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Class jHelp.htmlHelpFrame

java.lang.Object
   |
   +----java.awt.Component
           |
           +----java.awt.Container
                   |
                   +----java.awt.Window
                           |
                           +----java.awt.Frame
                                   |
                                   +----jHelp.htmlHelpFrame

public final class htmlHelpFrame

extends Frame

implements ActionListener

The htmlHelpFrame constructors require the instance of the parent container as the first argument. This is used by jHelp to determine if the class is being invoked by an applet or application. Standalone applications invoking applet classes that deploy jHelp must supply the application Frame to this constructor, and not the applet instance.

All constructors take a fileName argument, a String comprised of one or more help source file names. Where more than one help file is being loaded in the constructor, the names should be entered as a single string, with the file names delimited by a '|' character.

For example

      new htmlHelpFrame(this,"help1.html|help2.html|help3.html")
 

Help files need not be loaded during construction, and can be added using the addFile method. However, this is not necessary, as new files will be loaded automatically on demand if not already loaded.

The first file named in the fileNames argument will be the default file displayed in the browser panel, unless specified otherwise.

You can instantiate an htmlHelpFrame with null as the fileNames argument, which creates a blank display.

You can also instantiate an htmlHelpPanel with a zip or jar file, which should contain the help documents that will be used.

htmlHelpFrame(Object, String)

This class provides a basic pop-up browser frame that contains Back, Forward and Search buttons, in addition to an htmlHelpPanel component.

htmlHelpFrame(Object, String, int)

This constructor permits specifying the width of the scrollbar component.

htmlHelpFrame(Object, String, int, int)

This constructor permits specifying an intial help frame size.

htmlHelpFrame(Object, String, int, int, int)

This constructor permits specifying a scrollbar width as well as the initial size of the pop-up frame.

htmlHelpFrame(Object, String, int, int, int, Locale)

This constructor permits specifying a scrollbar width as well as the initial size of the pop-up frame.

htmlHelpFrame(Object, String, int, int, Locale)

This constructor permits specifying an intial help frame size.

htmlHelpFrame(Object, String, int, Locale)

This constructor permits specifying the width of the scrollbar component.

htmlHelpFrame(Object, String, Locale)

This class provides a basic pop-up browser frame that contains Back, Forward and Search buttons, in addition to an htmlHelpPanel component.

actionPerformed(ActionEvent)

addFile(Object, String)

The addFile method permits loading additional help source files subsequent to construction.

addHTMLString(Object, String, String)

The addHTMLString method permits loading dynamically generated HTML content.

getCurrentFileName()

Returns the name of the current document.

getMaxCache()

This method returns the current number of documents that will be retained in memory.

resetStacks()

This method can be called to force clearing/resetting the back/forward navigation stacks.

setHelpIndex(htmlHelpIndexFrame)

The setHelpIndex method assigns an htmlHelpIndexFrame object to this help frame and enables the "Index" button.

setIndexButtonVisible(boolean)

This method hides/shows the index button.

setJhelpListener(htmlJhelpListener)

Sets an external listener, implementing htmlJhelpListener, that may respond to the user hiding the htmlHelpFrame, or a low memory or other exception, thrown when jHelp attempts to create the text image.

setMaxCache(int)

This method permits setting a maximum number of help documents that are retained in memory by jHelp.

setPrintButtonVisible(boolean)

This method hides/shows the print button.

setPrinterEnabled(boolean)

This method enables/disables the print button.

setShowBase(String)

This method permits setting a help document path at runtime, so that the show method can be used with a filename, rather than an explicit path when it needs to be invoked.

setVisible(boolean)

Hide the help frame

show()

This overridden show method simply displays the current help file, at the current document position.

show(String)

This overridden show method permits the named help file to be displayed, optionally at a specific NAME'd location within the file.

show(String, int)

This overridden show method permits the named help file to be displayed, at a specific index location within the file.

 public htmlHelpFrame(Object instance,
                      String fileName)

This class provides a basic pop-up browser frame that contains Back, Forward and Search buttons, in addition to an htmlHelpPanel component. The initial size of the pop-up is 320x400. An alternate public constructor can be used to specify intial size, see below.

Parameters:

instance - the parent instance, should either be an applet or application Frame

fileNames - a String of one or several help source files, separated by '|', a null, or the name of a zip or jar file.

See Also:

addFile

 public htmlHelpFrame(Object instance,
                      String fileName,
                      Locale locale)

This class provides a basic pop-up browser frame that contains Back, Forward and Search buttons, in addition to an htmlHelpPanel component. The initial size of the pop-up is 320x400. An alternate public constructor can be used to specify intial size, see below.

