keeping popup ontop

**msimmons** · Feb 18th, 2002, 12:22 PM

I am trying to create a modal window for a user to enter some info before moving on. I have been using:

Code:

<body "onBlur="document.focus()">

but on this particular popup that I am working with I have a frameset. So what I did was:

Code:

<frameset rows="100%,*" onBlur="document.focus()">

that works fine untill the user clicks on a input field on the form, then the window will be allowed to lose focus. How do I fix this?
thanks
michael

**The Hobo** · Feb 18th, 2002, 03:26 PM

frames are so 1990's, man. Use tables.

**msimmons** · Feb 18th, 2002, 03:32 PM

lol... I think what I am doing is quite 21st century

I am using the hidden frame to update and retrieve values from the database when the user tabs out of a field then updating items on the form w/o refreshing... this is done in the 0% frame using a combo of ASP and javascript (via outerHTML).
My guess is you dont have a solution to my prob though?

Michael

**The Hobo** · Feb 18th, 2002, 03:53 PM

I quiet frankly don't see why you want it to be modal. If they continue without entering the information, give them an error page.

But no, I don't have an answer for your question. I haven't dealt with frames in awhile.

When I think of frames, I think of those teeny sites with the green backgrounds and horrible nasty colors and you always got frustrated when you could move their frames around, and it all just made you want to b*tch-slap them for making it.

And all that kinda turns me off from frames. But best of luck to you.

**msimmons** · Feb 18th, 2002, 04:01 PM

Originally posted by The Hobo
I quiet frankly don't see why you want it to be modal. If they continue without entering the information, give them an error page.

since the page does all its processing without refreshing it would be more work to check if the user is making an error than it is to prevent the user from making an error.
No offence taken about the frames comment, this site uses multiple layers of frames yet the user would never know it by looking. and by the way, tables are so 2000, use liquid css.
Michael

**The Hobo** · Feb 18th, 2002, 04:35 PM

Everyone's always got a newer idea...

I know css...what's liquid css?

**msimmons** · Feb 18th, 2002, 04:58 PM

Originally posted by The Hobo
I know css...

do you use css to postion elements on your pages? if you did then you would no longer have need for tables to do layouts, which, depending on your amount of nesting, can get complex and get to be many lines of code long (good luck going back into some code with 500+ lines of nested tables). liquid css is the tecnique of using percentages to layout your elements without using tables.
Michael

**sail3005** · Feb 18th, 2002, 08:25 PM

i'm confused, is the form on the popup window?

**The Hobo** · Feb 18th, 2002, 11:39 PM

Originally posted by msimmons

do you use css to postion elements on your pages? if you did then you would no longer have need for tables to do layouts, which, depending on your amount of nesting, can get complex and get to be many lines of code long (good luck going back into some code with 500+ lines of nested tables). liquid css is the tecnique of using percentages to layout your elements without using tables.
Michael

Oh. I never knew there was a specific name for that. Thanks.

scoutt · Feb 19th, 2002, 09:16 AM

Originally posted by msimmons

do you use css to postion elements on your pages? if you did then you would no longer have need for tables to do layouts, which, depending on your amount of nesting, can get complex and get to be many lines of code long (good luck going back into some code with 500+ lines of nested tables). liquid css is the tecnique of using percentages to layout your elements without using tables.
Michael

hehe liquid CSS, never heard of it either. I think you just made it up.

most people call them layers and such, but anyway, tables are used becasue Netscape doesn't play nice with CSS or even liquid css. so tables are still 22nd century all the way.

**msimmons** · Feb 19th, 2002, 09:46 AM

Originally posted by sail3005
i'm confused, is the form on the popup window?

Yes, this is like a control panel type page where the user clicks "buttons" to pop up windows with forms on them. I want to prevent the user form doing something else on the control panel before doing what they want to do with the pop up

Originally posted by scoutt
hehe liquid CSS, never heard of it either. I think you just made it up.

