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param in flash files


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Hi,

 

There is a feature really easy for you guys to implement that would help us a lot, really a lot.

 

Whenever Dw intercepts an swf file, it renders the object html tag and all its feature. So far so good.

 

What would be sooo great, if it included another param: FlashVars. The content should be a set of vars with the following content:

- SwfFilePath

- PageID

- PageName

- TopPageID

- TopPageName

- AreaID

- AreaName

- Username

 

With these we could make a single Swf file for a site where we need dozens of them, just because the filepath changes, or the area id, or the page id. Would be a huge help over here, really huge. Here is an example of how the html output looks like/could look like (new feature is highlighted).

 

<object classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,29,0" width="910" height="252">
  <param name="movie" value="Files/Navigation/CCE/Menu_PT.swf">
  <param name="quality" value="high">
  <param name="FlashVars" value="SwfFilePath=Files/Navigation/CCE/Menu_PT.swf;PageID=92;PageName=MyPage;TopPageID=91;TopPageName=MyTopPage;AreaID=1;AreaName=MyArea;Username=nunoaguiar" />
  <param name="wmode" value="transparent">
  <embed src="Files/Navigation/CCE/Menu_PT.swf" width="910" height="252" quality="high" pluginspage="http://www.macromedia.com/go/getflashplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" FlashVars="SwfFilePath=Files/Navigation/CCE/Menu_PT.swf;PageID=92;PageName=MyPage;TopPageID=91;TopPageName=MyTopPage;AreaID=1;AreaName=MyArea;Username=nunoaguiar"></embed>
</object>

 

I would really apprecciate if you would take this into consideration. Would save us a lot of time, and I am sure other partners would give it to good use as well.

 

Pushing it a bit was to ask for you to embeb a asp class that allows flash to read a folder's content :P Could take Dynamicweb's website with Flash integration to another level.

 

Anyone else subscribes to the idea?

 

Best Regards,

Nuno


Replies

 
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Hi,

 

Did anyone else find this interesting? Would be great to ave some feedback whether this would be implemented.

 

Best Begards,

Nuno

 
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Hi Nuno,

 

I didn't see you original posting, so I only saw it now.

 

What would the purpose of this be? How would it make your work easier? In don't quite understand it, so could you please elaborate a bit:)

 
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Hi Lars,

 

Sure! Creating swf animation to place as topgraphics, we often write the filepath in the actionscript, so the client can update the files for that animaton. Different pages mean different swf because of the path flash get's the pictures from

 

Even if we want to use an xml file for a number of things, we still need to place the path to the xml as a hardcoded string into the actionscript.

 

FlashVars is a parameter that allows the actionscript to load that string, parsing it into variables and values. With the swf path, we could solve the problem of having a hardcoded string in the actionscript reducing the number of swfs needed to a website.

 

Another advantage is to have TopPage, Page and Area ID's and names for more complex flash solutions. The username is also good to have. But the most important is the swfpath.

 

This small enhancement would make our work so muck easier to create and mantain, and with a blog reporting the advantages, I am sure more people would use it.

 

Here is an example. www.pontadosol.com has 1 or 3 pictures per page. We have to create 2 swf (1 photo solution and 3 photo solution) for each page. Now this is a small website, since it only has 9 different pages. This results in 18 swf. With this solution we could use only 2. www.guichotel.pt is another example

 

A solution with the expected result can be found in www.estorilcongresscenter we used the FlashVars sending the TopIP (hardcoded into the page template) resulting in 1 swf. If this feature was already implemented, we could set the swf in Dynamicweb. Another thing is that if when this was done, the getNavigationxml.aspx running (Sebastian blog http://developer.dynamicweb.dk/Weblog-16918.aspx?action=ShowArticle&ArticleID=162 ) all the menu could have been dynamic, A client creates a new page, and flash reproduces it, and with the flash var, we know what page is active.

 

If you need anything else to help convince you guys, let me know :)

 

Best Regards,

Nuno

 
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Hi Lars,

 

Do you have any info on this request?

 
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Sorry for not responding. I must have forgot.

 

I was thinking, wouldn't it be easier to have the site templates produce XML instead of HTML? Then you could setup a Static Frontpage with and embedded swf that consumed the XML produced and displayed the content in the SWF?

 
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Hi Lars,

 

That is true for full flash websites. The solution I am requiring is for mixed use, like we do in about 70%/80% of our websites.

 

The only downside I see in implementing this (great) feature is having the system generate more code that might not be needed. So what if, in the control panel, a checkbox to activate "FlashVars" and (if we want to get into detail) have a list of checkboxes of what variables to activate, according to the list I posted.

 

The implementation team is lighting up candles and paying every night for you guys to do this. Would be awesome!

 

Best Regards,

Nuno

 
Reply

Hi,

 

Just checking; is there any word on wheter this s going to be developed? True we can do it with XSLT templates, but since that requires a bit more wisdom :P, a design partner is asking about it.

 

Best Regards,

Nuno