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Actions can be used to extend and enhance Freeway's functionality and output. Some help insert JavaScript functionality onto the page (Rollovers and Slave Images, for example), while others allow you to add server-side scripting, such as PHP code, to your pages.
Freeway ships with a standard selection of Actions to get you started. However, the fun doesn't stop there as there are literally hundreds of Actions available for the Freeway User. A great many of these are available for free and can be found in our KnowledgeBase. Others are available commercially from our community of Action Developers. These sites can be found on our Links page. Note that third party Actions may not run on Freeway Express. Consult the author of the Action for more information about this.
Actions are small bits of code: a mixture of JavaScript and XML, possibly with AppleScript thrown in for extra functionality.
This section of the site is aimed at providing you with information about Actions: what's available, how to use them and how to roll your own! At the moment, we are concentrating on getting information about the growing library of PHP Actions in place.
Actions and JavaScript
Most Actions will insert JavaScript on to your pages to achieve their stated function. If an Action causes an effect to happen on a page, such as swapping images (Rollover and Slave Image Actions, for example), or causes a layer to move, then it will be using JavaScript. Be aware that a small number of users won’t be able to see these effects. Be sure to make your site's content is accessible to people in this situation. Some users will deliberately switch off JavaScript, others will be running browsers incapable of running it, such as screen readers for the partially sighted.
It is worth noting that in most browsers, JavaScript is on by default; it requires user intervention to switch it off. It should be noted that the majority of web design applications out there output JavaScript as a matter of course, and that applications such as iWeb offer no alternatives to their users to replace JavaScript related functionality.
Actions and Validation
Most Actions will generate code that validates. You need to be aware that some Actions’ code may not validate. It is possible that the effect achieved with the Action can only be arrived at through the use of non-validating code.
All of Freeway’s standard Actions generate valid HTML and XHTML.
Actions and Freeway Express
Freeway Express ships with the same set of Actions as Freeway Pro. However, you cannot add new Actions to your collection unless they have been specially encoded. If you want to use Actions that are not encoded or develop your own Actions, you will need Freeway Pro.