Getting Started with Interactivity

This page will show you some examples of different types of interactive features you can add to your website. Use the links below to skip to a section:

Note: Message boards, guest books, and discussion groups are not allowed on Oracle ThinkQuest websites, and are no longer encouraged on TRIO ThinkQuest websites. The team website tools are not available to teams in the 2008 competition.

Animated GIF
Animated GIFs are frame-by-frame animations in the GIF file format. They are easy to make with programs like Adobe ImageReady or Corel Animation Shop.

The most simple use of an animated GIF is as an eye-catching image or button. The button can even be expanded into a rollover by having the animated GIF as the "over" and a static image as the "up:"

This is a simple animated GIF.	This button rolls over and out through the use of two animated GIFs.

Animated GIFs are also a good way to show steps in some activity or give a description of how something works. For example, see this animation of an engine from HowStuffWorks: http://www.howstuffworks.com/engine-flat.htm.

Flash
Flash is one of the most versatile and popular file formats currently available. It allows you to create smooth animations and interactive elements. Flash movies can only be created with the Adobe Flash program.

One of the simplest uses of Flash is to make nice-looking text and buttons. The Dreamweaver Web editor (also from Adobe) has many of them built-in that you can select from.

Flash can also be used to make movies or presentations. Many websites use Flash intros when you enter the site. Here's an example of a Flash intro that could be used on this site. For more information on Flash, see our Adobe Flash Resources page.

JavaScript
JavaScript is an extension of HTML that can do things like browser effects, calculations, interaction, etc. If you want to do something like this, then JavaScript is a very practical way to go. All you need to create JavaScripts is a simple text editor like Notepad or you can write it into the HTML in Dreamweaver or FrontPage.

Click on this sentence. This is an example of a JavaScript. To find out how to use this one specifically, try our Making a Quiz with Pop-up Feedback page for Dreamweaver and FrontPage.

Java Applet
Java applets are programs that are downloaded and embedded into a Web page. Writing your own applets can be difficult unless you have a good knowledge of programming in languages like Java, C and C++. Fortunately, there are many sites that make free applets readily available and easy to customize.

Here's an example of a very simple Java applet used to scroll some text:

Of course, there are also applets that can be very useful, like the calculator in this example:

Since applets are really fully-functional programs that are embedded into Web pages, they can be used for a wide variety of tasks.

Surveys
A survey allows visitors to answer multiple choice or multiple answer questions. Visitors may then view how others have responded.

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