The layer object reflects the layer and ilayer elements. Found in Navigator 4 only. Other elements (such as div and span) that have style sheet position attributes set to absolute or relative are arbitrarily converted to layer objects in Navigator 4.

Return a reference to the positionable element whose stacking z-order is above or below the current element. These properties operate in the context of all positionable elements in a document. If the current element is the highest element, the above property returns null. To restrict the examination of next higher or lower elements within a single layer context, see siblingAbove and siblingBelow. To adjust the stacking order with respect to specific objects, see the moveAbove( ) and moveBelow( ) methods.

This property holds an image object that has a src property that can be set to change the image used for the layer's background. In other words, you must set the src property of the layer's background object to change the image.

Provides the background color of the element. While you may set the value with either a hexadecimal triplet or plain-language color value, values returned from the property are for some reason the decimal equivalent of the hexadecimal RGB version. The default behavior is a transparent background created with a bgColor property value of null.

Defines a clipping region of a positionable element. This property is treated more like an object in itself, in that you adjust its values through six properties: clip.top, clip.left, clip.bottom, clip.right, clip.width, and clip.height. Adjust the side(s) or dimension(s) of your choice. All values represent pixel values.

Specifies whether the object is visible on the page. When the object is hidden, its surrounding content does not close the gap left by the element.

For positionable elements, defines the position (in pixels) of the left edge of an element's box (content plus left padding, border, and/or margin) relative to the left edge of the next outermost block content container. For the relative-positioned layer, the offset is based on the left edge of the inline location of where the element would normally appear in the content.

This is the identifier associated with a layer for use as the value assigned to target attributes or as script references to the frame. If no value is explicitly assigned to the id attribute, Navigator automatically assigns the name attribute value to the id attribute.

Provide the horizontal (x) and vertical (y) position of the object relative to the top and left edges of the entire document.

Returns a reference to the next outermost layer in the containment hierarchy. For a single layer in a document, its parentLayer is the window object.

Return a reference to the positionable element whose stacking z-order is above or below the current element, but only within the context of the shared parentLayer. If the current element is the highest element, the siblingAbove property returns null. To widen the examination of next higher or lower elements to a document-wide context, see above and below. To adjust the stacking order with respect to specific objects, see the moveAbove( ) and moveBelow( ) methods.

Indicates the URL of the external content file loaded into the current element. To change the content, assign a new URL to the property.

For positionable elements, defines the position of the top edge of an element's box (content plus top padding, border, and/or margin) relative to the top edge of the next outermost block content container. All measures are in pixels. When the element is a relative-positioned inline layer, the offset is based on the top edge of the inline location of where the element would normally appear in the content.

Indicates the state of the positioned element's visibility. Surrounding content does not close the space left by an element whose visibility property is set to hide (or the CSS version, hidden). If you set the property to the CSS syntax values (hidden | visible), they are converted internally to the JavaScript versions and returned from the property in that format.

For a positioned element, determines the stacking order relative to other elements within the same parent container. See Chapter 4 for details on relationships of element layering amid multiple containers.

Instructs the browser to grab events of a specific type before they reach their intended target objects. The object invoking this method must then have event handlers defined for the given event types to process the event.

Instructs the object to accept and process the event whose specifications are passed as the parameter to the method. The object must have an event handler for the event type to process the event.

This method lets you load a new document into a layer object. It does not work properly in Navigator 4 for ilayer elements. The existing document is unloaded from the layer, but the new one does not load as you'd expect. There is no satisfactory workaround except to transform the element into a layer.

These methods shift the z-order of the current layer to a specific location relative to another, sibling layer. This is helpful if your script is not sure of the precise zIndex value of a layer you want to use as a reference point for the current layer's stacking order. Use moveAbove( ) to position the current layer immediately above the layer object referenced as a parameter.

A convenience method that shifts the location of the current element by specified pixel amounts along both axes. To shift along only one axis, set the other value to zero. Positive values for deltaX shift the element to the right; negative values to the left. Positive values for deltaY shift the element downward; negative values upward. This method comes in handy for path animation under the control of a setInterval( ) or setTimeout( ) method that moves the element in a linear path over time.

Convenience methods that shift the location of the current element to a specific coordinate point. The differences between the two methods show when the element to be moved is nested inside another positioned container (e.g., a layer inside a layer). The moveTo( ) method uses the coordinate system of the parent container; the moveToAbsolute( ) method uses the coordinate system of the page. For a single layer on a page, the two methods yield the same result.

The opposite of layerObj.captureEvents( ), this method turns off event capture at the layer level for one or more specific events named in the parameter list. See Chapter 6.

A convenience method that shifts the width and height of the current element by specified pixel amounts. To adjust along only one axis, set the other value to zero. Positive values for deltaX make the element wider; negative values make the element narrower. Positive values for deltaY make the element taller; negative values make the element shorter. The top and left edges remain fixed; only the right and bottom edges are moved.

Convenience method that adjusts the height and width of the current element to specific pixel sizes. The top and left edges of the element remain fixed, while the bottom and right edges move in response to this method.

Used inside an event handler function, this method directs Navigator to let the event pass to its intended target object.