This constructor also permits passing a Locale object, to override jHelp's default behavior of getting the default Locale on the users machine.

Parameters:

instance - the parent instance, should either be an applet or application Frame

fileNames - a String of one or several help source files, separated by '|', a null, or the name of a zip or jar file.

locale - a Locale object that jHelp will attempt to use in ResourceBundle.getBundle

See Also:

addFile

 public htmlHelpFrame(Object instance,
                      String fileName,
                      int H_SIZE,
                      int V_SIZE)

This constructor permits specifying an intial help frame size.

Parameters:

instance - the parent instance, should either be an applet or application Frame

fileNames - a String of one or several help source files, separated by '|', a null, or the name of a zip or jar file.

H_SIZE - the initial width of the pop-up frame

V_SIZE - the initial height of the pop-up frame

See Also:

addFile

 public htmlHelpFrame(Object instance,
                      String fileName,
                      int H_SIZE,
                      int V_SIZE,
                      Locale locale)

This constructor permits specifying an intial help frame size.

This constructor also permits passing a Locale object, to override jHelp's default behavior of getting the default Locale on the users machine.

Parameters:

instance - the parent instance, should either be an applet or application Frame

fileNames - a String of one or several help source files, separated by '|', a null, or the name of a zip or jar file.

H_SIZE - the initial width of the pop-up frame

V_SIZE - the initial height of the pop-up frame

locale - a Locale object that jHelp will attempt to use in ResourceBundle.getBundle

See Also:

addFile

 public htmlHelpFrame(Object instance,
                      String fileName,
                      int scrollwidth)

This constructor permits specifying the width of the scrollbar component. The initial size of the pop-up is 320x400. An alternate public constructor can be used to specify intial size, see below.

Parameters:

instance - the parent instance, should either be an applet or application Frame

fileNames - a String of one or several help source files, separated by '|', a null, or the name of a zip or jar file.

scrollwidth - the width of the scrollbar

See Also:

addFile

 public htmlHelpFrame(Object instance,
                      String fileName,
                      int scrollwidth,
                      Locale locale)

This constructor permits specifying the width of the scrollbar component. The initial size of the pop-up is 320x400. An alternate public constructor can be used to specify intial size, see below.

This constructor also permits passing a Locale object, to override jHelp's default behavior of getting the default Locale on the users machine.

Parameters:

instance - the parent instance, should either be an applet or application Frame

fileNames - a String of one or several help source files, separated by '|', a null, or the name of a zip or jar file.

scrollwidth - the width of the scrollbar

locale - a Locale object that jHelp will attempt to use in ResourceBundle.getBundle

See Also:

addFile

 public htmlHelpFrame(Object instance,
                      String fileName,
                      int H_SIZE,
                      int V_SIZE,
                      int scrollwidth)

This constructor permits specifying a scrollbar width as well as the initial size of the pop-up frame.

Parameters:

instance - the parent instance, should either be an applet or application Frame

fileNames - a String of one or several help source files, separated by '|', a null, or the name of a zip or jar file.

H_SIZE - the initial width of the pop-up frame

V_SIZE - the initial height of the pop-up frame

scrollwidth - the width of the vertical scrollbar

See Also:

addFile

 public htmlHelpFrame(Object instance,
                      String fileName,
                      int H_SIZE,
                      int V_SIZE,
                      int scrollwidth,
                      Locale locale)

This constructor permits specifying a scrollbar width as well as the initial size of the pop-up frame.

This constructor also permits passing a Locale object, to override jHelp's default behavior of getting the default Locale on the users machine.

Parameters:

instance - the parent instance, should either be an applet or application Frame

fileNames - a String of one or several help source files, separated by '|', a null, or the name of a zip or jar file.

H_SIZE - the initial width of the pop-up frame

V_SIZE - the initial height of the pop-up frame

scrollwidth - the width of the vertical scrollbar

locale - a Locale object that jHelp will attempt to use in ResourceBundle.getBundle

See Also:

addFile

 public void setHelpIndex(htmlHelpIndexFrame hi)

The setHelpIndex method assigns an htmlHelpIndexFrame object to this help frame and enables the "Index" button. When pressed, this will present an htmlHelpIndexFrame which can be used to navigate topics and keywords that have been indexed with helper application jHelpIndexBuilder.

