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Stay Up-to-Date
with Web Design
and Web Development
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By Jennifer Kyrnin
One of the interesting features of Netscape 6 and Mozilla*
is the sidebar. This is a tabbed information area of the browser that is always available for
the browser users to use. It includes built-in features such as:
- search
- bookmarks
- address book
- stocks
- news
- and more...
These sidebar items might seem to be built-in to the browser, but if you know a little HTML
it is simple to create your own sidebar and use it in your browser.
How to Create a Sidebar
Netscape sidebars are simply HTML pages and use all of the following technology:
- HTML 4
- JavaScript
- CSS
- DOM
- XML
This means that anything you can put on a Web page, you can put on a Netscape tab.
- Create an HTML page that fits in the sidebar
Your content should fit within a space of about 144 pixels (162 if there is no
scrollbar). I would recommend putting it in a table so that you know exactly
how wide it will be.
- Target your links to the
_content frame.
This will cause your links to display in the main browser window. I would recommend using
a base target tag in the header of your sidebar:
<base target="_content">
- Set up your sidebar to refresh regularly
Use a meta refresh tag:
<meta http-equiv="refresh" content="2400">
- Decide on a title for your sidebar
This should be no more than 20 Western characters and 10 double-byte characters.
- Save your sidebar page and upload it to a Web server
Netscape sidebar tabs must be live Web pages, you cannot point to files on your
hard drive.
Adding Your Sidebar to the Tab List
The easiest way to add your sidebar to the tab list also allows you to promote it to
other people.
- Create a new Web page, or modify an existing page
- In the
<head>
of your document, write the following JavaScript:
- Add the "Add Tab" button to the page
You can get it from Netscape here:
http://developer.netscape.com/docs/manuals /browser/sidebar/add-button.gif
- Link your image to the JavaScript:
<a href="javascript:addPanel();"> IMAGE TAG </a>
Then you simply click on the image and the sidebar will be added to your tabs. Customers
who don't use Netscape 6 will be prompted to upgrade.
Promoting Your Tab
Once you've created a tab, you can provide it to your customers to use. This will give your
content constant presence on their Web browser. Which will result in them visiting your
site more often.
Netscape also offers an affiliate program for sidebar builders. Everyone who clicks on
your sidebar link who doesn't have Netscape 6 will be prompted to upgrade, and if they
buy a CD - you can earn money.
Learn more.
Netscape 6 and Mozilla
Netscape 6 and Mozilla 1 both use the same engine - and while I will use the
term "Netscape" throughout the article, all the instructions refer to both browsers.
Add tab image courtesy of Netscape.
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