Web Menu Builder
May 2, 2001
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Simple Web sites are more and more difficult to find these days,
what with the many scripting languages and programs available to
make pages increasingly easier to produce.
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Even the most static of sites usually have some type of active
navigation
system, and that is where programs such as Web Menu
Builder come into play. It provides site builders with a wide
variety of options to help match the navigation with the site.
Web Menu Builder, from Visionary Technologies, enables users to
create hierarchical menus, manage menu styles, preview the menus
before taking them live, and create several menus for the same
page.
It's options are plentiful. The overall look can be determined
at the beginning of the menu creation by selecting background
color, border colors and widths, the menu style, and whether or
not to use mouseover and images.
Shown above and below are samples of menus that can be
created. Users can choose between horizontal or vertical
layout, single level or multiple level menus, and the URLs for
the links.
From the menu bar, users can access the program's many functions,
including creation of a new menu, opening an existing menu,
saving the work, generating the HTML and JavaScript files,
previewing the menu, setting program options, and using the style
manager.
The program has a style editor that allows users to establish a
style for a site, and then copy the style of an item or container
and paste it to the same type of element. Users may also drag and
drop the style icon over a container item to apply the style to
elements in that container.
To create an item (aka container in the program's lingo) and sub-
items (aka sub container), users can click on the "Plus" button
on the program menu. That will open a dialog box asking several
questions to help establish the function and look of that menu
item.
From there, users can select each item's properties, with
virtually every element of the menu capable of being modified.
That means one of two things: Users wanting precise control can
have it; those simply wanting a menu might consider it to be
overkill.
In some cases, it seems as though there may be too many options,
such as determining the speed of the menu open display. It does
enable users to use images in the menus, including three-
dimensional buttons — a nice feature for any menu.
One option that stands out is allowing users to make movable
menus. When visitors arrive at a Web site with one of these menus
on it, they can simply click on the menu and drag it to another
location on the screen, then double-click to put it down.
Users can determine the appearance, placement, and function in
detail of each portion of the menu. That includes the use of
separators colored to match the overall scheme, the size of gaps
between items in the menu, horizontal and vertical distances
between the title and items, status bar text, links, link
targets, and more.
Once a menu is completed, users can save it in the native program
file, save it in an HTML document, or save it in a JavaScript
file.
Web Builder Menu has its own preview function that works very
quickly and shows the menu as it will be on a Web page, including
flyouts and dropdowns.
The program's $49 price tag is quite reasonable, particularly considering
the extensive control the program offers.
What is it called again? Web
Menu Builder 1.0
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Where can I get it?
http://www.v-tech.ws
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How much does it cost? $49
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How big is the download? 3.8 MB
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Do I recommend it?
It's a decent program compared to similar
products.
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