background behind text when the mouse is moved over a text link:

Now put your mouse over the Dummy Link below to see the effect:

TEST LINK

Notice how the color changes and an underline is added... Here is the code that goes into your Head Area:

And then write your link like this:

Find help on CSS AT THESE SITES

If you want to have a Form Box on your page that will show information when you pass your mouse over a link:
SEE EXAMPLE

First put this JavaScript into your HEAD section:

<!-- Begin function atext(txt)

{ document.aform.atext.value = txt return true;}

// End --> </script>

Now add this Form box to your Body section where ever you want...you can change it's size by changing the variables...

Now write your Links like this:
Be sure there are NO spaces within your (a href....) tag!

If you want to have an Image Change to another Image and then Back...when you Mouseover and Mouseout
SEE EXAMPLE

First put this code into your HEAD section:

<!-- Begin
function move_in(img_name,img_src) {
document[img_name].src=img_src;
}

function move_out(img_name,img_src) {
document[img_name].src=img_src;
}

// End -->
</SCRIPT>

Then put this code into your BODY section for each place where you want a mouseover effect but be sure for each new mouseover effect to give each image a new name...(name="button2") (name="button3")...and include that name in the onMouseover/onMouseout tags!
Be sure there are NO spaces within your (a href....) tag!

SUBSTITUTE your own URL's for the "firstimg.gif" and "secondimg.gif" and make them the same size...

OR... you can avoid using a separate script, and make use of the browser's built-in javascript code "this.src" by writing your link like this:

If you want do do the Mouseover Image Effect that we have at the top of our Front Page NOTE: Wait for the Images to load...you can use these codes... Put this into your HEAD SECTION:

<!-- Begin
var alarge = new Image();
var blarge = new Image();
var clarge = new Image();

alarge.src = "alarge.gif";
blarge.src = "blarge.gif";
clarge.src = "clarge.gif";

function doButtons(picimage) {
document['picture'].src=picimage;
}

// End -->
</script>

YOU NEED TO SUBSTITUTE YOUR OWN URL's FOR "alarge.gif", "blarge.gif" and "clarge.gif" (You also need a BLANK image for "blank.gif" to use in the link code To Act As A SPACE Holder)

Now write your links like this:
Be sure there are NO spaces within your (a href....) tag!

Do the same for the rest of your links but change the image URL's for each one...leave the "blank.gif" the same...

Then put this Image Code where you want the Images to SHOW:

MAKE SURE ALL YOUR IMAGES ARE THE SAME SIZE!

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Gradiant Colors

Microsoft's Gradiant Colors can be used with the following codes, but are only visible if you are using Internet Explorer:

style="filter:progid:DXImageTransform.
Microsoft.Gradient(gradientType='1',startColorStr='blue',
endColorStr='red');"

The "gradiantType" can be set to '0' for vertical flow, or to '1' for horizontal flow, and "startColorStr" is the starting color (use color names or hex numbers), and "endColorStr" is the ending color...

You can apply the style to any element that has "layout" ie elements that have width and height, but it is best used with table cells or div elements:

If you are using Internet Explorer now, you can see an Example of Gradient Colors in this HTML Table, which has a normal Green background color, but which will flow to Yellow for only IE Browsers!

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Internal Linking

Want to know how to link from one place on a page...to a different place on the same page...

This is called INTERNAL LINKING and is done by "naming" the link at the place where you want the link to goto...

To "name" the link, do this at the exact PLACE in the source code, where you want the link to goto:

THEN make a link to that place (from anywhere else on the same page) like this:

IN ADDITION: You can now link to that place on the that page FROM ANY OTHER PAGE by putting a link on any other page like this:

Just add #name1 to the very end of the URL...let's say the URL is http://davmagic.com/PAGES38.html then you would write it like this:

http://davmagic.com/PAGES38.html#name1

For more links, just change the names to name2, name3 etc. but be sure to match them up correctly...remembering case sensitivety!

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Copy - Paste

You cannot effectively build web pages without knowing and using the keyboard methods of Cut, Copy and Paste... to learn about Cut, Copy & Paste search Google for " cut copy paste"!

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Forms

Forms are useful when you want to Interact with your readers and Forms take on many shapes and styles such as Text Input Boxes, Textarea Input Boxes, Check Boxes, Radio Buttons, Drop Down Menus etc...here's an example: (NOTE: The info will submit but not be processed since we Closed Our Design Contest!)

Join Our Webpage Design Contest ... Please Enter Your Info Here ... Please Only ONE Entry Per Webmaster:

Forms are created using HTML Form Tags but Forms need a Script (usually JavaScript) to PROCESS them! You should take some time to Understand The Complete Information about Forms!

