Validating websites with Flash content using SWFObject 2.0

[Phil]

Hi Everyone,

I'm not quite sure this is the best forum to post this in. Basically I have a fairly straight forward site with a Flash movie containing a navigation system.

I have had the test version of the site working fine with Dreamweaver's active content work around.
However I want the site to fully validate. Following the suggestions of people on these forums particularly aso186. I started looking at swfObject and UFO as means of achieving this. However both have now been combined into SWFObject 2.0

I have followed this advice to create the test pages that can be seen www.comfortcafe.co.uk/test/red.asp use the links at the top of the page rather than those in the Flash itself (although those should work as well).

Each page should pass a variable to the Flash movie (this can be seen in the top left corner of the Flash), this should be processed by the flash and cause it to jump to that frame.
This is working fine in IE 7 however it does not appear to work in FF 2.

To my mind it is almost as though the appropriate tags for FF are not being created as they should be by SWFObject 2.0
Does anyone have experience of using SWFObject 2.0 who may beable to suggest what I have missed or done wrong?

Regards
Phil

[welshstew]

Sorry to compound the issue, but it doesn't seem to work in IE7 either.

I think this query may belong more in the javascript forum.

moving you now, hang on to your hat....

[welshstew]

moved

[Phil]

Hi welshstew,

It appears to be working fine in IE 7 on a couple of different machines in my office. When you say it doesn't seem to work in IE7 either.
Have you used the links at the top of the page and has the image in the flash changed once the new page has loaded? If yes then it is working as intended, if not then the problem's worse than I thought.

[welshstew]

I personally only get the same image (wooden tables and seating with a vegas style comfort cafe over the the right)

the only thing that chanegs for m ewhen I clcik the links is some text at the top. i.e green=menus and yellow=guide

Why are you trying to do something so fancy anyway? why not just have seperate flash files for each of the pages?

[Phil]

It's because the flash file is holding the navigation for the pages (personally I hate doing that but it's what my boss wants).
Not too much of a problem in itself, however my boss is thinking of have movies instead of pictures on some of the pages so it would be preferable if the loading time of the flash is minimized.

My thinking was if it is one flash file repeated on each page then the flash file is cached by the user's browser hence minimizing load times after the initial visit.


From your description IE7 is behaving like FF on your computer.

It's really infuriating because it does work as intended on the machines in my office. I guess I may be forced back to the drawing board on this one.

[Aso]

Why not just have the nav and logo part of the flash, and set it as transparent, then place the various pictures in the HTML?

[Phil]

Thanks for the suggestion aso186,

However I'll still need a method of getting the site to validate while using the Flash and there will be one or two pages that will have movies running in the area where the image is.

I'm trying one or two other avenues to resolve this problem. If I do find the solution I'll be sure to post it.

aso186 have you ever used SWFObject 2.0 successfully yourself?

[Aso]

Yes, I've had no problems with it. In fact, I've even used it to pass custom 'flashvars' before and have had no issues.

I'm not sure (especially since I'm no flash expert), but it might suggest there's something buggy about the flash.

I mean, it does work partially - I presume the text 'home', 'about', 'menus' etc. that appears are being generated by the flash (can't see it in the markup)?

Plus the image change works for me in IE7.

Otherwise I'm lost Phil

[Phil]

Hi All,

It turns out aso186 was right on the money with the suggestion that it was something buggy about the Flash. It turns out the preloader I had was causing some kind of conflict. I have since replaced it with

Code: Select all

stop();
 
onEnterFrame = function ()
{
     var percentLoaded:Number =
Math.floor(getBytesLoaded()/getBytesTotal()*100);
     // catch invalid values before we start to get real values back from flash
     // otherwisw NaN is displayed sometimes. Display a friendly value.
     if (isNaN(percentLoaded) || percentLoaded <0) percentLoaded = 0;
 
     // check that we have actually loaded some bytes before allowing loaded/total caluculation
     if (percentLoaded == 100 && getBytesLoaded()>4) 
     {
           // we're done - kill the frame loop and go to where we want
           delete (onEnterFrame);
           gotoAndPlay(page);
     }
     else 
     {
           // we're still loading, so let the user know how much is done
           loadingProgress.text = percentLoaded+"% loaded";
     }
}; 

on the first frame of the frame of the root time line in Flash and now everything appears to be working perfectly.

Thanks for all of your help yet again.

I would strongly recommend SWFObject 2.0 to anyone who is wanting to have Flash and validate their websites.