Setting ActiveX properties

After inserting an ActiveX object (see Inserting an ActiveX control), use the Property inspector to set attributes of the object tag and parameters for the ActiveX control. Click Parameters in the Property inspector to enter names and values for properties that don’t appear in the Property inspector. There is no widely accepted standard format for parameters for ActiveX controls; to find out which parameters to use, consult the documentation for the ActiveX control you’re using.

The Property inspector initially displays the most commonly used properties. Click the expander arrow in the lower-right corner to see all properties.

Name specifies a name to identify the ActiveX object for scripting. Enter a name in the unlabeled text box on the far left side of the Property inspector.

W and H specify the width and height of the object, in pixels.

Class ID identifies the ActiveX control to the browser. Enter a value or select one from the pop-up menu. When the page is loaded, the browser uses the class ID to locate the ActiveX control required for the ActiveX object associated with the page. If the browser doesn’t locate the specified ActiveX control, it attempts to download it from the location specified in Base.

Embed adds an embed tag within the object tag for the ActiveX control. If the ActiveX control has a Netscape Navigator plug-in equivalent, the embed tag activates the plug-in. Dreamweaver assigns the values you entered as ActiveX properties to their Netscape Navigator plug-in equivalents.

Align determines how the object is aligned on the page. For a description of each option, see Aligning an image.

Parameters opens a dialog box for entering additional parameters to pass to the ActiveX object (see Using parameters to control media objects). Many ActiveX controls respond to special parameters.

Src defines the data file to be used for a Netscape Navigator plug-in if the Embed option is turned on. If you don’t enter a value, Dreamweaver attempts to determine the value from the ActiveX properties entered already.

V Space and H Space specify the amount of white space, in pixels, above, below, and on both sides of the object.

Base specifies the URL containing the ActiveX control. Internet Explorer downloads the ActiveX control from this location if it has not been installed in the visitor’s system. If you don’t specify a Base parameter and if your visitor doesn’t already have the relevant ActiveX control installed, the browser can’t display the ActiveX object.

Alt Img specifies an image to be displayed if the browser doesn’t support the object tag. This option is available only when the Embed option is deselected.

Data specifies a data file for the ActiveX control to load. Many ActiveX controls, such as Shockwave and RealPlayer, do not use this parameter.