How do you make a non-selectable separator?

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Last Updated: Saturday July 14 2012 - 06:07:43

How do you make a non-selectable separator?

Poster: Littleviews
Dated: Sunday January 28 2007 - 16:36:37 GMT

I'd like to make a separator as a topic introduction in a submenu. Example:

See Article Index
Last 6 Articles:
Article 1 . . .
Article 2 . . .
Article 3, etc.

The separator line is "last 6 articles." How is this done?

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Monday January 29 2007 - 6:48:12 GMT

Hi,

Please post help questions for the menu in the Help & Support Forum.

You want a header. A header is a static item, that is, it doesn't change on mouseover and is not a link to either show a menu or link to a page.

Below my name are links to various properties; styleproperties, menuproperties and itemproperties. Each of those lists the properties which can be used in the different sections, i.e. the style section, the menu, and the items. The lists are alphabetized and for most of the properties there are examples of how to do it.

Ruth

How do you create a header?

Poster: Littleviews
Dated: Tuesday January 30 2007 - 4:11:20 GMT

Hi - I launched phase 1 of my menu today http://www.littleviews.com

Now then, what I'd like to do is create a line in the submenu that does NOT get the mouseover treatement. Is it possible to do this?

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Tuesday January 30 2007 - 5:42:49 GMT

Hi,

Well, you seem to have created that using an aI string with just a separator in it. I don't get a mouseover effect in IE or FF. Now, if you want the top part, in your example it was Last 6 Articles: and then the items below that, then you would create an aI string that was a header.

Code:

aI("text=Last 6 Articles;fontstyle=italic;type=header;");
aI("separatorsize=2;");

This means that the first line will not get a mouseover effect. It will be whatever you set as the headerbgcolor and headercolor in the style used by the menu in which this appears.

So, I'm not sure I understand what it is you want since you do have a separator line already.

Ruth

I see how that item declaration works

Poster: Littleviews
Dated: Tuesday January 30 2007 - 15:52:06 GMT

Thanks!

I see how the item declaration works and plan on playing with it more.

I can now manage the look of that header so that the colors don't change. I still get the mouse pointer over it, as though it is a selection even though there's no url connected with it. That is NO big deal, but if you happen to know how to defeat the pointer, I'd be interested in knowing.

Currently, the implementation is on http://dev.littleviews.com under the Articles menu.

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Tuesday January 30 2007 - 18:29:03 GMT

Hi,

I have no idea why it is doing that and can't seem to find out why....grrrr.

Try this demo. It's for the IE filters and transitions. I chose it because it has a type=header in it.

http://support.milonic.com/demos/filters/index.htm

Look at the bottom Actions menu. That word Actions is a type=header; Mouseover it and nothing changes. That demo uses the newest version of the menu so I know the type header works, and I can't figure why yours is not, unless it has something to do with cold fusion.

By the way, are you aware that you can name your data file with a .cfm ending instead of js, that is if you were to use a data file instead of putting all the data in script tags on the page. Anyway, you can do that, just like files can be menu_data.php, menu_data.asp and so on.

Ruth

Hmmmm, too!

Poster: Littleviews
Dated: Tuesday January 30 2007 - 18:51:48 GMT

Ruth, can I get a copy of that demo page? The Actions menu doesn't show up in Notepad.

I'd be interested to see what would happen if that static Actions was in the middle of the submenu.

BTW, I have two other questions related to declaring the basic JS files which I'll post on another msg.

As for ColdFusion, I've totally done away with menu_data.js. For ease of use, I have menuStyles in one <CFinclude file and the menu particulars in another (as well as in a table cell).

I am not currently using any variable information, so the ColdFusion server isn't impacting my new menu system. My next task will be to make a couple menus dynamic, but I don't have the "short title" data available yet to make that reasonable.

Using the include system, it appears that I can create variouis menus that reach the same set of styles. During the time I hammered my menu together, I started out by replicating the contents of what is menu_data, but realized that that didn't make sense because I had two sets of style sheets with same-named styles. I removed the replicated styles and didn't notice any problems.

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Tuesday January 30 2007 - 19:43:51 GMT

Hi,

You can set up one style file for as many menus as you want on the page. This system is really very easy to use. In your download there is a folder called extras and in that are things like an asp menu, php menu, listmenu, php/mysql, frames, xml etc. I do not have a clue about most of that. I'm lucky I know enough html and css to do what I do :lol:

Hey, we older guys like things simple

Ruth

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Tuesday January 30 2007 - 20:04:32 GMT

:oops:

I forgot about the demo page.

You can download the page, but make sure you don't use the program files, use your own which are the newest, but keep the old ones in case there's some conflict. Since this demo doesn't require the newest version to work, as all the other demos do, I never bothered to upgrade the files :oops:

Ruth

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Tuesday January 30 2007 - 20:07:37 GMT

I'd forget my head if it weren't attached!

I just found out that in that filters page, if I use the new version of the menu, the mouse does change on the header. I'll post to Milonic on that.

Ruth

mouse change is OK

Poster: Littleviews
Dated: Tuesday January 30 2007 - 20:28:43 GMT

That mouse change isn't a killer, but if you can figure it out and let us know the answer (your head on or off), that'd be great.

