home / documentation / reference / slideinfrom

SlideInFrom

Description:

The direction from which a sliding menu should be slid into view.

Value:

null; one of top, right, bottom, or left; or a JavaScript expression that returns one of these values.

Applies To:

Menus.

Browser Compatibility:

SlideInFrom is not supported in Netscape 4.x, Internet Explorer 4.x, or earlier Gecko browsers (Netscape 7.02 and earlier, Mozilla 1.2 and earlier).

Comments:

You may specify only null (no sliding) or one of the special keywords top, right, bottom, or left for SlideInFrom. Keywords are case-sensitive and must be specified as lower case. Keywords must be quoted.

SlideInFrom is part of the custom transition routines included in the HM_Loader.js file and discussed in detail in the Custom Transitions Mini-Tutorial. In order to apply a sliding effect to a menu display, you must include this key SlideInFrom parameter, as well as register the custom functions with the HierMenus setTrans and killTrans menu event hooks:

ScrollEnabled:1,
SlideInFrom:"left",
setTrans:HM_f_SetSlide,
killTrans:HM_f_KillSlide,

For reasons having to do with the sliding effect itself, all sliding menus must be ScrollEnabled.

SlideInFrom represents the sliding effect that will be applied to the menu when it is made visible. SlideOutTo represents the sliding effect that will be applied to the menu when it is hidden.

Applying both SlideInFrom and SlideOutTo to the same menu is not recommended; the excessive movement of the menus can be distracting and annoying to your visitors. Also, SlideInFrom menus from the right or bottom, where their parent menus (or they themselves) are positioned to the right or bottom of the browser window, are generally not recommended. Even though the menu itself is mostly hidden while the sliding effect is being processed, when you slide a menu in from the edge of a browser window, some of the invisible portion of the menu may be offscreen for at least a small time while the menu is being moved to its ultimate destination. If this small portion of the menu happens to be off the right side or bottom of the screen window, then most browsers will adjust their scrollbars to accommodate them--even if the portion that is off screen cannot be seen. The result is often the appearance (and, consequently, a relayout of the page itself) of a horizontal or vertical scroll bar where none is actually necessary. This constant adjustment of the scrollbars (in Internet Explorer the scrollbars remain in their extended state until you reload the page; in Gecko the scrollbars are readjusted dynamically as the menu is moved) can be confusing and distracting to your site visitors.

Examples:

// Ok:
SlideInFrom:"top", 
SlideInFrom:"left",
SlideInFrom:null,
SlideInFrom:(window.HM_IE55)?null:"left", 
   // No sliding in IE5.5+

// Incorrect:
SlideInFrom:top,     // must quote keywords
SlideInFrom:"null",  // do not quote null
SlideInFrom:'(window.HM_IE55)?null:"left"', 
   // no quoted expressions

Default:

undefined

See Also:

SlideInInterval, SlideOutInterval, SlideInPercent, SlideOutPercent, SlideOutTo, setTrans, killTrans, Custom Transitions Mini-Tutorial