IE 5.0 Review, Part V: HTML Applications (HTAs); Customizing HTAs - www.docjavascript.com
IE 5.0 Review, Part V: HTML Applications (HTAs) (6)
Customizing HTAs
You have previously seen the HTA's window. Click here to examine it again. This window can be further customized to your taste by the HTA:APPLICATION
tag. Its attributes tell the window how to appear and behave as an application. The HTA:APPLICATION
tag should be included in the <HEAD> section of the HTA. Let's take an example:
<HEAD>
<TITLE> My Simple Application</TITLE>
<HTA:APPLICATION ID = "htaObj"
APPLICATOINNAME = "docjavascript"
BORDER = "none"
CAPTION = "no"
SHOWINTASKBAR = "yes"
SINGLEINSTANCE = "yes"
SYSMENU = "no"
WINDOWSTATE = Maximize
>
</HEAD>
All attributes can be accessed from JavaScript via an HTA object identified by the ID
attribute. The following script prints the name of the HTA application:
<HTML>
<HEAD>
<TITLE> My Simple Application</TITLE>
<HTA:APPLICATION ID = "htaObj"
APPLICATIONNAME = "docjavascript"
>
</HEAD>
<SCRIPT>
alert("applicationName = " + htaObj.applicationName);
</SCRIPT>
<BODY>
This is Doc JavaScript's HTA<BR>
<BUTTON onclick="self.close()">Go Away</BUTTON>
</BODY>
</HTML>
The following table summarizes all attributes and properties and how they affect the look and feel of the HTA window:
HTML Attribute | APPLICATIONNAME |
Description | Sets (retrieves in JavaScript) the application name. |
Possible Values | A String |
Examples | APPLICATIONNAME= "docjavascript" |
Remarks | Must be set and unique for the SINGLEINSTANCE to work. |
JavaScript Property | applicationName |
Permission | Read Only |
Default | No |
HTML Attribute | BORDER |
Description | Sets or retrieves the HTA border. |
Possible Values | "thick" , "dialog window" , "thin" , "none" |
Examples | BORDER= "thin" |
Remarks | Only valid for HTA windows that contain a title bar, or caption. The value "none" eliminates the program icon and Minimize/Maximize buttons. Can be used with the borderStyle property, which controls the content border within the window. Differences may not be detected. |
JavaScript Property | border |
Permission | Read Only |
Default | "thick" |
HTML Attribute | BORDERSTYLE |
Description | Sets or retrieves the HTA content border. |
Possible Values | "normal" , "complex" , "raised" , "static" , "sunken" |
Examples | BORDERSTYLE= "normal" |
Remarks | Affects only the content border. Use BORDER to affect the outer border of the window. |
JavaScript Property | borderStyle |
Permission | Read Only |
Default | "normal" |
HTML Attribute | CAPTION |
Description | Sets or determines whether the HTA window has a title bar. |
Possible Values | "yes" , "no" |
Examples | CAPTION = "yes" |
Remarks | Turning off the caption will remove the application icon, and the Minimize and Maximize buttons. Provide a button to exit the application! |
JavaScript Property | caption |
Permission | Read Only |
Default | "yes" |
HTML Attribute | commandLine |
Description | Retrieves the command line and arguments that invoked the HTA. |
Possible Values | Read Only |
Examples | command = htaObj.commandLine |
Remarks | Returns an empty string when HTA invoked via HTTP. |
JavaScript Property | commandLine |
Permission | Read Only |
Default | No Default |
HTML Attribute | ICON |
Description | Sets or retrieves the icon file name. |
Possible Values | A String |
Examples | ICON = "3DSmiley.ico" |
Remarks | Need to use a 32x32 icon. |
JavaScript Property | icon |
Permission | Read Only |
Default | System Application Icon |
HTML Attribute | MAXIMIZEBUTTON |
Description | Sets or determines whether the HTA window has a Maximize button. |
Possible Values | "yes" , "no" |
Examples | MAXIMIZEBUTTON = "yes" |
Remarks | Must turn on CAPTION to have the Maximize button. |
JavaScript Property | maximizeButton |
Permission | Read Only |
Default | "yes" |
HTML Attribute | MINIMIZEBUTTON |
Description | Sets or determines whether the HTA window has a Minimize button. |
Possible Values | "yes" , "no" |
Examples | MINIMIZEBUTTON = "yes" |
Remarks | Must turn on CAPTION to have the Maximize button. |
JavaScript Property | minimizeButton |
Permission | Read Only |
Default | "yes" |
HTML Attribute | SHOWINTASKBAR |
Description | Sets or determines whether the HTA appear in the task bar. |
Possible Values | "yes" , "no" |
Examples | SHOWINTASKBAR = "yes" |
Remarks | Does not affect the applications shown by ALT+TAB |
JavaScript Property | showInTaskBar |
Permission | Read Only |
Default | "yes" |
HTML Attribute | SINGLEINSTANCE |
Description | Sets or determines whether only one instance of the application is allowed. |
Possible Values | "yes" , "no" |
Examples | SINGLEINSTANCE = "no" |
Remarks | Application is determined by APPLICATONNAME and not by the URL. Click twice on the links to the left. |
JavaScript Property | singleInstance |
Permission | Read Only |
Default | "no" |
HTML Attribute | SYSMENU |
Description | Sets or determines whether the HTA has system menus (icon and Maximize and Minimize buttons). |
Possible Values | "yes" , "no" |
Examples | sysMenu = "yes" |
Remarks | Can drastically affect the look and feel of the application. |
JavaScript Property | sysMenu |
Permission | Read Only |
Default | "yes" |
HTML Attribute | VERSION |
Description | Sets or determines the HTA version. |
Possible Values | A String |
Examples | version = "5.3" |
Remarks | The entered version will appear in the application's properties, if you save to disk. |
JavaScript Property | version |
Permission | Read Only |
Default | "" |
HTML Attribute | WINDOWSTATE |
Description | Sets or determines the HTA window size. |
Possible Values | "normal" , "maximize" , "minimize" |
Examples | WINDOWSTATE = "minimize" |
Remarks | "normal" means window will inherit the Internet Explorer default window. "maximize" will expand the window to a full screen. "minimize" will put the application icon on the task bar. |
JavaScript Property | windowState |
Permission | Read Only |
Default | "normal" |
Produced by Yehuda Shiran and Tomer Shiran
Created: May 12, 1999
Revised: May 12, 1999
URL: https://www.webreference.com/js/column39/customize.html