View System Documentation - Javascripts
Javacript is used for control and providing some interactive features of the site. DHTML and DOM (document object model) type calls are used but are typically localized in functions so that browser specific code can be implemented or the call/object/method/property is check for support in all the major browsers. See www.quirksmode.org/ which is a great reference resource Javascript and browser compatibility.
Javascript Navigation Menus
There are two basic categories of Javascript usage. The first is the menuing system with the second major category being page control. Initially the site's menu navigation was implemented using the Milonic menu because it offered great cross browser compatibility, was very "cool" and interactive, and was able to be extended dynamically. However, the Milonic menu is not 508 compliant and it is very difficult to extend and maintain for other agencies wanting to implement the system. In October 2006, an HTML list structure was implemented which is 508 compliant and much more easily understood and maintained. Javascript code is used to control how the list is displayed and to control sub menus. Javascript code also is used to provide the elevator menu movement. The site's navigation consists of two menus. The first is the horizontal tab menu which shows the major modules of the system and is the same no matter which module/part of the application the user is at. The second is the left hand context navigation menu. This menu is specific to the current page/application module. The HTML link definitions are specified in each section's "SiteSpecific.xslt" file. Listed below are the Javascript files used for the Utah navigation menu.Milonic Menu Javascript Files:
| Filename | Description |
|---|---|
| js/mmenu/mmenu.js | Contains the Milonic Menu DHTML producing Javascript code. This code reads the menu definition structures and creates DHTML menus. |
| js/mmenu/base.js | Contains the Milonic menu style definitions, top menu tab navigation menu definitions, and core popout text menu definitions common for all IBIS-PH View System pages. |
| js/mmenu/home.js | Left hand navigation menu definitions used by all "home" type pages. |
| js/mmenu/query.js | Left hand navigation menu definitions used by all "query" type pages. |
| xslt/indicator/profile/_indicator.xslt | Left hand navigation menu definitions used by Indicator "PAGE XML" page (all non dynamically created Indicator Profile view type pages). |
| js/mmenu/doc.js | Left hand navigation menu definitions used by all "doc" type pages (system documentation). |
Javascript Selection Page Control
The selection page control consists of the the Javascripts that are used to control the hiding and displaying of Query Module selection sections. These selection sections are built by the associated "module.xslt" and "module_selection.xslt" which produce HTML elements with the appropriate "id" attributes and registers the HTML elements.Selection Related Javascript Files:
| Filename | Description |
|---|---|
| js/selection/handlers.js | Provides specific Javascript event handler functions that are registered to HTML user interface action type elements. |
| js/selection/preferences.js | Provides the Javascript functions that are used to get and set the user preferences for the "selection" javascript functions. |
| js/selection/specific.js | Contains the main Javascript functions that are used to controls the selections (questions and answers for the IBIS-Q input pages) and (sections and selections) for the Query Module Selection type pages. These functions include general purpose control code as well as specific business rules called from the handler methods and applied based on the user preferences. |
| js/general.js | Provides general, core non selection specific functions for working with the DOM (like getting the value of a radio button group, getting an element/object, hiding/showing elements), string prototypes, and cookie related functions. |