Using Jump Menus

Using Jump Menus

A jump menu is a pop-up menu listing links to documents or files. When a user chooses an item, they "jump" directly to the new URL.

Jump menus save space on the page. For example, to find a retailer in your area for a particular product, you might be asked to select your state or country. A list of states or countries could be very lengthy. Putting the links in a jump menu saves you from listing them in full as part of the page layout.

In addition to the required list of linked items, a jump menu can optionally include a menu selection prompt, such as "Select one," and a Go button.

To insert a jump menu:

1.	Place the insertion point in the document.
2.	Select Insert > Form > Jump Menu. or In the Form category of the Insert Bar, click the Jump Menu button. The Insert Jump Menu dialog appears ( Figure 12.20 ). Fill it out as follows : Menu items: Don't type anything in this list. As you add items to the menu, they will automatically appear. Move items up or down in the Menu Items list by selecting one and using the up or down arrow to change its order. Text: Type the text you want for the menu item. You can type a prompt such as "Choose one" here. For text to be a prompt, leave the URL blank. When selected, go to URL: Browse or type the URL to go here. Open URLs in: Select the window where you want the URL to display. If you're using frames (See Chapter 11, "Adding Frames"), name one of the frames here. Menu name: Type a name in here for JavaScript to use; as always, it cannot contain any spaces. Insert go button after menu: Select this if you want a Go button. The Go button isn't required to make the menu work for users with JavaScript enabled in their browsers. If the user's browser doesn't use JavaScript or if the site uses frames, the Go button is needed. Select first item after URL change: If you use a prompt, select this. Figure 12.20. Here's a brand-new Insert Jump Menu dialog, ready for you to add as many items as you want.
3.	Click OK to accept your changes., and the jump menu will show up on your page.

To edit a jump menu:

1.	Double-click the Behavior name in the Behaviors panel. The Jump Menu dialog opens ( Figure 12.21 ). Figure 12.21. When you edit a jump menu, some of the original options are missing, particularly the "Insert go button after menu" choice.
2.	Make any changes as needed.
3.	Click OK to accept the changes, and the revised jump menu will appear in your document.

To insert a jump menu Go button:

1.	Select an insertion point in the document window. A jump menu must already exist in the document.
2.	In the Behaviors panel, click the plus button and select Jump Menu Go. The Jump Menu Go dialog will open ( Figure 12.22 ). Figure 12.22. The Jump Menu Go dialog attaches a Go button to an existing jump menu of your choice.
3.	Select a menu for the Go button to activate. A Go button needs to be associated with a jump menu in order to work.
4.	Click OK to create the button.

Tip

• A jump menu requires a form, which Dreamweaver adds automatically. You'll notice the red form indicator bordering the jump menu in the document window and you'll see a <form> tag in the tag selector bar.