I could contribute a page on how to set up in ColdFusion. I had a bit of trouble wrapping my head around the information at first.

The directions about duplicating menu_data.js every time you need to make a new menu screwed me up a bit as it didn't make sense, "but if you say so," I'll do it. That kind of thing.

I even recommend that Andy package the styles in a separate .js file, with the menu code standing alone. You guys are really bending over backwards to make your beautiful system easier, and I think that would help a bit (OK, I'm a tech writer in real life).

For 24 hours, I followed that PDF file like a bible and think that it is 99% stunningly clear. That said, the improvement would have been in the beginning "terminology" section as "menu styles," "menus," and "menu items" is where all the ditzing around goes on. I'd also love to see more information on coding those menu items.

But given that I got this far is testament to how well you all have done! When I get to the part where I list valued contributions to my site, Milonic will be number 1!

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Tuesday January 30 2007 - 21:13:34 GMT

Hi,

Any contribution as to setting up the menu, especially the cold fusion would be greatly appreciated by Milonic, I know. I think also you get credit as the contributor for that and your site listed here.

Ruth

Ok - I'll put it together

Poster: Littleviews
Dated: Tuesday January 30 2007 - 21:39:18 GMT

I sent another document to the service desk on the subject of ColdFusion but I've since become smarter. The most revealing information will take less than a half page and I'll leave it up to you how you want to package the info. How should I submit it?

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Tuesday January 30 2007 - 23:14:33 GMT

Hi,

Is it something you can post here? Or I'll email you and you can send it to me if you like. I'll get it to Milonic.

Make sure you have all your info for the credit and your site url. We really appreciate it.

Ruth

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Wednesday January 31 2007 - 2:50:00 GMT

Hi,

As regards the two menus. They should really be named differently, they don't seem to have a problem in my browsers but invariably some browser out there is going to be unhappy with the same name. You can just name the second main menu1. As regards the positioning, I didn't even notice :oops:

Actually, since it is position='relative' you should eliminate the top= and left= I do know that can confuse some browsers. THis is what I would suggest if you can do it.

Right now you have this line as your table cell

Code:

and then the two menus in script tags one below the other. I would suggest you do this if you can:

Code:

<td valign="top" align="left" colspan=7   bgcolor="white">
<table border=0 align='left' cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 bgcolor='white'>
<tr>
       <td><SCRIPT LANGUAGE=JAVASCRIPT>
with(milonic=new menuname("Main Menu")){
position="relative";
      
alwaysvisible=1;
orientation="horizontal";
style=menuStyle;

aI("text=   Home   ;url=http://dev.littleviews.com;");
aI("showmenu=index;text=Articles  ;");
aI("text=Shopping Tips  ;url=../../home/shopping/;");
aI("text=Audio Tour Guide  ;url=../../home/pursuits/;");
aI("showmenu=activities;text=NY Activities  ;url=../../home/events/;");
aI("showmenu=theater;text=NY Theater  ;url=../../home/shows/;");
aI("showmenu=exhibits;text=NY Exhibits  ;url=../../home/exhibits/;");
aI("showmenu=books;text=Books & Bookstores  ;url=../../home/books/;");
aI("showmenu=aboutUs;text=About Us;url=../../home/services/;");
}
drawMenus();
      </script></td>
</tr>
<tr>
       <td><SCRIPT LANGUAGE=JAVASCRIPT>
with(milonic=new menuname("Main Menu1")){
position="relative";
alwaysvisible=1;
orientation="horizontal";
style=menuStyle;

aI("text=   Creative NY   url=../../home/creative/;");
aI("text=Artistic NY  ;url=../../home/artistic/;");
aI("showmenu=theIndex;text=Article Index  ;url=../../home/index/;");
aI("text=Contact Us  ;url=MAILTO:karen __at__ littleviews.com?subject=Comments_on_Littleviews;");

}
drawMenus();
</script></td>
</tr>
</table>
   </td>

In other words, you've put a two row, one column table in that cell and put each menu in it's own row and renamed the second as Main Menu1

Ruth

I cleaned it up!

Poster: Littleviews
Dated: Wednesday January 31 2007 - 3:27:02 GMT

Ok - I made all the changes and reposted. Thanks for the tips!

Poster: Ruth
Dated: Thursday February 1 2007 - 18:27:33 GMT

Hi,

Well, there is a fix for the header problem in 5.771. I believe this is in pre-release right now.

http://www.milonic.com/menuvinfo.php

You can get an email notification when a new release comes out by going to this topic and clicking the watch this topic link.

http://www.milonic.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3108

and this is the menu version info page

http://www.milonic.com/menuvinfo.php

or you can go to the Product Updates Forum to see the same info, I think.

Ruth

wow

Poster: Littleviews
Dated: Thursday February 1 2007 - 19:41:33 GMT

My god, this is great! I can't wait to try. Milonic has opened so many areas of creative thought for me by providing the technology that drives the menu systems.

I just finished my site's redesign based on the menus (http://www.littleviews.com and need to get back to posting content.

While my site's menus are simple simple simple compared to all the stunning examples here, its organization is far superior to the old way. And to think Milonic is creating improvements as I type!