Expression Web [Extras]

Tools and Enhancements for Microsoft Expression Web

About Expression Web Extras Expression Web Extras is a collection of tools and enhancements for Microsoft Expression Web, Microsoft's premiere Web authoring tool. From an integrated Google sitemap builder to a task pane cleaner to free interactive buttons, it's the source for Expression Web professionals.

Expression Web Interactive Buttons

This article looks at the interactive buttons feature of Microsoft Expression Web and how to use the free interactive button packs provided by Expression Web Extras.

by Dennis DeRobertis

Last updated: 06/12/2007

Interactive Buttons, first introduced with FrontPage 2003 and then slightly modified to adhere to the standards-compliant Microsoft Expression Web, are an easy way to add interactivity to a page – whether in button, tab, bullet or other form. Think of them as a catalog of customizable images that can add a little flair to your site.

 

Using Interactive Buttons

Interactive buttons are inserted and modified using the Interactive Buttons window (click Insert > Interactive Buttons). This is where you create your button, from adding text and choosing a font, to changing dimensions, to setting hovered and pressed states.

 

Expression Web Interactive Buttons Window

The Interactive Buttons window

 

The Default Buttons

Expression Web ships with a variety of buttons styles, from rounded ones, to tabs, to bullets. There's a 119 in all. Take a second and scroll through the Buttons list (see above screenshot) for a complete look.

 

Example 1 - Glow Button  Example 2 - Bullet  Example 3 - Metal Tab   Example 1 - Glow Tab

Several default interactive button styles

 

Using Expression Web Extras Interactive Button Packs

The Expression Web Extras site offers free interactive button packs. These buttons are different then the default ones and provide additional style choices. Simply download and install.

After installing a pack, the buttons will appear in your Buttons list. You’ll know the buttons by the “_EE” prefix. Install one or all and try them out!

 

Expression Web Extras interactive buttons list

The Interactive Buttons window with buttons from Expression Web Extras

 

Uninstalling the Interactive Button Packs

Each interactive button pack comes with its own installer, so you can install and remove individual packs. To remove a button pack, do the following:

  1. Start the Windows Add or Remove Programs applet
  2. Find the pack you don't want anymore and then uninstall it

After uninstalling, the graphics will be deleted from your system and the buttons won’t show up in the Buttons list anymore.

 

Limitations of Interactive Buttons

Even though interactive buttons produce valid markup (click the validator image at the bottom of this page to see for yourself), they have a few limitations:

  • You can’t change the button's color, and given there are only 4 to ten colors for each style, it can be a little limiting.
  •  JavaScript is required in order for a button's hovered and pressed states to work.
  • On occasion, the hovered and pressed effects aren’t all that fast the first time used. After the initial swap of images, however, it’s fine.

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