Width & Height
The width and height of the applet are set in the HTML code you add to the web page. Be sure to change the dimensions in the <object> and the <embed> tags.

The applet must (of course) be wide enough to display all the items in the menu. You can make the applet as wide as you like, and the items will be centered within the applet area. The height of the applet must be enough to display the text, the arrows (if ShowArrows is set to 'yes') and the text messages for the items (if TypeMessage is set to 'yes').

To avoid the trial-and-error of finding the best size, set the Testmode parameter to 'yes' and click anywhere inside the applet: the minimum width and height will be shown in a tooltip message. You can then edit the HTML code and set Testmode back to 'no'. Remember that adding or removing items, or changing parameters such as the font, may mean that the applet's size needs to change again.

Parameters
The parameters below should be added to your datafile in the form NAME=VALUE (for instance, BgColor=FF0000). Each parameter should be on a separate line. You can leave blank lines in the list to organize the parameters into groups if you want to. The parameter names are not case-sensitive, and neither are the values, so BgColor=FF0000 is the same as bgcolor=ff0000. You can add the parameters to your file in any order. Most parameters have a default value which we show in bold text below: if you don't include the parameter in your datafile, the default value will be used automatically.

ArrowColor
If ShowArrows is set to 'yes', this parameter sets the color of the arrow shown for items that are not focused or selected. The default is C0C0C0 (light gray).

ArrowFocusColor
If ShowArrows is set to 'yes', this sets the color of an arrow when the mouse moves over the item. The default is CC0000 (red).

ArrowSelectColor
If ShowArrows is set to 'yes', this sets the color of the arrow shown for the currently-selected item. The default is 00FF00 (lime).

BgColor
Sets the background color of the applet, when not transparent. The default value is 000000 (blank). (Note that HotStrip can only change the background color after it has loaded. To have the same background color shown before the browser starts loading the applet, change the BgColor setting in the HTML code too.)

BgImage
HotStrip can fill the background with a tiled image. To use a background image, set this parameter to the absolute or relative URL of a JPEG image file to use as the background. (To use a GIF image, but it must be converted to Flash .SWF format.) If you use a background image, make sure the Transparent parameter is set to 'no' (its default).

DefaultTarget
Every Item can link to a separate URL, and it can open it into a separate frame or window: we provide numbered Target parameters for that. However, you probably want most (or maybe all) the links to open into one particular frame. Enter the frame name in this parameter, and every item without its own Target parameter will open the link into this 'default' frame. You can use the HTML names _self, _top, _parent, _blank or _new. If you leave this parameter out of your datafile, links will open into _self (the frame or window containing the applet).

ItemFont
Sets the name, size and style of font to use for the text of all items, with each part separated by commas. The default is Sans,8,plain.

• Name: You can include any number of font names, separated by pipe symbols (|), and the applet will use the first font available on the user's system. To ensure compatibility, finish with one of these generic names: Sans, Serif or Typewriter.
  
• Size: The size of the font in points.
  
• Style: The style can be plain, bold, italic or bold-italic.

ItemSpacing
Sets the amount of horizontal space to be placed between each item on the menu. The default is 15 pixels.

LineColor
If ShowLines is set to 'yes', this sets the text color of the scrolling lines that follow horizontal mouse movement in the applet. The default color is DDDDDD (light gray).

Location
A choice between top and bottom to tell HotStrip whether it's at the top of bottom of the page. If set to 'top', the arrows point downward and are at the bottom of the applet. If set to 'bottom', the arrows point upward and are at the top of the applet. The default setting is top. (If ShowArrows and TypeMessage are both set to 'no', this parameter has no effect.)

Name
Specifies a name for this instance of the applet. This is only necessary if you are using the applet in conjunction with our free Satellite add-on, and it's explained in the documentation for Satellite, available from the Cool Focus web site. If you are not using Satellite with this applet, it's best not to include this parameter in your datafile (although nothing bad will happen if you do).

SelectedItem
This parameter takes a number value to specify which menu item should be shown as 'selected' when the menu starts. This can be a number between 1 and the total number of items you're using. If no item should be selected, use a value of 0, which is the default value.

SelectorColor
If ShowSelectors is set to 'yes', this parameter sets the fill color of the selector rectangle. The default color is 808080 (gray).

ShowArrows
A choice of yes or no (with a default of yes) to specify whether the arrows should be shown.

