If you use Internet Explorer, I’m sure you’re just as annoyed as me with the need to click a Flash movie once just to activate it. Not sure what I’m talking about? Check out this website I built: http://www.coyledevelopment.com
Notice the Flash object is disabled (it runs, but you can’t interact with it) and your cursor has a little message that states “Click to activate and use this control”. Once you click it, it becomes “unlocked” and you can use it. What a pain, right? If the Flash object does any kind of posting back to the webpage and re-renders itself, you’ll have to click it again…meaning, your choice to activate it isn’t “saved” during your session.
Why must we deal with this? It’s because of a dispute between Microsoft and Eolas. Eolas owns the patent to the technology for rendering plug-ins in web browsers. Microsoft must license the technology in order to use it in IE. They don’t want to so they added this annoyance to better their case. Read more at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eolas
So how can I get around it? It’s easy now thanks to deconcept and SWFObject.
1. Download the SWFObject Javascript file
2. Include the swfobject.js Javascript file and write a small amount of Javascript on your page to embed your Flash movie. Here is an example showing the minimum amount of code needed to embed a Flash movie:
<script type="text/javascript" src="swfobject.js"></script>
<div id="flashcontent">
This text is replaced by the Flash movie.
</div>
<script type="text/javascript">
var so = new SWFObject("movie.swf", "mymovie", "200", "100", "7", "#336699");
so.write("flashcontent");
</script>
This is just the basic explanation. You might want to know more about required parameters versus optional parameters or how to pass variables into the movie. For this information, visit their website to learn more.
Comments
Leave a Comment