JavaGSP!

Everything you need to know to make your first JavaGSP page!

We'll start with what you need and what you do - the quick reference, as it were. Then we'll look at some other features, details, and considerations you might want to familiarize yourself with if you choose to incorporate Java GSP into some of your web projects.

What You Need | What You Do | What Works, What Doesn't | Other Details | Some Examples
The Official Complete JavaGSP Site at Key - Go Here for All the Answers

What You Need

Here's what you're going to need to make viewable JavaGSP files on your Macintosh or Windows machine. When you're done, you can transfer the whole folder to your web server for all the world to see. Links are provided if you are missing any of the downl oadable things.

This week at the workshop we've taken care of the first three items - you have a directory called HTML in your User Folder which contains the JSP directory, and the converter is in your GSP directory. You need to take care of the last item.

A directory/folder on your computer called javagsp or something else suitable.

The Java GSP "class files" (a directory called "JSP")
binhexed for Mac or zipped for PC
The HTML converter for Mac or Windows.
A Sketchpad file of something cool and simple. Store this in the javagsp directory.

What You Do

Now follow these steps to turn your sketch into a web page that contains a java version of your construction.

Open the GSP HTML Converter and open your sketch when prompted.
Choose "Save as HTML" from the File menu. It will attach .html to the name and save it in the same place as your original file (your HTML directory).
Go to your web browser. Choose "Open File" from the File menu.
Find your file in your HTML directory and choose Open.
Wait patiently while it loads all the Java class files (it only has to do this once, as long as you're working from this directory, so you can skip this step in the future).
Drag your figure around!

What Works and What Doesn't

JavaGSP is in development and currently only supports a subset of the full features of Sketchpad. For the exhaustive list, see the construction section of the JavaGSP Gram mar discussion. One item that doesn't work right now is arcs, so don't include them in your sketches. Most other things are included. Start simple. Don't worry about including things that won't work. When you run the converter, it will tell you i f your sketch includes things that won't work. If you really want to use JavaGSP in the development of pages, read through the official list.

Other Details

You can read the full "grammar" of Java GSP at the official site. Here are a few details that I have found useful.

The default background color is grey. To change it to white, add the following lines of text to the beginning of your sketch (along with the other PARAM settings:

<PARAM NAME=BackRed VALUE=255>

<PARAM NAME=BackGreen VALUE=255>

<PARAM NAME=BackBlue VALUE=255>

You can also change it to blue, red, green, or whatever color your heart desireth. I like white in most cases so far.
You can choose to have a frame, or border, around your picture or not.
<PARAM NAME=Frame VALUE=1>
The Java GSP "window" on your page will be the same size the window is when you save it in the converter, so plan accordingly, and remember that folks will be dragging your figure - decide how much visible room you want to give them.
The line that says CODEBASE="JSP"...that means to look for the JSP directory in the same place as your file. You can change that if you want to store a centrally located JSP directory somewhere. I have a directory of gsp stuff, in whic h I have a JSP directory. I have many of my handouts in directories within my gsp directory...so the JSP directory is up one level, and the path name is now CODEBASE="../JSP". (Draw a diagram on paper if that doesn't help...maybe I'll add o ne here if it seems useful.)

Some Examples

I've included two types of examples.

Drawing a Solid and Its Net
This example is sort of an electronic piece of paper. Instead of getting a static handout and following along to create your sketch, you can use this page, and drag the figures to compare them to yours.
Investigating Parallelograms
You don't need Sketchpad for this activity. The parallelogram and some useful measurements are included on the page, and you can print out the accompanying handout for students to use with the figure, or create your own.
Identifying Polygons
In this activity, students are given dynamic polygons on a page, and they must identify each one. An accompanying page, suitable for printing, provides some probing questions. Again, they don't need access to Sketchpad. For a complete segue from this m orning, the "handouts" page could be included on the page with the dynamic image and could contains forms. Students would just fill the form out and send their answers. So you could have a handout they turn in, or a web page they fill out. Caveat to th e web-based form - if the kids can't type quickly, having them fill out a form may limit the depth of their responses.

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Math Forum * * annie@mathforum.org * * 7 July 1998