onload doesn't work right with applets in a page

[George Hester]

I have a page that loads an applet. It's a cube that is used as a navigation menu. This issue actually happens in both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape. All versions that I know of. And also happens with the Microsoft JVM and Sun's JVM.

Here's the issue:

When the page loads and messages in the status bar about what the applet is doing (like applet initializing that sort of thing) finish, the result when all is said and done is a (blank) status bar. I do have a work around for it where the status bar gets written to 5 secs after the page loads. Less then 5 seconds it doesn't work. So what that means is the onload event doesn't work. In other words if it did then the status bar should get its message because onload means all components in the page are in and ready to go. But no the applet finishes and the status bar is left in a blank state.

So you might say, "Well the applet loading has over written the status bar." That violates the onload event doesn't it? If the onload event was working correctly the applet would be finished loading and that's that.

I tried moving the JavaScript which sets the defaultStatus to the end of the page but same behavior. I see the defaultStatus message appear, the Applet sends its meesages to the status bar, and the status bar is letf blank. And it takes 5 seconds after the messages in the status bar written to by the applet can be populated with the defaultStatus message.

 

[Jim Ley]

So you might say, "Well the applet loading has over written the status =
bar." That violates the onload event doesn't it? If the onload event =
was working correctly the applet would be finished loading and that's =
that.

No, the onload is about elements being loaded, it doesn't include
applet initialisation.

I tried moving the JavaScript which sets the defaultStatus to the end of =
the page but same behavior. I see the defaultStatus message appear, the =
Applet sends its meesages to the status bar, and the status bar is letf =
blank.

Writing to the statusbar is simply unreliable in IE (hook the
onstatusbarchange event in MSHTML, and you'll see just how often it's
called and all the weird times.

Jim.

 

[George Hester]

Oh cool I'll try that. Yes it is definitely buggy. Thanks for explaining the onload event. I thought the status bar was one of the elements.