Some common ways to implement the 'dynamic' part of the menu is to use features of the web browser that may be native or added like plugins. The client's web browser has to have way understood by the source on your web server and the applications used by the web browser to implement the dynamic actions driven by events like a mouse pointer over a location or other.
- DHTML [1], Dynamic HTML, is built on an object model that extends the traditional static HTML document which enables Web authors to create more engaging and interactive Web pages. DHTML provides authors with enhanced creative control so they can manipulate any page element at any time. DHTML is also the easiest way to make Web pages interactive, using open, standards-based technologies.
- Java [2], either by script or applet used with features of the web browser to make web page(s) dynamic.
- Using DHTML, Cascading Style Sheets [3] (CSS, a simple mechanism for adding style (e.g. fonts, colors, spacing) to Web documents) and some scripting or aplets like Java.
- Active X [4] was around for Microsoft Internet Explorer prior to DHTML but not for Netscape Navigator.
- Macromedia Flash [5] can do a lot of unique things, but it is not native to most web browsers and requires that it be installed, usually as a plugin.
- other methods....
If you are using a content management system, likely a module or plugin already exists to create 'nice menus [6] '
As of this documentation many websites use to depend upon DHTML with Javascript or Java applets, but the trend is towards more CSS with less Java to implement.
Links
[1] http://http//msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/workshop/author/dhtml/dhtml_node_entry.asp
[2] http://java.sun.com/
[3] http://www.w3.org/Style/CSS/
[4] http://members.tripod.com/%7Eactivecontrol/
[5] http://www.macromedia.com/
[6] http://drupal.org/project/nice_menus
[7] http://www.cocoavillagepublishing.com/services/website_design/tips/menus/cascading_popup_menus/5.2/test.html
[8] http://www.dhtmlcentral.com/script/script.asp?id=32
[9] http://www.twinhelix.com/dynamic.html
[10] http://www.dynamicdrive.com/
[11] http://www.dhtmlcentral.com/