MultiBoard

<APPLET
  CODEBASE = "."
  CODE     = "de.ts.applets.MultiBoard"
  ARCHIVE  = "multiboard.jar"
  WIDTH    = 400
  HEIGHT   = 150
  HSPACE   = 0
  VSPACE   = 0
  ALIGN    = middle>
  <PARAM NAME=DATFILE VALUE="MultiBoard.dat">
  <PARAM NAME=LICENSE VALUE="PU">
  <PARAM NAME=NOKEY   
  	VALUE="get_your_key_at_www.todaysoft.online.de"> 
</APPLET>

Documentation for Applet MultiBoard, Version 1.0
(c) 1999 by Today Software

Released: 30.08.1999

What is MultiBoard?
MultiBoard is a multifunctional, full configurable Java applet, which gives you the ability to add various animation effects to your website.
What are the advantages of MultiBoard?
- you don`t need any Java or JavaScript programming skills
- only one applet for the most used animation effects
- fast online loading times due to one only 16 KB sized jar archive
- full multithreaded applet, no slowing down of your website
- free configurable with a simple text file
- control your effects in milliseconds precision
- no plugin needed, pure Java 1.1
- online support via EMail todaysoftsupport@online.de
What does the MultiBoard package contains?
MultiBoard V1.0 will be delivered in a ZIP file, which contains the following components:
- MultiBoardDoc.html: this documentation.
- multiboard.jar: the applet itselfs as a jar archive.
- multiboard.dat: an example for one possible configuration file.
- MultiBoard.html: a simple HTML site to have a quick example how to use the applet.
- images: a folder with some images beloging to the example above.
- HowToDat.html: a description how to build up your own .dat files.
- dat: a folder with some example dat files belonging to this documentation.

Which effects can I use with Multiboard, version 1.0?
The simplest way is, to look at the examples and how they work. After that you may just try some examples on your own. The following table gives you a quick overview about the effects:

effect	description	remark	example
fading text "in" und "out"	a text will be faded in or out	free choose of foreground and background color, free timing for effect, positioning in the applet area is configurable.	corresponding .dat-file
scrolling text	scrolls a text in one of 4 directions	free choose of foreground and background color, free timing for effect, positioning in the applet area is configurable.	corresponding .dat-file
zooming text "in" und "out"	a text will be enlarged and zoomed out	free choose of foreground and background color, free timing for effect, positioning in the applet area is configurable.	corresponding .dat-file
font switching	a special font will be activated for the effects	valid for all text based effects, switching possible at every time.	corresponding .dat-file
link wwitching	a link will be set for the applet	valid for all text based effects, switching possible at every time.	see image switching
color switching	a special foreground or background color will be set for the applet	valid for all text based effects, switching possible at every time.	corresponding .dat-file
repeating	repeating of an effect or a sequence of effects	valid for all effects	see text fading
image switching	an image will be displayed	positioning of the image is configurable. You can combine the image displaying with other effects (text, links, repeatings)	corresponding .dat-file
interaction	an effect or a sequence of effects will be startet on a user event	in version 1.0 implementet: mouse pressed, mouse released, mouse entered applet area, mouse left applet area, mouse clicked	corresponding .dat-file

How can I use MultiBoard, Version 1.0 in my own website?
That`s very simple: just use the code between <APPLET> und </APPLET> from the example MultiBoard.html and copy it in the right place in yout own HTML code. After that you may change the size and the other parameters. Some HTML editoren can insert applets via "drag and drop". In this case you just have to enter the parameters.
What parameters are accepted from and needed by the applet?
First there is only one, the name of the .dat file to control the applet. This is enough to test the applet on your local machine and design your website. The parameter looks like this:
PARAM NAME=DATFILE VALUE="multiboard.dat".
The .dat-file is a kind of "batchfile" and contains all information to control and configure the applets behaviour. The contents of such a .dat file is descripted here.
For using the applet in the internet or intranet you need two parameters for license. Details for getting a license can be found below.
Is MultiBoard, version 1.0 free?
No, because there is a lot of work in programming, maintaining in the product, MultiBoard, Version 1.0 cannot be without fee. You can get a license in the following steps:
a) Test the applet on your local machine as long as you want without any license.
b) If you like it and want to test it in the internet, you can order a free but 3-month-limited license via EMail (how that works is descripted below).
c) If you still like waht you got, you can pay the fee and get your unlimited license key.
How can I license MultiBoard, version 1.0?
The license consists of a license code and a license key, both as parameters for the applet. The code contains information if it is a host license (valid for all applets on the server) or a page license (valid for all applets on a directory on the server. So for example
PARAM NAME=LICENCE VALUE="PL012003" represents a page license, limited until january (01) 2003 and
PARAM NAME=LICENCE VALUE="PU" a unlimited page license
and
PARAM NAME=LICENCE VALUE="HU" a unlimited host-license.
In the first step you set only the parameter for the license code (most "PU" oder "HU") and publish your website (containing the applet) in internet oder intranet. The applet will not run, but display a identifier, which an be sent to us via EMail with "license" in the subject. After paying the fee the license key will be sent to you a soon as possible. This key will be finally used for the last parameter of the applet as follows:
PARAM NAME=KEY VALUE="the_key_is_a_long_string"
Look at our homepage www.todaysoft.online.de for the license costs.

