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IEFilters

Description:

The visual filter effect(s) to be applied to menus.

Value:

String, null, or JavaScript expression that returns a string/null.

Applies To:

Menus.

Browser Compatibility:

IEFilters is supported only in Internet Explorer 5.5 and later.

Comments:

IEFilters should be applied as a string, which means the value you supply should always be in quotes.

Allowed values for IEFilters are dicated by Microsoft's own syntax, and, for the most part, mirror the syntax used when adding a filter effect to an element via a style sheet rule. The only exceptions to this rule are that the entire filter assigment must be enclosed in quotes (which means embedded, quoted parameters must use the alternate quotes), and that the leading filter: designation should not be included. So, for example, in a style sheet you might implement a drop shadow filter like this:

filter:progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.DropShadow(color="#66996633")

But in HierMenus it would look like this:

IEFilters:"progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.DropShadow(color='#66996633')",

Each filter is defined by Microsoft to use its own set of parameters, with their own allowed values. A full explanation for each of these possibilities is beyond the scope of our HierMenus documentation. For complete syntax details, visit Microsoft's own documentation on the subject:

MSDN: Filters and Transitions

Multiple filters may be supplied within IEFilters; they will be applied to the menu in the order in which they are defined. To specify multiple filters in IEFilters, separate each new filter designation with a blank space.

The older Microsoft filter syntax (alpha(opacity=50), for example) is not supported by HierMenus.

A couple specific filters deserve special mention here. The Alpha filter is also used directly by HierMenus to implement its own MenuOpacity and ItemOpacity settings. Therefore, if you wish to control your menu opacity using the Alpha filter, then you should conditionally exclude IE5.5 and later from your opacity settings (or leave the opacity settings to null, in which case only IE5.5 and later will display your menus with opacity as intended). You can exclude IE5.5 from opacity settings like this:

MenuOpacity:(window.HM_IE55)?null:.7,

The Light filter is controlled entirely via script methods; thus once you define it with IEFilters, you'll then need to finish it using additional custom code. One good place to implement this code is in the menu's HM_OnMenuCreated event hook.

See the sample pages for examples of live Internet Explorer menu transitions.

Examples:

// Ok:
IEFilters:"progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Fade(duration=1)",
IEFilters:null,
IEFilters:(window.useFade)?
   "progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Fade(duration=1)":null,
   // if the user defined variable "useFade" is set, 
   // apply fade transition filter

// Incorrect:
IEFilters:progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Fade(duration=1),
   // outer quotes required
IEFilters:"progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.GradientWipe(motion="reverse")",
   // inner quotes ("reverse") should be 
   // opposite of outer ('reverse')
IEFilters:"filter:progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.GradientWipe(motion='reverse')",
   // do not include the word "filter:"
IEFilters:"null",     // quotes not allowed around null
IEFilters:'(window.useFade)?
   "progid:DXImageTransform.Microsoft.Fade(duration=1)":null', 
   // no quoted expressions

Default:

null

See Also:

IEShowTransition, IEHideTransition, MenuOpacity, ItemOpacity