FlashObject: Embed Flash Without That Guilty Feeling!

Geoff Stearns just added his FlashObject project to the OSFlash Wiki and emailed the OSFlash mailing list to let us know that he has added Express Install functionality to the script.

What is FlashObject?

FlashObject is an external JavaScript script that provides a mechanism for detecting the Flash Player and embedding your Flash applications into your HTML page. By using an external script, it keeps the code on your pages clean. It also allows for the easy creation of alternative HTML content that is easily indexed by search engines like Google. Another great advantage is that the resulting code is XHTML 1.0 Strict. And now, the latest version supports Express Install.

Starlight Express? Express Install? What?

Flash Player 8 Express InstallExpress Install is a new feature in Flash Player 8 that allows your users to upgrade their Flash Player to the latest version and return to your page in a rather seamless process. For more information on Express Install, see Robert Hoekman, Jr.'s Best Practices for Flash Player Detection article on DevNet. Note: That article covers use of Macromedia's Flash Player Detection Kit, not FlashObject.

For more information on FlashObject, see Geoff's official FlashObject web page, wherein you will also find usage examples and a very well written comparison with other techniques or, as Geoff puts it, "Why it's is better than the rest!" :)

I also found Geoff's post on the new Macromedia Flash Detection Kit to be interesting reading.

Update: Geoff has a new blog post explaining how to use the new Express Install functionality with FlashObject.

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