Heard of google? here is the top listing in a search for Liquid CSS:
http://www.saila.com/usage/layouts/

Originally posted by scoutt
but anyway, tables are used becasue Netscape doesn't play nice with CSS or even liquid css. so tables are still 22nd century all the way.

nah Netscape is just 18th century

thanks,
Michael

**Vincent Puglia** · Feb 19th, 2002, 03:42 PM

Hi Michael,

Instead of onBlur='something.focus()', why not try something like:

if (myWin) this.blur()

Essentially, you blur the main page and thereby force the entire popUp to be focused.

Vinny

**msimmons** · Feb 19th, 2002, 03:55 PM

pardon my ignorance but where would I put that? My assumption is in the on focus of the form that created the popup?
thanks in advance,
Michael

**Vincent Puglia** · Feb 19th, 2002, 04:03 PM

Hi Michael,

Where -- depends upon the pages themselves. I get the impression that you are using a main page (consisting of one or more frames) and a number of possible popUps. However, since I don't know what the page/layout/app really look like....

2 things to consider:

1) if there are a number of popUps w/forms that you are contending with, try putting their names within an array that can be accessed by the opener window/frame

2) if the user can shift focus to more than one area/window/document, you will need either to put the 'this.blur()' within each form or use a setTimeout to continually check the status.

Vinny

**msimmons** · Feb 19th, 2002, 05:32 PM

When I used "this.blur()" it worked but it minimized the main window... so I switched that to "myWin.focus()" and that worked fine until I closed the window. Then I would receive the error:
The callee [server [not server application]] is not available and dissapeared; all connections are valid. The call did not exicute.

the function that pops up the window (called by onClick):
[code]
function showOffsets(newVar, newVar2){
offsetWin = window.open('rateoffsets.asp?Rate=' + newVar + '&Room=' + newVar2, 'newOffsets');
}
[\code]

the function that gives it focus (called in the body onFocus of the page containing the onClick):
[code]
function giveChildFocus(){
if (offsetWin){
offsetWin.focus();
}
}
[\code]

Its probably something simple I cant find.
Thanks in advance,
Michael

**msimmons** · Feb 19th, 2002, 05:34 PM

i think i figured it out... i need to kill the "myWin" (or offsetWin in my case) variable onUnload of the popup.
michael

**msimmons** · Feb 19th, 2002, 05:42 PM

Thanks, that did it. I actualy had something similar in an earlier project of mine but had forgotten all about it.
Thanks again,
Michael

**Vincent Puglia** · Feb 20th, 2002, 01:03 PM

Hi Michael,

Glad you worked it out. And sorry I didn't get a chance to get back to you.

Vinny

**msimmons** · Feb 20th, 2002, 04:30 PM

sorry about that, need more coffee... it does work now, i was just clicking on another frame that didnt have the script included.
oops,
michael

**msimmons** · Feb 21st, 2002, 11:58 AM

if anyone wants the long and probably more difficult than it needs to be explanation of how I overcame my popup problem i will post it.
ok, here we go:

first in the script of my form that opens the pop up (we will call it "the parent" from now on) i initialize a javascript variable called myWin:
var myWin = 0
and in an onClick of a button I open the popup (we will call it "the child" from now on) I did this:

Code:

function showCalendar(newVar){
  myWin = window.open('ratecalendar.asp', 'newCalendar');
}

In all the frames of the parent (I admit, i used alot of frames to keep things where I wanted them when the user resized the screen because this is a non scrolling 1 screen panel) I added this function called by both the onClick and the onFocus:

Code:

function giveChildFocus(){
  if (top.frames[1].frames[2].myWin){
      top.frames[1].frames[2].myWin.focus();
  }
}

so, if the child is open then the page/frame will give it focus. Then when the child is closed I erase the variable like this:

Code:

onUnload="window.opener.myWin=0;"

so now any clicks to the parent or surounding frames will check and since the child is not there will just go about their business and normal

I just hope I remember all of that on the next project I have that calls for popup's or I'll be back here asking again

Michael

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