Hover Buttons are intended to be an easy way to add animated buttons to a Web page, without having to worry about JavaScript "roll-overs". So what's the problem? Hover Buttons are really little Java applications (don't confuse Java with JavaScript, which, despite their similar names, are two different languages entirely). Although Java has been a part of the Web-browser world for several years, it's still occasionally unstable, particularly in Netscape Navigator. The Hover Buttons are especially good at crashing a Web browser when they're used with the audio feedback option. They also require extra support files to be uploaded to your Web server, and depending on how you publish your website, the files may or may not get uploaded (if not, you'll get an error message something like "load: class fphover not found").

I don't know if it's Microsoft's fault for writing buggy Java code, or it's just the inherent instability of Java in Web browsers, but it doesn't matter. Just don't use the Hover Buttons and you won't have problems. If you want to have buttons that provide graphical feedback, use the tried-and-true method of JavaScript rollovers. (Note: Explaining JavaScript rollovers is beyond the scope of this document, but just about any book on JavaScript can tell you how to do them. Many modern Web graphics programs can generate JavaScript rollovers automatically, including Adobe PhotoShop and LiveMotion, and Macromedia Fireworks.)

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