You should also Read Our Form Mail Tutorial for more information...

AND if your server doesn't allow or supply you with CGI Form Mailer Scripts (to Process the Form and Email the input data to you) then try a Remotely Hosted one at Response-O-Matic ... they are Fully Customizable and Reliable!

NOTE: Using a simple Form Action of "mailto: ..." to Process a Form is NOT accurate and NOT cross-browser reliable and must NOT be used!

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Alerts

A convient way of telling the viewer a message after they click a link (and before they are taken to the page) is to use a JavaScript Alert ... EXAMPLE:

CLICK HERE

It's very easy to do... just add the onClick attribute to your anchor tag and set it's value to the JavaScript ALERT function ...like this:

Be SURE all your quotes and spacing is EXACTLY as follows:

If you change the onClick to onMouseover... you'll get this:

CLICK HERE

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Using CGI Scripts

Webpages can be significantly enhanced and can become more useful to the viewer by incorporating CGI Scripts in their Source Codes... To understand more about how to use CGI (Common Gateway Interface) Scripts for a webpage, Read This Information

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Horizontal Lines

There are a few ways to make Horizontal Lines for a webpage...

Use the HTML Tag <HR> with it's attributes: noshade, invertborder, align, width, size and color... NOTE: Some of these attributes are not supported on every browser! Here are some Examples with the code below each:

Another way to make COLORED Horizontal Lines is to use a Table and use a bgcolor in the cell and to keep the cell from "collapsing" and to vary the line HEIGHT put an invisible single pixel gif in the cell and use the image attributes "width" and "height"...

And still another way is to use single pixel gifs of various colors which you have made and stored in your Image files...

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Favicon

For PC Users only, if you Bookmark this page and then Browse away from the page, then Browse back and Refresh, and then if you look up into the Address Bar on your Browser for this page, you'll see a small Icon to the left of the page address... this is our Favicon for this page! It also appears in your Favorites folder if you Bookmark this page!

You can make one for your page by using any Image Editor, but it MUST be 16x16 pixels in size and have a file type of .ico

You can use IrfanView to convert your Image files to .ico type!

Most popular Browsers will find the Icon if you place this HTML Code into your <head> section:

Read more about Favicons at Favicon.Com ... Good Luck!

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Link A Table

If you have a one cell table with a link in it, it will look like this:

Home

Notice how you have to point your mouse over the link TEXT to get the link to become active...

By using a little CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) code, namely the "display" property, you can make the whole single cell table linkable... Now point your mouse anywhere in the cell below, and the link becomes active:

Home

Just write your link like this:

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HTTP Request

It's important to understand the process that takes place (in a few seconds) when you request a webpage, by typing the URL into your address box, or by clicking a link etc.

Please refer to the diagram below and read the information listed below the diagram...

A Webpage Request is made by the Client's User Agent (Browser)... by typing the URL (Webpage Address) into the Browser's address box, or by clicking a link, etc. First the User Agent (Browser) checks to see if the Webpage URL is stored in it's Cache (Temporary Files Directory)... if it is there, the Browser loads the Webpage for viewing...
If the URL is not Cached, the Webpage Request is passed to a local Domain Name Server, which finds the Web Host Server where the URL is located on the WWW (thru several steps)
The local DNS passes that Host Server location back to the Client
The Client accesses the Host Server... If that Host Server is "Up and Running" it accepts the Request and finds the URL file, if the Server is "down" the Browser renders an Error Message, or if the Webpage cannot be found on the Server, or if any other errors are found, the Server sends an Error message back to the Client's Browser...
The Webpage Source Code is interpreted by the Host Server, and any Server-Side Scripting is processed, including Redirects, SSI Includes etc.
The final Server Reply is passed back to the Client's Browser
The Browser interprets the Webpage Source Code and any Client-Side Scripting is processed (like JavaScript)... and the final Webpage is rendered in the Client's Browser and is added to the Browser's Cache (unless Caching is disabled)...

NOTE: This entire process is repeated for every element on the webpage that has it's own URL... Images, Remote Stylesheets, Remote Javascripts etc. ...however a certain "keep-alive" time period is created which eliminates several of these steps for repeated Requests...

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FTP

Using an FTP (File Transfer Protocol) Program to copy your HTML Documents back and forth from your PC to your online Web Host Server is fairly easy... we have written an FTP Tutorial which you should read to help you along...

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Check Back Here Often For More Tricks...

For More Design Tricks:
GOTO DESIGN TRICKS 2

And If You Have A Question On These Tricks...

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Design 3---Tricks 2

DESIGN TRICKS 1 & TIPS New Tricks Added Often

DESIGN TRICKS 1 & TIPS
New Tricks
Added Often