How did this site (MS) do this?

[merrillmck]

In making my website, I'm looking at existing websites for good layouts and slick interfaces. I like one aspect of Microsoft's homepage. I'm attaching screenshots in case any of you would prefer not to visit the website ;).

Basically, as you mouseover their main menu, very nice drop down menus appear. These drop down menus don't look like any drop down menus I've seen or programmed before.

Does anyone know or want to guess how they did this?

Also, since I have .NET Framework and Silverlight installed, they might be leveraging a Microsoft technology. Maybe some of you who don't have these installed on your computers won't see the same drop down menus I'm attaching in these photos.

Thanks for any help or guesswork. (I have trouble viewing the source code at their site. It seems they removed all the whitespace to make it one long line of source code.)

[sourfacedcyclop]

It doesn't look to difficult. There might be some problems with the horizontal alignment of the main nav, but you should be able to do it with just css.

[Twinkie]

Not too difficult to do with CSS and JavaScript, and I do believe you need the JavaScript to affect the other menu items (border color, ect) to make a tabbing effect. But not too easy either so don't expect any fully coded replies.

I have to wonder though why Silverlight never caught on. Is it a worse language, restrictions, or is it just because it's another Microsoft imitation?

[Kayos]

I have to wonder though why Silverlight never caught on. Is it a worse language, restrictions, or is it just because it's another Microsoft imitation?

It's actually better than flash.

[subsilver]

Not too difficult to do with CSS and JavaScript, and I do believe you need the JavaScript to affect the other menu items (border color, ect) to make a tabbing effect. But not too easy either so don't expect any fully coded replies.

I have to wonder though why Silverlight never caught on. Is it a worse language, restrictions, or is it just because it's another Microsoft imitation?

Yeah, JavaScript + CSS (changes element, I guess it's div, display property).

It's actually better than flash.

Agree, SL is better than Flash, but Adobe has presented Flex, which also delivers content rich web pages. Frankly, I have seen only 1 web site done in Flex. It was good, but I guess it was pain in the ass to make it and maintain it.

[taha116]

I had this free software on my Pentium 3 it was the best Menu generator i had ever seen and i wish i never lost it but my computer was already infected with viruses and it needed re-formating, i never found that software again. And yes it was totaly free, no trial