Author Topic: IDEA: Flyout when mouse over or on left click (Read 10554 times)

somps · « **on:** April 11, 2008, 08:58 AM »

Hope I can explain this.
At work, I deal with a LOT of info. I need quick access to phone numbers, radio numbers, and all sorts of other things. My wall is covered with sheets of paper with this information.
I am looking for something where I can customize either an icon, a dot, a square or whatever I choose it to be and when the mouse goes over it for at least a second or on left click, it would show a flyout with the data that I need.
For example, if I'm looking for a phone number, I move my mouse over "x" icon and a flyout pops up with all the phone numbers I put in it. It could have tables or not. It could have color or not. Similar to a sticky note or a post it note, but expandable to be as big as it needs to hold the data inside. It would dynamically increase in size depending on the data it contains.

Thank you for your time!!!

AndyM · « **Reply #1 on:** April 13, 2008, 10:41 AM »

I think this would be useful, but I have no idea how to go about it.

Ampa · « **Reply #2 on:** April 13, 2008, 06:50 PM »

I don't have the full answer... but it does sound like something one of the widget engines would be suitable for.

I remember trying AveDesk some time ago (when version 1.3 came out) and I think it could do this sort of thing without too much fiddling.

Other widget engines might include those by...

Opera
Yahoo

Target · « **Reply #3 on:** April 13, 2008, 07:30 PM »

dunno what you're usage/requirements are (at least as far as data formats go) but this sounds like something you could pretty easily do in HTML

has the advantage of being portable (any browser), and easy to edit (plain text!)

could take some setting up (you will have to enter the data) but it's likely that a template could be setup to ease the task

Target

Ampa · « **Reply #4 on:** April 13, 2008, 07:51 PM »

Now that's a much better idea...

Use active desktop (or whatever it is now called) to embed an html page onto the desktop.

How about using something javascript-y like an accordion to show the relevant section?

Target · « **Reply #5 on:** April 13, 2008, 08:13 PM »

yep, but like i said, this can be done using <a href="http://www.w3schools...om/dhtml/default.asp">(D)HTML</a>, or <a href="http://wonderwebware.com/css-menu/">CSS</a>

doesn't require any real coding knowledge - if you know the tags it's just plain text

based on what the OP wrote above, I suspect it would be better to do it in frames and/or with popups (on mouse over)

Target

NOTE - I am not endorsing or recommending either of the above resources, they are included as examples only...

somps · « **Reply #6 on:** April 14, 2008, 07:56 AM »

I'm not the quickest thinker here, so please forgive me.
I'm looking for something that doesn't need a browser or anthing that would take time to launch.
I currently use OneNote for a lot of things, but going on through the day to day hustle and bustle, I like the idea of
hitting my show/hide desktop icon on my desktop and something that is a quick mouse click / mouse over
without having to launch something. Kinda like when you put information on an excel cell and you
put your mouse over the red triangle, it pops out the info. Something like that. That way, I can jump right back
into whatever I'm doing. Can the dHTML do this? If so, that may be the way to go.

I really appreciate the attention you guys have already given.

Ampa · « **Reply #7 on:** April 14, 2008, 09:21 AM »

I am assuming you are using WinXP (if you are using Vista the process will be a little different and someone else will have to advise)...

Active Desktop takes a web page and displays it on your windows desktop. This allows you to have any element that could appear as a web page in place of a static wallpaper. To get the idea I suggest you try it out for yourself...

1) Right click on your desktop and choose 'Properties'
2) Go to the 'Desktop' tab
3) Click 'Customize Desktop'
4) Go to the 'Web' tab
5) Click 'New' and enter "http://google.com"
6) Click 'OK' on all three dialogs

If all has gone well you should now have a small Google webpage embedded in your desktop, which can be resized and positioned to your liking.

Read more about Active Desktop in the Microsoft KB

So... if you had a webpage of the information that you require (names numbers etc) you can embed it into the desktop in the same way.

Ampa · « **Reply #8 on:** April 14, 2008, 10:41 AM »

AND... here is a nice page with a CSS Accordion that you could modify to your needs.

Save the source file for the page, and then edit the file with your favourite text editor

Target · « **Reply #9 on:** April 15, 2008, 06:10 PM »

good job Ampa...

Target

somps · « **Reply #10 on:** April 17, 2008, 09:56 AM »

Nice!
I am using Vista on this machine, but have 3 other computers with XP.
I will try this.
Thank you guys so much!!!!

sri · « **Reply #11 on:** April 26, 2008, 06:14 AM »

Google Desktop Search comes with a collapsible sidebar. You can write text in it. The sidebar can be triggered on and off by pressing Shift key twice.