Script and Control Duckware Java^TM applets without using JavaScript
The ControlPad "cpad.class" Applet is provided as a part of all Duckware Java applets. It is designed to control and script any Duckware applet (including itself), but will not control third party (non-Duckware) applets.

ControlPad is a fully programmable GUI. You design the GUI and you control what actions take place (via Native Scripting) when a user activates components in your GUI. Examples

Here is an example of how the ControlPad Applet (below right) can be used to create a GUI to control the PMVR and FloorPlan applets (below left). The left and right arrows in the ControlPad control the PMVR scrolling direction. These are single click areas (no auto repeat). The plus and minus signs control zoom in and zoom out, both of which auto repeat (they continue to activate as you continue to hold the mouse down):

PMVR and FloorPlan Applets

ControlPad

The HTML applet code for the ControlPad that accomplishes this looks like the following:

<applet code="cpad.class" width=88 height=51>   <param name="back" value="images/back.gif">   <param name="over" value="images/over.gif">   <param name="reg0" value="r=14,17,11,17">   <param name="reg1" value="r=64,17,11,17">   <param name="reg2" value="r=38,8,12,12;delay=250;repeat=50">   <param name="reg3" value="r=38,31,12,12;repeat=50">   <param name="cmd0" value="pmvr.auto=-10">   <param name="cmd1" value="pmvr.auto=10">   <param name="cmd2" value="pmvr.key=a">   <param name="cmd3" value="pmvr.key=z">   </applet>

The key and power of the ControlPad applet is that you control the GUI (eg: back.gif and over.gif above) and what actions take place when the user clicks on a hot spot within that GUI. In the example above, the back and over images defined the GUI.

When combined with Native Scripting, you are able to program complex actions without having to use JavaScript. This allows you to create custom 'skins' for the Duckware applets.

The basic set of parameters that can be set in a ControlPad applet are as follows:

Basic cpad.class Java Applet Parameters
Parameter	Type	Description
back	URL	Background image (default: none)
over	URL	Mouse over image (default: none)
reg#	region-spec	Defines a hit region and optional auto repeat rate
cmd#	command-spec	Command to run when a region is selected

The advanced applet parameters are:

Advanced cpad.class Java Applet Parameters
Parameter	Type	Description
tile	URL	Background image, tiled (default: none)
script	file-ref	Runs the given script
background	hex-color	Background color of the applet (default gray: C0C0C0)
groups	groups-spec	Groups regions together for the 'focus' param [1.0b]
focus	focus-spec	Sets the focus to a region in a group [1.0b]
spot	URL	Defines a spot image (usually a small GIF) [2.0a]
xy	xy-spec	Positions the spot image within the cpad GUI [2.0a]
skin	URL	A 2x2 (corners) Image: creates a 'frame' inside the display [5.2a]

The background image is displayed within the applet window. If the user moves the mouse over a hit region, that hit region area is redrawn using pixels from the mouse over image. When the user clicks on a hit region, the action for that region, defined by cmd#, is performed. Please refer to the example above for a configuration example.

hex-color: A color specified in 'RRGGBB' (red/green/blue) hexadecimal format. For example, 'FF0000' is pure red, '00FF00' is pure green, '0000FF' is pure blue, 'FFFFFF' is white, '000000' is black, 'CCCCCC' is light gray, etc. Please refer to http://www.utexas.edu/learn/html/colors.html for a list of sample colors along with 'RRGGBB' values.

region-spec: Defines a clickable rectangular hit region within the applet, with optional repeat and delay parameters (in milliseconds). When a user clicks on the region, the corresponding cmd# command is activated. The syntax is as follows:

r=left,top,width,height{;delay=ms{;repeat=ms}}

where 'r' specifies a rectangular hit region. By default, when a region is clicked on by the user, it will 'fire' just once. However, you can customize the delay and repeat. See the 'zoom in' and 'zoom out' in the example above to see this in action. For example:

r=38,8,12,12;delay=250;repeat=50

command-spec: The syntax of a command allows for a parameter within an applet to be set. The syntax is:

{applet.}parameter=value

which allows you to set an applet parameter to a value. You can control parameters in other applets by prefixing the parameter name with the applet name. For example:

pmvr.auto=10

The real power of this becomes evident when you set the script variable within a Duckware applet to take advantage of the Native Scripting support present in all Duckware applets. This then allows you to reconfigure any number of applet parameters. For example: For example:

pmvr.script=script.txt:gotoGreatRoom

groups-spec: Used to combine multiple regions into a group so that the 'focus' parameter will automatically select an item in a group and unselect all other items in the group. The syntax looks like:

region-list;region-list;...

For example:

0,1,2;3,4,5

defines two region groups. The first group is composed of regions 0, 1, and 2. The second group is composed of regions 3, 4, and 5.

focus-spec: Sets the focus to a region and automatically unselects any other regions defined in the same group as the focus item. The syntax looks like:

n=region{;c=hex-color}

where the focus is assigned to region 'n'. And in a focus outline drawn in an optional specified hex-color (the default color is FFFF00 or yellow). For example:

n=0;c=FF0000

sets the focus to region 0, with the focus drawn in red (FF0000).

xy-spec: Sets the x,y location of the spot image within the cpad GUI The syntax is a point and looks like:

10,20

For an example of how to use 'spot' and 'xy', refer to the HTML source of this example.

script -- Please refer to the Native Scripting Manual for complete details on how to use scripting in any Duckware applet. Native scripting allows multiple applets parameters to be set via a script.

file-ref: A URL to a filename (in which case the entire file contents are used), or a filename followed by ":sectionname" to refer to a section of the file. For help using file sections, refer to the Native Scripting Manual.

Since use of the ControlPad applet is almost always combined with Native Scripting, please refer to the Native Scripting Examples for examples on how to use ControlPad.