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externalEvent

Syntax

    externalEvent "string"

Description

Command; sends a string to the browser that the browser can interpret as a scripting language instruction, allowing a movie playing or a browser to communicate with the HTML page in which it is embedded. The string sent by `externalEvent` must be in a scripting language supported by the browser.

This command works only for movies in browsers. To enable communication between an applet and a browser, use Java, JavaScript, or VBScript.

Note: The `externalEvent` command does not produce a return value. There is no immediate way to determine whether the browser handled the event or ignored it. Use`on EvalScript` within the browser to return a message to the movie.

Example

These statements use `externalEvent` in the LiveConnect scripting environment, which is supported by Netscape 3.x and later.

LiveConnect evaluates the string passed by `externalEvent` as a function call. JavaScript authors must define and name this function in the HTML header. In the movie, the function name and parameters are defined as a string in `externalEvent`. Because the parameters must be interpreted by the browser as separate strings, each parameter is surrounded by single quotation marks.

Statements within HTML:

    function MyFunction(parm1, parm2) {
    	//script here
    }

Statements within a script in the movie:

    externalEvent ("MyFunction('parm1','parm2')")

Example

These statements use `externalEvent` in the ActiveX scripting environment used by Internet Explorer in Windows. ActiveX treats `externalEvent` as an event and processes this event and its string parameter the same as an `onClick` event in a button object.

| Statements within HTML:

In the HTML header, define a function to catch the event; this example is in VBScript:

    Sub
    NameOfShockwaveInstance_externalEvent(aParam)
    	'script here
    End Sub

Alternatively, define a script for the event:

    <SCRIPT FOR="NameOfShockwaveInstance"
    EVENT="externalEvent(aParam)"
    LANGUAGE="VBScript">
    	'script here
    </SCRIPT>

Within the movie, include the function and any parameters as part of the string for `externalEvent`:

    externalEvent ("MyFunction ('parm1','parm2')")

See also

`on EvalScript`