Ikonboard » Printable Version of Topic » Active Desktop question

Forum: Geek Forum
Topic: Active Desktop question
started by: WillyPete

Posted by WillyPete on Jul. 09 2002,22:49

Was thinking (yes it happens when I'm bored) of making a wallpaper that used Active desktop's freedom to do more than just sit there pretty.

Can one write a web page to be used as said Active Desktop, having it display a picture of your choice with a customisable countdown script running transparently over one of the corners?

IE: I use a favourite .bmp of my mountain with text over it saying "(enter script here) seconds till I'm snowboarding!"

With the script being able to be altered to the date you desire, counting down NASA style with days, hours, mins, secs.

Well?

Posted by Beldurin on Jul. 10 2002,00:02

<guess> You could probably do it 2 ways.

1. If you write the script, put it out on a website, then point your active desktop to that website.

or

2. Put a webserver on your comp and an interpreter like ActivePerl, then reference it from < http://localhost >

</guess>

Any comments?

Posted by RadioActive on Jul. 10 2002,00:24

i am sure you can reference it to file://c:/somefolder/somepage.html
something along those lines. i think there's no need for a webserver anywhere. and if you don't install active perl, you can either use php or use javascript (given you got either JRE or Java VirtualMacheine installed).

Posted by WillyPete on Jul. 10 2002,02:23

Next question:

Anyone wanna try it?

Rewards:
-I'm sure every interest group on the web will want to offer it up with an image of their own and a countdown to when it (whatever) happens.

-Fame?

-or just for the fuck of it.

PS: I'm not asking just to have it done for me. If possible I'd like to learn how the scripting would be done.
Cheers.

Posted by Beldurin on Jul. 10 2002,02:49

RA: I suppose it would stand alone if you used javascript, but anything like php or asp has to served. I haven't really thought through how it'd work w/perl, but I think it'd have to be served as well.

Posted by compact3000 on Jul. 10 2002,14:53

Go in C:\WINDOWS\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer and open Desktop.htt. Its the active desktop thing which you can put code in... it only allows a little, so i put a message box that on my parents comp (they blame me when anything goes wrong) pops up everytime windows starts/refresh desktop and says "The Windows spell checker is broken. Please re-install Windows."... hehe... they actually beleved it...

Posted by Wiley on Jul. 10 2002,15:44

Quote (WillyPete @ 09 July 2002,18:23)

Anyone wanna try it?

Now wer're talking ...the first ever Detnet Mod challenge!!
I've actually done this before. I used to fool around a lot with Litestep and write my own shells ...had some crazy ass animated wallpapers with hotzones linked to applications. At one time I also had a countdown running on one of them. I'm sure I can put something together for a webpage.