Every icon has a "Checked" variable associated with it, whether it is an interaction response or not. Though most people use checked to set the state of buttons that have a checked state, such as a radio button or graphic button, you can store any boolean data by using an icon's checked state.

For instance, if you want to allow free navigation to the next frame after a user has completed the activity in that frame once, you can set Checked@CurrentPageID for that frame once the activity is completed. If the ActiveIf on your "Next" button is Checked@CurrentPageID, then the Next button will automatically be enabled once the activity is complete and on all subsequent views of the same frame.

Authorware can communicate with an AICC compliant LMS in one of two ways. One of these ways is called "HACP", or HTTP AICC Communications Protocol. The other is the ADL (Advanced Distributed Learning) Javascript API. HACP works by using a direct HTTP connection between an ActiveX control or applet and an executable or DLL on the LMS webserver. In this case, the ActiveX control is the Authorware Web Player itself.

To use the HACP interface, the web player needs to know where and how to connect, so this information must be added to the end of the file name in the form of parameters that will be included in the url of the main window when the LMS launches your Authorware piece. Once the player has this information, it can communicate directly with the LMS with the CMI functions. The Javascript API is a little less mysterious, and consists of a standard set of javascript functions that communicate with the LMS in the background. To use the Javascript API, you must call these functions explicitly.

Delivering Authorware via an LMS

The voting in the Chat poll on my site is actually leaning towards a discussion of the models to build for the next version of Authorware. However, I feel that the last chat had a tremendous amount of momentum towards the subject of delivering with an LMS, so I am going to go with my gut on this one.

I have invited Carol Fallon, Andrew Chemey, and Leo Kause. Andrew has responded with a tentative "yes," but sayd he is having difficulty getting a reliable internet connection where he is. I will announce the rest of the guest chatters as soon as I know.

If you missed the last chat, you can see the lightly edited log at my website on the More page.

At the chat, we agreed that there needs to be more information available about delivering Authorware on the web. So Steve Howard graciously volunteered to put together a Web Delivery FAQ.

This week, I went to a Macromedia Seminar in Austin,TX. On the way back, I stopped at the local warehouse store to get dog and cat food.

I could not resist buying the package of cat toys and other "necessities" sold under a catnip company's brand name. When I got home, I placed the package on the bed in preparation for opening it.

Needless to say, I immediately had to pry it away from my purring, rolling felines so that I could dispense the goodies. I pulled out the baggie full of dried herb (catnip!!), and spread it on the new scratching post, then filled the cat toys with it.