Embedding Sound with Flash, Part I: The Basics

Recipe for Sonifying Web Pages

You can control the Flash player with JavaScript. The Sonify organization promotes standards in using interactive audio for the Web, wireless, and consoles. They developed the FlashSound JavaScript API. This API (Application Program Interface) enables you to add simple interactive sound to your conventional HTML page, without relying upon any graphic presentation. It also hides browser dependencies from you. When dealing with sound players, the difference between the browsers is immense. Netscape uses plug-ins while Explorer relies on ActiveX control. Therefore, having this API is good news. The FlashSound JavaScript API (FJA) is an excellent way to ramp up on how to control Flash with JavaScript. When you add sound to your page, you actually sonify your page.

The FJA is implemented in flashsound.js. Right-click this link and save the script to your hard drive. Look inside the code and see how the API is defined. It sure does hide browser dependencies, so use it as much as you can.

In order to sonify your page, follow this recipe:

Make sure you have the Flash player. 96% of the surfing population already has it. Download

Include flashsound.js in the HEAD section:

<HEAD>
  <SCRIPT SRC="flashsound.js"></SCRIPT>
</HEAD>

Create a flashsound object in the HEAD section:

  <SCRIPT>
    var mySoundObj = new FlashSound();
  </SCRIPT>

Embed your swf file in the BODY section:

<SCRIPT>
  mySoundObj.embedSWF("interactivesound.swf");
</SCRIPT>

Create an anchor tag and set the onclick event handler to the TGotoAndPlay() method:

mySoundObj.TGotoAndPlay("/beamscan", "start");
mySoundObj.TGotoAndPlay("/beamscan", "stop");

Next: How to author sonified pages

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