Embedding SWFs

To embed a SWF, we use the <EMBED> tag in Netscape Navigator, and the <OBJECT> tag in IE. In IE the size is minimal, 1x1. Netscape Navigator 4.7 requires a minimum size of 1x2. We hide the SWF by coloring it with the same background color of the page. The function Flash_embedSWF() does the embedding. It takes two arguments: the SWF's URL and the object color. Here is the code:

function Flash_embedSWF(srcURL, swfbgColor) {
  if (!Flash_checkForMinPlayer()) return;

  var defaultColor = (document.bgColor != null) ?
    document.bgColor : "#ffffff";
  var bgcolor = (swfbgColor != null) ? swfbgColor :
    defaultColor;

  document.writeln(
   '<OBJECT classid=
     "clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"'
     + 'codebase="http://active.macromedia.com/flash2/cabs/
     swflash.cab#version=4,0,0,0"' +
   'ID="sonify" WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=1>' +
   '<PARAM NAME=movie VALUE="' + srcURL + '">' +
   '<PARAM NAME=quality VALUE=low>' +
   '<PARAM NAME=wmode VALUE=transparent>'+
   '<PARAM NAME=bgcolor VALUE=' + bgcolor + '>' +
     '<EMBED swLiveConnect="true" NAME="sonify"' +
      'src="' + srcURL + '"' +
      'quality=low' +
      'wmode=transparent' +
      'bgcolor=' + bgcolor +
      'WIDTH=1 HEIGHT=2' +
      'TYPE="application/x-shockwave-flash"'+
'PLUGINSPAGE="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/
  index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash">' +
     '</EMBED>' +
   '</OBJECT>'
   );
}

Following the SWF embedding, you need to create a SWF object. This JavaScript object is associated with the embedded SWF, and supports the wealth of properties and methods that SWFs sport. The object is defined as follows:

mySoundObj = window.document.swfID;

where swfID is the object ID that we assign to the embedded SWF in IE's OBJECT tag, or the object NAME that we assign to the embedded SWF in Netscape Navigator's EMBED tag.

For example, the write statement above assigns sonify as the ID/NAME of the embedded SWF, so creating the object in this case would be straightforward:

mySoundObj = window.document.sonify;

Next: How to use a Flash method