ShowLines
A choice of yes or no (with a default of yes) to specify whether the scrolling horizontal lines should be shown.

ShowSelectors
A choice of yes or no (with a default of no) to specify whether a selector rectangle should be shown when the mouse moves over a menu item.

ShowVersion
A yes or no value. This parameter is included in all Cool Focus Flash applets, and its default is no. If set to 'yes', the version number of the applet (and other details) will be shown when the applet starts. This is included only for troubleshooting purposes, to help you determine which version of an applet you're using. It should be set to 'no' (or removed from your datafile) before you publish your page.

Note: If the applet is not registered, this information will always be shown when the applet starts, regardless of the ShowVersion parameter's setting.

SoundClick
Specifies the absolute or relative URL of an MP3 audio file to play when a menu item is clicked. If you don't want to play a sound for this event, just leave this parameter out of your datafile.

SoundHover
Specifies the absolute or relative URL of an MP3 audio file to play when the mouse moves over a menu item. If you don't want to play a sound for this event, just leave this parameter out of your datafile.

SoundRelease
Specifies the absolute or relative URL of an MP3 audio file to play when the mouse is released after clicking an item. If you don't want to play a sound for this event, just leave this parameter out of your datafile.

Testmode
A yes or no value, with a default of 'no'. This parameter is included in most Cool Focus Flash applets, and is used to help you determine the best width and height for the applet. (Because of this, it's best to use this parameter when you've got everything in the applet the way you want it.) Set this parameter to 'yes', then view the applet in your browser and click anywhere inside the applet. You'll see the minimum width and height displayed in a tooltip message, and you can copy these values into the page's HTML code. When you're done, remember to set the Testmode parameter back to 'no' or delete it from your datafile.

Note: If you've specified a list of font names in the applet's font parameters, it's a good idea to check that the applet will be big enough whichever of those fonts is used: with Testmode set to 'yes', move each font name to the beginning of the list and refresh the page to see if Testmode reports that larger dimensions are needed.

TextColor
Sets the text color of menu items displayed by HotStrip. The default color is C0C0C0 (light gray).

TextFocusColor
Sets the color of a menu item's text when the mouse moves over the item. The default is FFFFFF (white).

TextPressColor
Sets the color of a menu item's text when clicked. The default is 999999 (mid-gray).

TextSelectColor
Sets the text color of the selected menu item. The default is 00FF00 (lime).

Transparent
A yes or no parameter, with a default of no. If set to 'yes', the applet's background will be made transparent in compatible browsers, showing the HTML content (such as a page background) behind the applet. If you use a background image, you should make sure this parameter is set to 'no'.

TypeColor
If TypeMessage is set to 'yes', this sets the text color of the scrolling message. The default is FF0000 (red).

TypeMessage
A yes or no according to whether the message that can accompany each menu item should be shown in the applet itself ('yes') or in the browser's status bar ('no'). (Note that only compatible browsers can display the message in the status bar.) The default is yes.

TypeMessageFont
If TypeMessage is set to 'yes', this sets the name, size and style of font to use when the messages are displayed, with each part separated by commas. The default is Typewriter,7,plain. This parameter is constructed in the same way as the ItemFont parameter.

Items
The parameters below are the most important ones: they set the menu items to be displayed by HotStrip. You must include at least one Item parameter or HotStrip will display nothing at all!

The parameters all have numbers after their names, and the numbers you use must be consecutive, starting from 1. If you want to show 10 items, but you forget to include an Item7 parameter, HotStrip will stop looking for any more, and will only find items 1 to 6.

Item1, Item2, ..., Item_n
These parameters specify the text you want HotStrip to display for each item. The items will displayed in numerical order, starting from 1, and you can include as many items for each caption as you like.

URL1, URL2, ..., URL_n
The URL to which the Item with the same numeric suffix should link when clicked. To make items behave like links in all respects except linking somewhere (which can be useful for testing), use a dollar sign ($, or when encoded, %24) as the first character of the URL.

Target1, Target2, ..., Target_n
The name of the frame or window into which the URL with the same number should open. If you don't include this parameter, the frame name set in the DefaultTarget parameter will be used.

Message1, Message2, ..., Message_n
An optional text message to accompany each menu item, shown when the mouse moves over an item. If TypeMessage is set to 'yes', these messages will be displayed in the applet. If TypeMessage is set to 'no', the messages will be displayed in the browser's status bar (in compatible browsers).