How to create panels with HTML?

[Thomas Böttiger]

Adobe Postulates on the FM 2019 product page: “

Interactive HTML5 dialogs for plug-ins

Make the customer experience richer by using HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript to make interactive plug-in dialog boxes.”

Now that I need to create a few dialog boxes (panels?), I‘d like to have a look at the requirements, limitations, and resources. Where can I find them?

[Stefan Gentz]

I have moved this to the Scripting Forum. People like 4everJang have already done a lot of work with the HTML pods.

By the way, the FrameMaker Welcome Screen is an HTML Pod. The Customize DITA pod is also an HTML pod.

[4everJang]

Hello Thomas,

Yes, HTML dialogs can be created and made to look and work very user friendly. It is also a lot of work to get it right. I am planning to write an extensive blog post about this, but it may take a while before that gets published. There is a lot to take into account when creating more than just simple messaging. If your current projects are time-critical, I would keep using the dialogs as available in the Javascript tools that form part of the ESTK. Once the blog/tutorial is ready, that will help you get started with creating your own fabulous HTML dialogs. Of course we will expect you to brag about them once they are done - in blog posts and possibly posts on this forum.

Thanks in advance for your patience

4everJang

[Thomas Böttiger]

Klaus Köbel just phoned me and told me the same thing. I was thinking along the lines of InDesign extensions, so that was my expectation of using HTML just to design a template that the developers can bind their functions to. But I am not a programmer, just a techwriter doing some UI design, so I will pass that information to the people responsible.

[Thomas Böttiger]

Sorry, I should have called them "pods" (like the one for formatting text).

[4everJang]

I never liked the term Pod and tried to convince Adobe to start calling them panels but I think I lost that battle. Pods are things to plug into your ears. 🙂