/**** SmartStars Graphical Star-Rating System with Form Element Interface * Multiple rating bars in one document. * Configurable for number of stars and initial setting. * Unobrusive installation - no onmouseover/onmouseout handlers to install * Optional External Function Interfaces * Keyboard Accessible (Enter key selects) Demonstration and further details at http://scripterlative.com?smartstars The following instructions may be removed, but not the above text. Please notify any suspected errors in this text or code, however minor. Description ~~~~~~~~~~~ Generates a horizontal 'rating bar' comprised of either of two graphical images that indicate the current rating. To set a numeric rating, any image in the row may be clicked. Installation ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Save this file as 'smartstars.js' In the section of your document, include the script by adding the tags below: For each rating bar to be generated, create a containing element with a unique ID. This element may be given any suitable CSS attributes. Create a form containing a hidden type element for each rating bar. Configuration ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Each rating bar is initialised by a single call to the function SmartStars.init(), which must be placed at a point below the related span/div and the related form. The function takes six or seven parameters as described next. Parameter 1 - The ID of the span element that will contain the rating bar. Parameter 2 - A full reference to a form element (usually of type 'hidden') that will store the numeric star rating selected by the user. Parameter 3 - The initial rating. (0 to display no 'on' stars) Parameter 4 - The number of stars in the rating bar. Parameter 5 - The file name of the 'off' graphic. (Include a relative path if necessary) Parameter 6 - The file name of the 'on' graphic. Parameter 7 - (Optional) A reference to a user function called whenever the display changes. Example ~~~~~~~ Create a star rating display using a span with the id 'stars1'. The numeric rating set by the user will be written to the element named 't1', belonging to a form named 'form1'. The initial rating will be set to 5 out of 10 stars. The star graphics used are called 'offstar.gif' & 'onstar.gif'. At a point below the associated form and span elements, insert: Note: Parameters 1, 5 & 6 must be in quotes as shown, the others must not. Repeat the above for as many instances as required. Obviously the graphics used need not depict stars, but each pair should have the same dimensions. That's all there is to it. Appearance and CSS Styling ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two stylesheet names determine the layout of the rating display's images and links. These are 'SmartStarsLinks' and 'SmartStarsImages' respectively. The default recommended minimal styling is shown below. This text should be placed inside tags in the section of the document. a.SmartStarsLinks{padding:0px} .SmartStarsImages{margin:0px; border:none} Setting or Cancelling A Rating ------------------------------ The SmartStars.set method can be used to set a rating after it has been initialised. To set a rating to 3 'stars', call: SmartStars.set(span id, 2); To reset a rating to 0 'stars', call: SmartStars.set(span id, -1); To facilitate its use within links, this method returns false: Cancel Rating Optional Function Interfaces ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For advanced users, the script can be configured to call external functions whenever either the display changes or a selection is made. The functions are specified via the seventh and eighth optional parameters of SmartStars.init. Seventh parameter - Function called on hover/focus. Eighth parameter - Function called on selection. The functions are passed a numeric, zero-based index corresponding to the currently displayed rating (0 = 1 'star'), and should be coded to handle a parameter value of -1. Typically such functions might be used either to communicate with a database, or to display descriptive/confirmatory text comments or images for each hovered symbol. The 'hover' function is also called when SmartStars.init is called, except when the initial rating is set to 0. Example: Display different text as icons are hovered - function showText( index ) { // Write text according to the value of 'index' } SmartStars.init('stars1', document.forms.f1.t1, 3, 5, 'offstar.gif', 'onstar.gif', showText); ------- Example: Display confirmation text when a selection is made - function confirmText( index ) { // Write text according to the value of 'index' } SmartStars.init('stars1', document.forms.f1.t1, 3, 5, 'offstar.gif', 'onstar.gif', null, confirmText); GratuityWare ~~~~~~~~~~~~ This code is free for private non-commercial use. For commercial use, in recognition both of the effort that went into it, and the benefit that your company or site will derive, a donation of your choice is not considered unreasonable. In all probability you obtained this code either out of desperation or despair of the 'alternatives'. 'Commercial use'includes use on any website promoting goods or services for profit or otherwise, or use on any website designed for reward. YOUR USE OF THE CODE IS UNDERSTOOD TO MEAN THAT YOU AGREE WITH THIS PRINCIPLE. You may donate at www.scripterlative.com, stating the URL to which the donation applies. *** DO NOT EDIT BELOW THIS LINE *****/ var SmartStars=/*286329323030372053204368616C6D657273*/ { data:[], logged:0, init:function(ratingId, formElem, rating, starCount, offStar, onStar, hFunc, cFunc) { if(document.getElementById) { var elem=this.data[ratingId]={}; if(!!hFunc) elem.externHoverFunc=hFunc; if(!!cFunc) elem.externSetFunc=cFunc; elem.elemRef=document.getElementById(ratingId); elem.formElem=formElem; elem.starCount=starCount; elem.rating=rating; elem.offStar=offStar; elem.onStar=onStar; elem.rating=Math.max(-1,elem.rating); if(elem.rating!=-1) elem.rating--; elem.starTable=[]; if(elem.elemRef) this.build(ratingId); else alert(this.elemRef+" is not a valid element ID.") } }, build:function(id) { var elem=this.data[id]; try{var i=this.cont()?0:elem.starCount}catch(e){var i=elem.starCount} for(var sp, lnk; i len ? (len-1) : elemValue < -1 ? -1 : (elemValue-1) ); this.lightOff(id); if( dat.externSetFunc ) dat.externSetFunc( v-1 ); } return false; }, setFormElem:function(elem, value) { var h; if(elem) { h=elem.onchange; elem.value=value; elem.onchange=h; } }, lightOn:function(id, elemIdx) { var dat=this.data[id], table=dat.starTable; for(var i=0,len=table.length; i