Lingo Dictionary > D-F > externalEvent

 

externalEvent

Syntax

externalEvent "string"

Description

Command; sends a string to the browser that the browser can interpret as a scripting language instruction, allowing a movie playing or a browser to communicate with the HTML page in which it is embedded. The string sent by externalEvent must be in a scripting language supported by the browser.

This command works only for movies in browsers. To enable communication between an applet and a browser, use Java, JavaScript, or VBScript.

Note: The externalEvent command does not produce a return value. There is no immediate way to determine whether the browser handled the event or ignored it. Use on EvalScript within the browser to return a message to the movie.

Example

These statements use externalEvent in the LiveConnect scripting environment, which is supported by Netscape 3.x and later.

LiveConnect evaluates the string passed by externalEvent as a function call. JavaScript authors must define and name this function in the HTML header. In the movie, the function name and parameters are defined as a string in externalEvent. Because the parameters must be interpreted by the browser as separate strings, each parameter is surrounded by single quotation marks.

Statements within HTML:

function MyFunction(parm1, parm2) {
	//script here
}

Statements within a script in the movie:

externalEvent ("MyFunction('parm1','parm2')")

Example

These statements use externalEvent in the ActiveX scripting environment used by Internet Explorer in Windows. ActiveX treats externalEvent as an event and processes this event and its string parameter the same as an onClick event in a button object.

Statements within HTML:

In the HTML header, define a function to catch the event; this example is in VBScript:

Sub 
NameOfShockwaveInstance_externalEvent(aParam)
	'script here
End Sub

Alternatively, define a script for the event:

<SCRIPT FOR="NameOfShockwaveInstance"
EVENT="externalEvent(aParam)" 
LANGUAGE="VBScript">
	'script here
</SCRIPT>

Within the movie, include the function and any parameters as part of the string for externalEvent:

externalEvent ("MyFunction ('parm1','parm2')")

See also

on EvalScript