Web Designer 6 : why no scrollable text fields by default ?

**eyupozalt** · 16 November 2010, 01:15 PM

I have downloaded the trial version - hoping to find something that my wife ( coming from DTP roots) could use. She loved the way it allowed her to use vector graphics and layouts just as a DTP program allowed her to control the look. Then she became frustrated with the lack of common web form objects like date boxes, accordions etc - but she wanted to go forward.

Then she hit the scrollbable text field barrier - and it is no go.

I know it is not possible with Xara 6 by default and we have to use HTML codes to produce scrollbars - which look ugly. She wants to control all parts of the layout, your program allows her to them, but for the scrollable text fields ... no default way of inserting them, no control of their layout and the layout of text inside them, no control of how they do look like... It is a big missing part.

I found the following Javascript library, and could not make it work with Xara 6.

I think it can help you to create a scrollable text box in the next version. It has enough base coverage to allow you adding a scrollable text box - hiding the complexity from the user.

http://jscrollpane.kelvinluck.com/index.html#

Regards.

**gwpriester** · 16 November 2010, 06:22 PM

Welcome to TalkGraphics

I thought I had already responded to this but I must have hallucinating.

You can add javascript work by using a placeholder. A placeholder is any object, a simple rectangle will work fine.

If the script needs to appear between the <HEAD> tags, then select the rectangle then click the small yellow Names tags on the Infobar and name the rectangle <head>. Press Add.

Now open the Web Properties > Placeholder dialog and copy and paste the script into the Replace with HTML Code text entry window.

Press Apply.

Place the placeholder off the page in the pasteboard area.

When you publish or preview your website. the code gets inserted between the <HEAD> tags.

If the script needs to be pasted in the <BODY> section of the HTML document, you do not have to name the placeholder. Just add your script to the Placeholder section as described.

**jon-learner** · 26 January 2011, 10:14 AM

http://jscrollpane.kelvinluck.com/index.html#

Did anybody manage to make jscrollpane work in Xara Web Designer 6? I've tried every permutation (in the examples) and cannot make this work. Any tips appreciated.

I want to use this or anyhting else that has a better looking pane and scroll bars than the iframes method.

cheers

**gpholman** · 26 January 2011, 12:50 PM

Hi

I tried this out and it seems to work ok! Unzip the attached file and go to index.htm.

If you have problems or questions I'm happy to help.

Cheers
Grant

**jon-learner** · 26 January 2011, 01:42 PM

ok thanks looks good. Was this done in Xara WD 6.0? I'm new to this. My problem I think, is getting it in to a placeholder, and a separate text source (using next page is ok for me). Where does xara expect to look for javascript files? Same directory as index?

**gpholman** · 26 January 2011, 07:05 PM

I used XDP 6.0 but that's not relevant really as I was only doing things XWD does anyway. The key to this working is in the contents of the '<HEAD>' placeholder - N.B. this was given the NAME of '<head>' which is essential for it to work.

Xara does not 'look for' any files at all - this is all done by the browser. Look at the contents of the <head> placeholder and one of line you'll see is:

<script type="text/javascript" src="./jquery.js"></script>

The src="./jquery.js" bit tells the browser where to look. in this case it is './' which means the same directory as index.htm ('./' means 'the current directory').

Hope this makes sense!