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XML DHTML Behaviors

Internet Explorer 5 introduced DHTML behaviors. Behaviors are a way to add DHTML functionality to HTML elements with the ease of CSS.

Behaviors - What are They?

IE5 introduced DHTML behaviors. Behaviors are a way to add DHTML functionality to HTML elements with the ease of CSS.

How do behaviors work? By using XML we can link behaviors to any element in a web page and manipulate that element.

DHTML behaviors do not use a <script> tag. Instead, they are using a CSS attribute called "behavior". This "behavior" specifies a URL to an HTC file which contains the actual behavior (The HTC file is written in XML).

Syntax

behavior: url(some_filename.htc)

Note: The behavior attribute is only supported by IE 5 and higher, all other browsers will ignore it. This means that Mozilla, Firefox, Netscape and other browsers will only see the regular content and IE 5+ can see the DHTML behaviors.

Example

The following HTML file has a <style> element that defines a behavior for the <h1> element:

<html>
<head>
<style type="text/css">
h1 { behavior: url(behave.htc) }
</style>
</head>

<body>
<h1>Mouse over me!!!</h1>
</body>
</html>

The XML document "behave.htc" is shown below:

<attach for="element" event="onmouseover" handler="hig_lite" />
<attach for="element" event="onmouseout" handler="low_lite" />

<script type="text/javascript">
function hig_lite()
{
element.style.color='red'
}

function low_lite()
{
element.style.color='blue'
}
</script>

The behavior file contains a JavaScript and the event handlers for the script.

Try it yourself (mouse over the text in the example).

The following HTML file has a <style> element that defines a behavior for elements with an id of "typing":

<html>
<head>
<style type="text/css">
#typing
{
behavior:url(typing.htc);
font-family:'courier new';
}
</style>
</head>

<body>
<span id="typing" speed="100">IE5 introduced DHTML behaviors.
Behaviors are a way to add DHTML functionality to HTML elements
with the ease of CSS.<br /><br />How do behaviors work?<br />
By using XML we can link behaviors to any element in a web page
and manipulate that element.</p>
</span>
</body>
</html>

The XML document "typing.htc" is shown below:

<attach for="window" event="onload" handler="beginTyping" />
<method name="type" />

<script type="text/javascript">
var i,text1,text2,textLength,t

function beginTyping()
{
i=0
text1=element.innerText
textLength=text1.length
element.innerText=""
text2=""
t=window.setInterval(element.id+".type()",speed)
}

function type()
{
text2=text2+text1.substring(i,i+1)
element.innerText=text2
i=i+1
if (i==textLength){clearInterval(t)}
}
</script>

Try it yourself

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