More Information on our website.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask our support.

How do I write a .dat file to configure the applet animations?

contents of a .dat-file

Common	A .dat-file is a simple text-file, whose lines are computed step by step - from top to down - by the applet (some kind of batchfile). The file can have any name and can be created and maintained with any ASCII-Editor (e.g. notepad).
a line in a .dat-file	A line can start with a "#", which means that a comment follows. Or it starts with a tag name. The comment lines are only for explaining the rest of batchfile and won`t be processed by the applet. Lines beginning with a tag will be analyzed and according to the meaning of the tag executed. There are passive tags for setting parameters (e.g. "FONT"), a passive tag named "action" which can trigger an effect and the two control tags "LOOP" and "EVENT", which offers some control structure in the file.
tag-syntax	A tag line is build up as follows: <TAGNAME> [=<VALUE1>, <VALUE2>, <VALUE3>, ...] A tag can obviously one or more parameters. A description of each tag can be found below.

Description of the different tags
An expression in []-brackets has to substitutet by a concret value. An expression in <>-brackets is optional.

passive tags

BGCOLOR = <red>,<green>,<blue>	Sets the background color to the value defined by its red/green/blue (decimal) values.
FGCOLOR = <red>,<green>,<blue>	Sets the foreground color to the value defined by its red/green/blue (decimal) values.
FONT = <name>, <style>, <pixels>	Sets the font to <name> with stylel <style> und der size <pixels>.
IMAGE = <name>[, allignment]	Sets the actual picture (image)
LINK = <link>[, target]	Sets the actual link (referred to when you click on the applet). The specification of a target is optional.
NOLINK	Removes the link.
TEXT = <text>	Sets the actual text.

ACTION-tag

ACTION = clear	Clears the applet area.
ACTION = fadein, <time>, <fps>	The text will fade in in <time> milliseconds. The applet will try to deliver <fps> frames per second. Recommended value for fps: 20.
ACTION = fadeout, <time>, <fps>	The text will fade out in <time> milliseconds. The applet will try to deliver <fps> frames per second. Recommended value for fps: 20
ACTION = hscroll_l, <time>	The text will be scrolled horizontal from right to left.
ACTION = hscroll_r, <time>	The text will be scrolled horizontal from left to right.
ACTION = hscrollin_l, <time>	The text will be scrolled horizontal from right to left, but only to the middle of the applet area.
ACTION = hscrollin_r, <time>	The text will be scrolled horizontal from left to right, but only to the middle of the applet area.
ACTION = hscrollout_l, <time>	The text will appear in the middle of the applet area and then be scrolled horizontal from right to left.
ACTION = hscrollout_r, <time>	The text will appear in the middle of the applet area and then be scrolled horizontal from left to right.
ACTION = ihide	The image will be hidden
ACTION = ishow	The image will be shown
ACTION = show	The text will be shown
ACTION = vscroll_d, <time>	The Text will be scrolled vertically from up to down.
ACTION = vscroll_u, <time>	The Text will be scrolled vertically from down to up.
ACTION = vscrollin_d, <time>	The Text will be scrolled vertically from up to down, but only to the middle of the applet area.
ACTION = vscrollin_u, <time>	The Text will be scrolled vertically from down to up, but only to the middle of the applet area.
ACTION = vscrollout_d, <time>	The text will appear in the middle of the applet area and then be scrolled vertically from up to down.
ACTION = vscrollout_u, <time>	The text will appear in the middle of the applet area and then be scrolled vertically from down to up.
ACTION = wait <time>	The animation will wait for <time> milliseconds.
ACTION = zoomin <time>	The text will be enlarged from the smallest size in font to full size in <time> milliseconds.
ACTION = zoomout <time>	The text will appear in its full size and then zoomed out to the smallest size in font in <time> milliseconds.

control-tags

EVENT = <event>

If the event <event> occurs, the following tags (and only those) will be executed. Execution ends at the next EVENT tag or at the end of file.
If multiple event tags one after the other the following tags will be executed if one of these events occurs. The following events will be recognized:

none	no event
mouseClicked	A mouse key was pressed and released.
mouseEntered	Mouse pointer entered the applet area.
mouseExited	Mouse pointer left the applet area.
mouseReleased	A mouse key was released.

The use of EVENT tags is optional. If no event tags can be found, the execution starts with first tad in the .dat-file and ends with the last tag.

LOOP END [= <repeat>]

End of a loop: all former tags until the corresponding LOOP START will be repeated <repeat> times. If you leave the repeat value, you get a infinite loop.
Nested loops are possible.

LOOP START

Beginning of a loop: All following tags until the corresponding LOOP END will be repeated.
Nested loops are possible.

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