Parameters:

hi - an htmlHelpIndexFrame object

 public void addFile(Object instance,
                     String fileName)

The addFile method permits loading additional help source files subsequent to construction. However, unlike the constructor, only a single file can be specified. This method need not be used in practice, although it continues to be supported. Calling htmlHelpFrame.show(filename) will automatically load the requested file if it is not in the document cache.

Note that adding a file does not place its contents in the display. It simply loads the document into jHelp's document cache. You must still use htmlHelpFrame.show(filename) to display the file.

Similar to this class's constructors, addFile requires the instance of the parent container as the first argument. This is used by jHelp to determine if the class is being invoked by an applet or application. Standalone applications invoking applet classes that deploy jHelp must supply the application Frame to this constructor, and not the applet instance.

The fileName argument is a String comprised of a single help source file.

Parameters:

instance - the parent instance, should either be an applet or application Frame

fileName - a String consisting of the name of one help source file.

 public void addHTMLString(Object instance,
                           String content,
                           String name)

The addHTMLString method permits loading dynamically generated HTML content. This method requires the String object containing the HTML to be displayed and a name to be given to the object for referencing with the show() method. If a name is not required (i.e. no external reference to this content will be made) pass null as the name. In this case, future content can be added which will replace the current content for dynamic HTML.

Note well that if you reference any external objects, such as images or links to actual help files, you must define a <BASE HREF=...> if the referenced objects are not within the current working directory of your application.

Parameters:

instance - the parent instance, should either be an applet or application Frame

content - a String consisting of the HTML code to be displayed

name - a String consisting of the name to be assigned the dynamic HTML object with null passed as a name for disposable content.

 public void show(String context)

This overridden show method permits the named help file to be displayed, optionally at a specific NAME'd location within the file. The context argument takes the same form as an HREF, such as help1.html#Usage, or simply #Usage. The latter form will attempt to find the bookmark in the currently active help file.

If a context requests a file that has not been loaded, either in the constructor, or with the addFile method, then jHelp will attempt to load the requested help file.

Parameters:

context - the hyperlink to a file and/or bookmark

 public void show(String filename,
                  int index)

This overridden show method permits the named help file to be displayed, at a specific index location within the file. It is primarily intended to be used by htmlHelpIndexFrame. The specified file is assumed to be relative to the current "showBase" setting.

Parameters:

filename - the name of the requested help document

index - the index of the element to place at the top of the display

 public void show()

This overridden show method simply displays the current help file, at the current document position.

Overrides:

show in class Window

 public void setShowBase(String path)

This method permits setting a help document path at runtime, so that the show method can be used with a filename, rather than an explicit path when it needs to be invoked. Note, that if this is used, then all subsequent show(filenames) will prepend the specified base path to the named file. To clear this base, call this method with null as the path argument.

If you have specified a zip or jar as the source of help files in the constructor then this method is used to specify the path of help files within the zip.

This base can also be overridden by specifying a help document as an absolute URL, prefixed with either file:// or http://

Parameters:

path - the directory (local or URL) where referenced help documents are located

 public String getCurrentFileName()

Returns the name of the current document.

 public void setVisible(boolean state)

Hide the help frame

Overrides:

setVisible in class Component

 public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e)

 public void setMaxCache(int value)

This method permits setting a maximum number of help documents that are retained in memory by jHelp. Useful for programs that deploy large sets of help documents to prevent jHelp from exhausting resources if many documents are browsed. A value of zero will cause jHelp to retain all documents in its memory cache (the default.)

Parameters:

value - a positive integer representing the number of documents that may be retained.

 public int getMaxCache()

This method returns the current number of documents that will be retained in memory. A value of zero indicates that all documents will be retained in the memory cache.

 public void setPrinterEnabled(boolean state)

This method enables/disables the print button. By default, it is disabled in applets, but this method can be used to override the default.

Parameters:

state - true or false, enables or disables the print button, respectively

 public void setPrintButtonVisible(boolean state)

This method hides/shows the print button. By default, it is visible but this method can be used to override the default.

Parameters:

state - true or false, shows or hides the print button, respectively

 public void setIndexButtonVisible(boolean state)

This method hides/shows the index button. By default, it is visible but this method can be used to override the default.

Parameters:

state - true or false, shows or hides the index button, respectively

 public void resetStacks()

This method can be called to force clearing/resetting the back/forward navigation stacks. This will automatically disable the back/forward button components as the stacks are emptied.

 public void setJhelpListener(htmlJhelpListener l)

Sets an external listener, implementing htmlJhelpListener, that may respond to the user hiding the htmlHelpFrame, or a low memory or other exception, thrown when jHelp attempts to create the text image.

Parameters:

l - an object implementing htmlJhelpListener

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