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13

Navigator Gold: A JavaScript Development Tool

Now that you know how to develop large applications on the World Wide Web using JavaScript, it would be useful to have sophisticated development tools for JavaScript applications similar to large number of powerful HTML editors, validators and assistants.

Although there are currently no editors or development tools specifically designed for JavaScript, Netscape has begun development of Navigator Gold 2.0 (which was in public beta in the spring of 1996). This product promises to bring together the Navigator 2 browser with a comprehensive editing environment for developing Netscape-specific Web pages that support all the major features of Navigator 2, including JavaScript.

In this chapter we take a look at Navigator Gold 2.0 as a development tool, both for HTML and for JavaScript. We discuss the following:

An Introduction to Navigator Gold 2.0

Navigator Gold 2.0 could be seen as the advanced version of the Navigator 2.0 Web browser. Where Netscape is trying to position Navigator 2.0 as the complete Web browser and Internet tool for the Internet user, Navigator Gold 2.0 is being positioned as a key application for user to develop Web applications which take advantage of the special features of Navigator 2.0.

Netscape expects to complete Navigator Gold 2.0 in the first half of 1996 and has indicated they intend to sell the product for a retail price of US$79.

These are the main features of Navigator Gold:

An Editing Environment

Navigator Gold adds a new editing window accessible from the file menu and from a new button on the Web browser's toolbar. Using the editor, it is possible to develop Web pages in a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) environment. The editor makes it easy to apply HTML tags in such a way as to completely avoid the intricacies of HTML tags. Figures 13.1 and 13.2 show what the same document looks like in the Web browser window and the editor window.


Figure 13.1. Navigator Gold 2.0 supports standard browsing features found in Netscape Navigator.


Figure 13.2. In addition to browsing capabilities, documents can be opened in a built-in editor.

Drag-and-Drop Capability

Netscape has implemented drag-and-drop support throughout Navigator 2 Gold. It is possible to drag images or links from the Web browser window to the editor window to quickly develop pages.

Distributed Publishing

Netscape has indicated that Navigator Gold will include a feature called One Button Publish which will enable the simple uploading of Web pages developed with Navigator Gold to Internet Service Providers which support this feature.

JavaScript Support

Netscape claims that Navigator 2 Gold provides the industry's first JavaScript program editor. The built-in editor window will provide specific features and options particularly designed for JavaScript programming.

Tutorials and Guides for the Novice Developer

Netscape's promotions for Navigator 2 Gold include several on-line services. These include the Netscape Page Starter Site, which offers resources on the Web for page authors and the Netscape Page Wizard, which guides a novice developer through Web creation using simple questions, style guides and pre-designed artwork. For more information about these, check out the Navigator Gold 2.0 handbook at

 http://home.netscape.com/eng/mozilla/Gold/handbook

The Relationship Between the Browser and Editor Windows

In order to take advantage of the features of Navigator Gold 2, it is necessary to understand the relationship between the browser and editor windows.

As with Navigator 2, the default window is the browser window. From the browser window there are several ways to get to the editor window:

The Editor Window

The editor window is similar to the browser window. The document is displayed in a WYSIWYG mode similar to the browser window and the user can specify the color of text, links, and other page elements.

Unlike the browser window, the editor window does not offer the same toolbar, location field, and directory buttons. Instead, the editor window offers the File/Edit toolbar, the paragraph format toolbar and the character format toolbar, each of which can be individually displayed or hidden by the user.

The File/Edit Toolbar

The File/Edit toolbar provides buttons to perform the main file and editing functions, including opening and saving documents, switching to the browser window, cutting, copying and pasting, and printing documents. The File/Edit toolbar looks like Figure 13.3. Table 13.1 describes each button.


Figure 13.3. The File/Edit toolbar.

Button

Function

New

Opens a new document for editing

Open

Opens an existing document in a new editor window

Save

Saves the current document

Browse

Opens the current document in a new browser window

Cut

Cuts the selected items/section and saves it in the Clipboard

Copy

Copies the selected items/section to the Clipboard

Paste

Pastes the Clipboard contents into the current document

Print

Prints the current document

Search

Searches for text in the current document

Web Page Starter

Displays information about Web content creation

The Paragraph Format Toolbar

The paragraph format toolbar provides the basic buttons for applying HTML formatting tags to text. A drop-down list offers the main paragraph formats, including various header formats. Buttons offer a range of features including unnumbered and numbered lists and paragraph alignment. The paragraph format toolbar looks like Figure 13.4. Table 13.2 describes each button.


Figure 13.4. The paragraph format toolbar.

Button

Function

Unnumbered List

Create or change to an unnumbered list

Numbered List

Create or change to a numbered list

Increase Indent

Increase paragraph indent by one level

Decrease Indent

Decrease paragraph indent by one level

Left

Align text to the left

Center

Align text to the center

Right

Align text to the right

The Character Format Toolbar

The character format toolbar offers buttons to set the font size tag, the style of type including bold, italic, and fixed-width, as well as setting font color, creating links, and inserting images and horizontal rules. The character format toolbar looks like Figure 13