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An interesting technique... and no idea why it is used

Sun 25 Mar 2007, 09:11 PM



by Ben Langhinrichs
Inline GIF imageIn customizing the latest version of FCKeditor for our upcoming CoexEdit release, I noticed this technique for showing toolbar icons.  It is one with which I am not familiar.  Basically, instead of each toolbar icon being a separate image, there is one long image (see a portion of it to the left).  Each image is 16x16 pixels, and they are simply stacked vertically, all 68 of them.  Then, the images are displayed using a bit of JavaScript code such as:

eCell.innerHTML = '<div class="TB_Button_Image"><img src="default/fck_strip.gif" style="top:-' + ( i * 16 ) + 'px;"><\/div>' ;

referencing the CSS which looks like:

.TB_Button_Image
    {
    overflow: hidden;
    width: 16px;
    height: 16px;
    margin: 3px;
    background-repeat: no-repeat;
    }

So, while I understand how it works, I am a bit mystified as to the purpose.  The images were small to start with, and the very minor byte size reduction was more than overwhelmed by the additional JavaScript, so it wasn't a clever attempt to reduce delayed images, as I first thought.  So, why?  Anybody know?

Copyright © 2007 Genii Software Ltd.

What has been said:


575.1. Johan Känngård (2007-03-25 23:20)

The reason this techique is used, is because it's much faster to download a single image than multiple ones. Every request takes time to handle for the network, the server and the client. A single image is also better cached in proxies and in the client.


575.2. Steve Castledine (26/03/2007 03:23)

I think it also looks better - I always find it looks poor to a user when single images are flashing up one by one when something is not running quickly. Anything not to confuse them!


575.3. Charles Robinson (03/26/2007 06:52 AM)

Wow, the things you learn by asking. :-) To quote G.I Joe from my grammar school days, "Knowing is half the battle!"


575.4. Ben Langhinrichs (03/26/2007 08:50 AM)

Thanks, all! I do like the way the whole toolbar shows up instantly, but I had no idea about the four images part. Interesting stuff.


575.5. Chris Reckling (03/30/2007 01:41 PM)

Notes client does a similar technique for its toolbars except the icons are in a long horizontal image (and there is also a mask image to handle things like disabled states).

Chris