dinkMap represents my first real attempt at programming Java...or should I say "hacking" Java. I had been searching for a long time to find a good imagemap applet that would allow simple animation or highlighting of the map itself... Nothing I found pleased me until I found Rickard Oberg's HighlightedImageMap applet. The applet was wonderful--the animation was pretty smooth and it allowed for some really snazzy-looking special effects if one could use Photoshop properly.
The applet lacked a few things, though, that could be found in other less capable applets--such as the ability to display link information within the browser status window and the ability to play a sound when the mouse entered a link area. So I dug out my Java book which had been gathering some dust and I gave it my best try.
dinkMap encompasses all the changes I wanted made to the applet and is a pretty capable little hack...though no doubt it has its flaws which will pop-up with time. Until then, or until you find a better applet to serve your imagemap needs, I invite you to use dinkMap.