Normal DHTML pages are limited by their number of layers. More than fifteen is unusual - the file size gets too high. So why not get JavaScript to write all the HTML for the layers using its Write function and a few equations? Amazingly, it works. The result is hundreds of layers and weird and wonderful patterns produced by a tiny file (<2k).
If you're familiar with DHTML, you'll know that layers are widely used. Text and pictures are placed between <div> and </div> tags so they can be moved around the page and selectively displayed.
May 30, 2000
But if you use lots of layers, the page soon becomes large and cumbersome. In practice it's rare to use more than fifteen.
A sneaky way round this is to get JavaScript to write the HTML for the layers, using its Write function and a few equations. And amazingly, it works. The result is hundreds of layers and weird and wonderful patterns produced by a tiny file (<2k) containing a few dozen lines of JavaScript.
Warning - Browser Compatibility
This is on-the-edge stuff and not very safe. All the demonstrations below seem to work on Netscape Navigator 4+. Internet Explorer 5 is also safe. The first four work on IE 4, but the others don't, so watch out. All other browsers (including AOL Explorer) are not recommended.
Note that IE5 is sometimes confusingly referred to as
"Explorer 4 (compatible; MSIE 5...)".
Examples
Each example launches in a new window. Please close the new window to return here. The Back button can cause these pages to crash, so the new window doesn't include one.
Note, if an example fails to launch for a second viewing, it's probably because the window it launches into is already open. Find the extra window and close it to see the example again.
