<SCRIPT LANGUAGE="JavaScript"> <!--// Copyright 1996 - Tomer and Yehuda Shiran // This example will appear in our forthcoming book on JavaScript. // Feel free to "steal" this code provided that you leave this notice as is. // Additional examples from the book can be found at http://www.geocities.com/SiliconValley/9000/ // For more information contact Tomer or Yehuda Shiran <yshiran@iil.intel.com> // set speed of banner (pause in milliseconds between addition of new character) var speed = 10 // decrease value to increase speed (must be positive) // set pause between completion of message and beginning of following message var pause = 1500 // increase value to increase pause // set initial values var timerID = null var bannerRunning = false // create array var ar = new Array() // assign the strings to the array's elements ar[0] = "Welcome to my JavaScript page" ar[1] = "I hope you enjoy the R-Banner script" ar[2] = "It is designed to be more stable than regular banners" ar[3] = "Don't forget to check out the other scripts!" // assign index of current message var message = 0 // empty string initialization var state = "" // no value is currently being displayed clearState() // stop the banner if it is currently running function stopBanner() { // if banner is currently running if (bannerRunning) // stop the banner clearTimeout(timerID) // timer is now stopped timerRunning = false } // start the banner function startBanner() { // make sure the banner is stopped stopBanner() // start the banner from the current position showBanner() } // assign state a string of "0" characters of the length of the current message function clearState() { // initialize to empty string state = "" // create string of same length containing 0 digits for (var i = 0; i < ar[message].length; ++i) { state += "0" } } // display the current message function showBanner() { // if the current message is done if (getString()) { // increment message message++ // if new message is out of range wrap around to first message if (ar.length <= message) message = 0 // new message is first displayed as empty string clearState() // display next character after pause milliseconds timerID = setTimeout("showBanner()", pause) } else { // initialize to empty string var str = "" // built string to be displayed (only character selected thus far are displayed) for (var j = 0; j < state.length; ++j) { str += (state.charAt(j) == "1") ? ar[message].charAt(j) : " " } // partial string is placed in status bar window.status = str // add another character after speed milliseconds timerID = setTimeout("showBanner()", speed) } } function getString() { // set variable to true (it will stay true unless proven otherwise) var full = true // set variable to false if a free space is found in string (a not-displayed char) for (var j = 0; j < state.length; ++j) { // if character at index j of current message has not been placed in displayed string if (state.charAt(j) == 0) full = false } // return true immediately if no space found (avoid infinitive loop later) if (full) return true // search for random until free space found (braoken up via break statement) while (1) { // a random number (between 0 and state.length - 1 == message.length - 1) var num = getRandom(ar[message].length) // if free space found break infinitive loop if (state.charAt(num) == "0") break } // replace the 0 character with 1 character at place found state = state.substring(0, num) + "1" + state.substring(num + 1, state.length) // return false because the string was not full (free space was found) return false } function getRandom(max) { // create instance of current date var now = new Date() // create a random number (good generator) var num = now.getTime() * now.getSeconds() * Math.random() // cut random number to value between 0 and max - 1, inclusive return num % max } startBanner() // --> </SCRIPT>