Scripting is a type of programming. A program contains actions (code) and the objects on which the actions are performed (data).
Because scripting is aimed at a big audience the syntax is kept as simple as possible.
Some refer to scripting as the glue that connects different components together. A component is a collection of code and data that represents a higher level of functionality. The diputab applet for example is a component.
The objects of the script are dynamically typed and they dont need to be declared, this results in easier and shorter code.
Today there are two standards for scripting in a web
document, Javascript and Vbscript.
diputab is accessible from both languages.
If you load a web document in your browser, all the elements contained in your document are reflected in the scripting environment. This means that all elements (such as all html tags) that are contained in your document are mapped to objects in your scripting environment.
This is also the case for applets. In Netscape navigator 3 or greater and in Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 or greater you can simply use the public methods of an applet.
In the following examples we will use javascript because both browsers support it.
With these methods you can add/replace/remove records in the following tables:
diputab is thread safe, so multiple concurrent accesses to diputab are allowed.
With the addRecords(tablename,records) method you can add record(s) to diputab in the specified table. If there is already a record with the specified key, then the new record will replace the old record.
<html>
<body bgcolor="#C0C0C0">
<applet CODE="diputab.class" NAME="diputab" WIDTH="400" HEIGHT="40">
</applet>
<form>
<input TYPE="BUTTON" VALUE="Add tab nr. 1"
onClick="diputab.addRecords('entries','^a|tab nr. 1');">
<input TYPE="BUTTON" VALUE="Add tab nr. 2"
onClick="diputab.addRecords('entries','^b|tab nr. 2');">
<input TYPE="BUTTON" VALUE="Add tab nr. 3"
onClick="diputab.addRecords('entries','^c|tab nr. 3');">
</form>
</body>
</html>
after loading the page
after pressing the "Add tab nr. 1" button
after pressing the "Add tab nr. 2" button
after pressing the "Add tab nr. 3" button
With the removeRecords(tablename,records) method you can remove record(s) from diputab in the specified table. With diputab version 2 you can only remove records from the entries and images tables.
Example
<html>
<body bgcolor="#C0C0C0">
<applet CODE="diputab.class" NAME="diputab" WIDTH="400" HEIGHT="40">
<param name="entries" value="
^a|tab nr. 1
^b|tab nr. 2
^c|tab nr. 3
">
</applet>
<form>
<input TYPE="BUTTON" VALUE="remove tab nr. 2"
onClick="diputab.removeRecords('entries','^b');"></p>
</form>
</body>
</html>
after loading the page
after pressing the "remove tab nr. 2" button
With the getKeys(tablename, separator) method you can retrieve all the keys who are present in a table.
The javascript function split operates on a String value, takes a separator as an argument and returns an Array. This gives you an easy way to convert the result string from the getKeys function to an Array.
<html>
<body bgcolor="#C0C0C0">
<applet CODE="diputab.class" NAME="diputab" WIDTH="400" HEIGHT="40">
<param name="entries" value="
^a|tab nr. 1
^b|tab nr. 2
^c|tab nr. 3
">
</applet>
<form name="main">
<BR>keys: <input type="text" name="keys" size="40">
<BR><input TYPE="BUTTON" VALUE="print keys"
onClick="main.keys.value =
diputab.getKeys('entries',',');">
</form>
</body>
</html>
after loading the page
after pressing the "print keys" button
With the getSelected() method you can query diputab for the selected tab. With the setSelected (key) you can programmatically set the selected tab.
Example
<html>
<body bgcolor="#C0C0C0">
<applet CODE="diputab.class" NAME="diputab" WIDTH="400" HEIGHT="40">
<param name="entries"
value="
^a|tab nr. 1 (key = a)
^b|tab nr. 2 (key = b)
^c|tab nr. 3 (key = c)
">
</applet>
<form name="main">
<p><input TYPE="BUTTON" VALUE="get selected"
onClick="main.getselected.value = diputab.getSelected();">
<input type="text" name="getselected" size="10"></p>
<p><input TYPE="BUTTON" VALUE="set selected"
onClick="diputab.setSelected(main.setselected.value);">
<input type="text" name="setselected" size="10"></p>
</form>
</body>
</html>
after loading the page
after filling in c in the text field
and pressing the "set selected" button
after pressing the "get selected" button
With the getField(tablename, key, column index) method you can fetch any field value from a record. With the setField (tablename, key, column index, value) method you can set any field value in a record
Now every property of diputab is customizable.
<html>
<body bgcolor="#C0C0C0">
<applet CODE="diputab.class" NAME="diputab" WIDTH="400" HEIGHT="40">
<param name="entries" value="
^a|tab nr. 1
^b|tab nr. 2
^c|tab nr. 3
">
</applet>
<form name="main">
<p><input TYPE="BUTTON" VALUE="set foreground color"
onClick="diputab.setField('options','foregroundcolor',1,main.fgcolor.value);">
<input type="text" name="fgcolor" size="10"></p>
<p><input TYPE="BUTTON" VALUE="set font"
onClick="diputab.setField('fonts','defaultfont',1,main.font.value);">
<input type="text" name="font" size="20"></p>
</form>
</body>
</html>
after loading the page
after filling in E0E0E0 in the text field
and pressing the "set foreground color" button
after filling in Monospaced in the text field
and pressing the "set font" button