Use ActiveX component inside <DIV> tags, wrong positioning in IE

[Markus Janson]

Hi,
i'm quite new in this group so i apologize if i post the question at the
wrong group.

Question:
Frontpage 2003
for easier positioning of activex controls inside a html page i use <div>
tags around the <object> tag in design time.
The activex control shows 8 black square boxes around when clicking at the
activex control. This boxes (approx. 2-5 pixel i guess) make a spacing to the
surrounding <div> box with 8 blue square boxes.

When the html page is shown in preview mode or even in internet explorer the
position differs approx. 5 pixels from it's porition in design view.

Does anybody know how to avoid the problem of displaced activex controls or
how to avoit this 8 black square boxes?

Thanks!

 

[Jim Buyens]

Occasional differences in positioning aren't unusual. If it looks OK in the
browser, be happy and call it done.

As to the eight black squares, the control itself may be putting these out.
It's hard to say for sure, though, without seeing the page. Can you post a
URL?

Jim Buyens
Microsoft MVP
http://www.interlacken.com
Author of:
*-----------------------------­-----------------------
|\----------------------------­-----------------------
|| Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services Inside Out
|| Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 Inside Out
||----------------------------­-----------------------
|| Web Database Development Step by Step .NET Edition
|| Microsoft FrontPage Version 2002 Inside Out
|| Faster Smarter Beginning Programming
|| (All from Microsoft Press)
|/----------------------------­-----------------------
*-----------------------------­-----------------------

 

[Markus Janson]

Hi Jim,

thanks a lot for your reply.
Because i'm using MS FP2003 as the front end for high performance industrial
SCADA systems i have to be able to set objects during design view exactly
pixel by pixel. Design view positioning must match browser view positioning.

Sorry that i can not post a URL but i'm gonna try to explain it more exactly.
Example is made with FP 2003.

- make a blank HTML page
- inserting a MS calendar control 8.0
- control is inserted with 8 black squares around
- set position to "absolute"
- a blue rectangle is build around the control (<div> tag) for positioning
- set left and top position of <div> tag to 0px --> upper left corner of
html page
- design view now shows a spacing (calendar control) to the upper left
corner of exactly the size of a black square.
- <div> tag is correctly set to 0/0px of the html page
- when the page is run in IE the calendar control will be positioned inside
the <div> tag to it's upper left corner without spacing now.
- that means that the calendar control has been moved and positioned inside
the <div> tag in IE view but in design view it is centered inside the <div>
tag.
- with this behaviour it is hard to design industrial layout pages with
pumps and valves etc.

Maybe this explanation will help to make it a little bit mor clearly where
the problem is.

Regards
Markus

 

[Jim Buyens]

By "black squares" do you mean the sizing handles? The ones you can grab and
drag to resize the control?

If so, I don't believe there's any way to make FrontPage *not* leave space
for those handles.

If you really need positioning down to the exact pixel, you should probably
investigate using Flash or some similar technology.

Jim Buyens
Microsoft MVP
http://www.interlacken.com
Author of:
*-----------------------------­-----------------------
|\----------------------------­-----------------------
|| Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services Inside Out
|| Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 Inside Out
||----------------------------­-----------------------
|| Web Database Development Step by Step .NET Edition
|| Microsoft FrontPage Version 2002 Inside Out
|| Faster Smarter Beginning Programming
|| (All from Microsoft Press)
|/----------------------------­-----------------------
*-----------------------------­-----------------------

 

[Markus Janson]

Yes, i mean the "sizing handles" Because i'm native german sometimes i don't
know the exactly phrase for it .

I'm wondering a litte bit about this behaviour. It should appear to all
users using <div> tags with included activeX controls for positioning.
It's also a step that a novice would do with FP.
Drag and drop a activex control at the htmp page and set positioning to
absolute.

So it seems that there is no real good (and easy) solution for it. :-(

Thanks a lot for your help.