If the selected file is a HTML page, you have four tabs: Properties, Security, Scripting and Dependencies. Otherwise you only have the Properties one.
Properties
You can see the name and the type of the selected file (or it is indicated Multiple files if you have actually selected several files). If you leave the mouse cursor on this name, the full path to the file will be indicated in a small hint window.
Compilation Properties:
- Do not include the selected file: if you turn this option on, HTML Executable will exclude the file from the compilation; it will not be available at all.
- Do not compress the selected file: when enabled, HTML Executable will compile the file but it won't be compressed: it is stored - uncompressed - in the publication's data. You can use this option if you are going to include already-compressed files.
Keep file external
When a file was compiled in the publication .exe file, it needs first to be unpacked in memory in order to be viewed. This operation may require a lot of time, depending on the size of the file.
To skip the decompression step, large files like media files can be kept outside of the publication. When these files need to be loaded, the runtime viewer will automatically look for them in the folder whose path is specified and therefore the loading time will be highly decreased.
External files are not compiled and consequently they must be distributed with your publication .exe file. You will generally place them in the same folder as this .exe file, or a subfolder.
Click here to see how to use and link to external files
Security
This tab is important because it provides you with several security features for your HTML pages. You can for example restrict what end users can do: copy text, print page, etc... You can also assign passwords and exclude the file from being indexed by the search engine.
About security profiles:
HTML Executable uses a system based on "security profiles" to manage the different actions allowed for HTML pages.
Security profiles determine if a page can be accessed (given some conditions like password, restricted publication, script function result...) and what end users can do when viewing this page (usual actions like copying text, printing page, copying images, etc...).
See this sample about how to use a security profile to password protect pages
These security profiles are managed by you in the Security tab: you first create one or more security profiles (in addition to the default one always created when a new project is started) and you then use the File Properties to assign your security profiles to different HTML pages.
Selected Security Profile:
To assign a security profile to the selected HTML page(s), use the list to choose the one you wish. By default, the "Default" security profile is always selected.
Search engine properties:
The search engine by default automatically indexes all HTML pages when the publication is being compiled. You can prevent the selected HTML page(s) from being indexed too by turning the option named "Exclude this file from searching" on. In this case, the page(s) will be ignored.
Scripting
The publication can be extended via scripting functionality. HTML Executable has its own script language called "HEScript": you can write your own scripts in order to control the behavior of your publication and actually do what you want.
Several reasons why you can use scripting:
- HTML Viewer publications do not support JavaScript, but they have extended support for HEScript.
- IE Browser publications also provide some additional JavaScript options so you can combine HEScript-JavaScript functionality.
- Publications have several built-in HEScript functions to control their behavior and manage user interactions.
Some scripts contain several functions that actually play the role of "events": when an event is triggered, the publication will execute the associated function.
Script for HTML pages have events like:
- when the page has been loaded.
- when an URL is clicked.
- when a form is submitted.
- when the publication is going to quit the page for another one
- etc...
You can therefore associate a script to a HTML page: when this HTML page is viewed, the associated script is loaded by the publication. Then when an event occurs, the related function is executed. Thus you may respond to a specific event with your own actions.
In HTML Executable, scripts are compiled during the compilation into p-code for faster execution at runtime (contrary to JavaScript). That's why scripts are separated from HTML pages and stored in a script manager. You can manage scripts using the User Scripts tab of the main window.
In the Scripting tab of the File Properties window, you can choose which script should be associated to the selected HTML page(s). All existing scripts are available in the list: just select the one you wish.
- You can create a new script by clicking on "Create an associated script". You will be prompted to give a name to your script, then the script editor will be displayed.
- You can edit the selected script by clicking on "Edit this script". If no script is selected ("None"), nothing will happen.
To manage HEScript scripts, please go to the User Scripts tab.
More information about HEScript in HTML Executable.
Dependencies
If a HTML page contains active objects like Flash or other ActiveX controls, they may require additional resource files (like JPEG picture files, FLV video files). In some cases, an ActiveX control does not automatically request these external files and then fails because the latter are not accessible.
For instance, in HTML Viewer publications, if you have a Flash movie (SWF) that requires a video file (FLV), the Flash Player does not request that video file itself and your Flash movie will not play your video.
The solution is to tell the runtime viewer that some resource files are required when a HTML page is displayed: these resource files are called dependencies of the HTML page.
You can manage dependencies for any HTML page: see a screencast about how to add dependencies for a HTML page.
When the HTML page is loaded, the runtime viewer extracts all dependencies to a temporary folder and thus they can be found by the ActiveX control.
Online screencast and information about working with dependencies