Solving technology problems, one at a time
Have you ever tried to use a javascript to modify the properties of a frame? Particularly a javascript ON the frameset page? If you have tried, you probably know that timing plays an important role.
Continue readingJavascript is a loosely typed language, which means it is possible to define a variable without specifying what type of data it holds (string, integer, floating point, etc.). This can cause problems if you think a particular value is a number when in fact it is a string. A string must be converted to a number to use it in calculations.
For example, when working with SCORM elearning software, scoring and performance data is stored in a Learning Management System as strings. If you need to do calculations with the data after retrieving it, the string data must be converted to integers or floating point type.
The parseInt() function can be used for this purpose. It parses a string and returns an integer. However use of the function without understanding the details can lead to unexpected results. If your string begins with a zero, the number will be evaluated in octal instead of decimal system. In Octal, 08, 09 are not valid numbers, and 010, 011, etc. will not represent the same values as they would in decimal system.
Continue readingSuppose you want to use the value of one variable as part of the name of another variable, but you don’t know the exact name of the first variable, because it will be selected by user input.
Continue readingHave you ever wanted to assign a function to an onload or onclick event, based on some condition or even from another page? A project where this came in handy was a multi-page learning module.
Continue readingOne of the most frequently used constructions in javascript are functions that toggle styles or properties on and off. This can be used for items that require a highlighting effect, or to create layers that
Continue readingThe css styles are defined in several sheets. Any of the styles can be overridden by adding a new definition for the selector to /css-local/userStyles.js or to individual pages or even individual elements on a page. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO change any of the files inside the css/ folder but you can add your own overrides to userStyles.css.
Continue readingSCORM courses in the SumTotal 6.5 Learning Management System are launched from a page that lists each SCO (lesson) in a list of links representing the course structure.
On clicking the “Enter the Lesson” button next to any SCO, a new frameset window opens. The screenshot below shows the “Enter the Lesson” page, with the course window open in front of it.
(Click to enlarge)
Captivate quizzes are easy to create, but they lack some often-requested features. Even using version 2, it is difficult, if not impossible, to randomize questions within Captivate. The following method will alter the html wrapper generated when you publish a Captivate project so that it chooses from a bank of alternate Captivate SWF files when the page opens.
Download example HTML wrapper file
When you publish to Flash (SWF) in Captivate, Captivate creates an HTML wrapper which contains the SWF file in an object tag. (Usually titled “ProjectTitle.htm”) There is a variable, “strURLFile ,” which determines which Captivate file is launched. In the unaltered file, this variable is set to the project title you set when you published.
Continue reading