FlashCard Applet
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Copyright (c) 2000, 2001 Gavin Kingsley.
Permission is granted to freely copy and distribute this applet provided this copyright notice remains intact.
http://www.geocities.com/gwlkingsley/
gwlkingsley@yahoo.com
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This applet allows decks of flash cards to be defined in a simple text format and then viewed using a Java enabled web browser. Decks of flash cards may contain any number of categories and the user may test using any two categories. The applet provides either multi-choice answers or allows free selection without prompting. Incorrect answers are remembered and may be reviewed at any time.

If you create additional definitions for flash card decks that relate to Maaori language or culture, please forward to me so I can include them on my web site. If you include this applet on your own web site, please forward me the URL as I am interested in the uses for this applet. I would appreciate a link to my site from any site using this applet.

To define additional decks of flash cards you need to create a deck definition file. This is a simple text file, the first line of which defines the categories available in the deck. Each category is seperated by a tab character. Subsequent lines define flash cards. Each line must contain the same number of categories, seperated by spaces as the first line. Equivalent definitions may be included in a category, seperated by forward slashes ("/"). The applet will randomly select one definition as the prompt or multichoice answer and then it will display the all definitions when it reveals the answer. For examples of flash card definition files, refer to the files included with this applet.

While a text editor is a suitable tool for this, some spreadsheets can save files in the appropriate format and you may find these make an excellent tool for creating complex deck definition files.

Once a flash card definition file has been created, the main definition file must be updated to include the new deck definition. Each definition consists of three lines. The first line gives the file name, the second line gives the deck title and the third line describes the deck. Blank lines are ignored. For an example of a main definition file, see fileDesc.txt included with this applet.

The default main definition file name is "fileDesc.txt", but this may be overridden by modifying the "filedesc" parameter of this applet.

Example HTML code to include this applet in a web page is:

<applet
  code="com.geocities.gwlkingsley.flashcards.Flashcards.class"
  codebase="./"
  align="baseline"
  width="500"
  height="300"
  archive="flashcards.jar"
  name="FlashCard Applet">
<param name="baseFile" value="baseFile.txt">
This browser does not support Java Applets. To use this applet, you need to upgrade or enable applets in your browser.
</applet>

Report problems with this applet to me. Please include the browser and version you are using, and if possible include a dump of the console output.
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Version History
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Version 1.0.0
3 December 2000
Initial release.

Version 1.0.1
4 December 2000
Corrected the size of the deck choice drop down list. Load files in threads to ensure the user interface can refresh properly.

Version 1.0.2
27 December 2000
Corrected the behaviour of the cancel button when loading a deck description file. When preparing multi-choice answers, omit answers that may also be a correct answer to the question posed.

Version 1.0.3
5 February 2001
Ignore text within angle brackets. This is because the GeoCities web server automatically appends HTML tags to the end of files.

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Gavin Kingsley
Christchurch/Ootautahi, New Zealand/Aotearoa.
gwlkingsley@yahoo.com