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A JavaScript that makes any text on the page to be typed out, one letter at a time. Setup is very easily, just tell the code the ID of the container of text (ie: a DIV or SPAN), and the script does the rest. HTML tags within the text to type out is supported as well.

Browsers that do not support this JavaScript will only see the text fully displayed from the start, including any HTML tags.

Label: typing, DIV, SPAN, HTML, browser, letter

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<script type="text/javascript" name="TypingText.js">
/*
An object-oriented Typing Text script, to allow for multiple instances.
A script that causes any text inside any text element to be "typed out", one letter at a time. Note that any HTML tags will not be included in the typed output, to prevent them from causing problems. Tested in Firefox v1.5.0.1, Opera v8.52, Konqueror v3.5.1, and IE v6.
Browsers that do not support this script will simply see the text fully displayed from the start, including any HTML tags.

Functions defined:
  TypingText(element, [interval = 100,] [cursor = "",] [finishedCallback = function(){return}]):
    Create a new TypingText object around the given element.  Optionally
    specify a delay between characters of interval milliseconds.
    cursor allows users to specify some HTML to be appended to the end of
    the string whilst typing.  Optionally, can also be a function which
    accepts the current text as an argument.  This allows the user to
    create a "dynamic cursor" which changes depending on the latest character
    or the current length of the string.
    finishedCallback allows advanced scripters to supply a function
    to be executed on finishing.  The function must accept no arguments.

  TypingText.run():
    Run the effect.

  static TypingText.runAll():
    Run all TypingText-enabled objects on the page.
*/

TypingText = function(element, interval, cursor, finishedCallback) {
  if((typeof document.getElementById == "undefined") || (typeof element.innerHTML == "undefined")) {
    this.running = true;	// Never run.
    return;
  }
  this.element = element;
  this.finishedCallback = (finishedCallback ? finishedCallback : function() { return; });
  this.interval = (typeof interval == "undefined" ? 100 : interval);
  this.origText = this.element.innerHTML;
  this.unparsedOrigText = this.origText;
  this.cursor = (cursor ? cursor : "");
  this.currentText = "";
  this.currentChar = 0;
  this.element.typingText = this;
  if(this.element.id == "") this.element.id = "typingtext" + TypingText.currentIndex++;
  TypingText.all.push(this);
  this.running = false;
  this.inTag = false;
  this.tagBuffer = "";
  this.inHTMLEntity = false;
  this.HTMLEntityBuffer = "";
}
TypingText.all = new Array();
TypingText.currentIndex = 0;
TypingText.runAll = function() {
  for(var i = 0; i < TypingText.all.length; i++) TypingText.all[i].run();
}
TypingText.prototype.run = function() {
  if(this.running) return;
  if(typeof this.origText == "undefined") {
    setTimeout("document.getElementById('" + this.element.id + "').typingText.run()", this.interval);	// We haven't finished loading yet.  Have patience.
    return;
  }
  if(this.currentText == "") this.element.innerHTML = "";
//  this.origText = this.origText.replace(/<([^<])*>/, "");     // Strip HTML from text.
  if(this.currentChar < this.origText.length) {
    if(this.origText.charAt(this.currentChar) == "<" && !this.inTag) {
      this.tagBuffer = "<";
      this.inTag = true;
      this.currentChar++;
      this.run();
      return;
    } else if(this.origText.charAt(this.currentChar) == ">" && this.inTag) {
      this.tagBuffer += ">";
      this.inTag = false;
      this.currentText += this.tagBuffer;
      this.currentChar++;
      this.run();
      return;
    } else if(this.inTag) {
      this.tagBuffer += this.origText.charAt(this.currentChar);
      this.currentChar++;
      this.run();
      return;
    } else if(this.origText.charAt(this.currentChar) == "&" && !this.inHTMLEntity) {
      this.HTMLEntityBuffer = "&";
      this.inHTMLEntity = true;
      this.currentChar++;
      this.run();
      return;
    } else if(this.origText.charAt(this.currentChar) == ";" && this.inHTMLEntity) {
      this.HTMLEntityBuffer += ";";
      this.inHTMLEntity = false;
      this.currentText += this.HTMLEntityBuffer;
      this.currentChar++;
      this.run();
      return;
    } else if(this.inHTMLEntity) {
      this.HTMLEntityBuffer += this.origText.charAt(this.currentChar);
      this.currentChar++;
      this.run();
      return;
    } else {
      this.currentText += this.origText.charAt(this.currentChar);
    }
    this.element.innerHTML = this.currentText;
    this.element.innerHTML += (this.currentChar < this.origText.length - 1 ? (typeof this.cursor == "function" ? this.cursor(this.currentText) : this.cursor) : "");
    this.currentChar++;
    setTimeout("document.getElementById('" + this.element.id + "').typingText.run()", this.interval);
  } else {
	this.currentText = "";
	this.currentChar = 0;
        this.running = false;
        this.finishedCallback();
  }
}
</script>

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<div id="example1">Thanks for visiting <a href="http://javascriptbank.com/">JavaScriptBank.com!</a> 
Wow, HTML gets properly typed out too!</div>

<p id="example2">This text has a <b>slashing cursor</b> at the end. <br />And this is on a new line, thanks to the <br> tag.</p>

<script type="text/javascript">
//Define first typing example:
new TypingText(document.getElementById("example1"));

//Define second typing example (use "slashing" cursor at the end):
new TypingText(document.getElementById("example2"), 100, function(i){ var ar = new Array("\", "|", "/", "-"); return " " + ar[i.length % ar.length]; });

//Type out examples:
TypingText.runAll();
</script>