Flash File and w3c validation

A way to validate a pge with a flash ( swf ) file

[kamaleo]

Hello,

is there any way to get w3c validation after inserting a flash (swf) file in a html page?
Thanks

Kamaleo

[oxbaker]

sure why not?

have you tried the w3c validator? its on their website. it will tell you exactly what to fix.

hth,
mcm

[DanA]

Look for the satay method.

[kamaleo]

Many thanks for the answer.
Could you please send me some links to the topics?

Kam

[bid4abook]

Kam,
I am having the same problem! I am using a coffeecup flash form, which will not validate in w3c for xhtml. I contacted the software provider who stated that it will not validate! Anyone out there know of a flash form that will validate in xhtml?
Regards John.

[bid4abook]

Before I forget, I used the satay method, object etc and it still did not validate.
John.

[Tourex]

I'm trying to get my pages to validate too. I've inserted a flash movie using the Satay method, but when the page starts opening in Internet Explorer (v6) there's a red "not found" cross, which is replaced by the Flash movie within a second. It just looks so unprofessional. It works fine in other browsers. Does anybody know if this is common with the satay method?

[DanA]

It should work and be valid. Check that data and value point to the same flash file.

[edited by: DanA at 7:35 pm (utc) on Oct. 25, 2006]

[Tourex]

Hi - they definitely point to the right file. As I say, after momentenarily 'flashing' the not found symbol the movie appears and starts playing so the path must be correct. Its just the annoyance of IE (only) showing the 'not found' red cross for a fraction of time.

The code I'm using is:

<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
data="images/flash/c.swf?path=home_ban.swf"
width="720" height="135">
<param name="movie"
value="images/flash/c.swf?path=/images/flash/home_ban.swf" />
</object>

Can you spot anything wrong with this? Thanks for any help.

[DanA]

The variable path is not the same

[Tourex]

Sorry, I'm not really sure what you mean.

If you are referring to:
data="images/flash/c.swf?path=home_ban.swf"
or the value= line, I have tried it both as shown, and with

="images/flash/c.swf?path=images/flash/home_ban.swf"

and it makes no difference. In each case, the movie appears and plays properly, but while loading, there is a momentary flash of the "not found" symbol at the location of the movie, as the page starts - but only in Internet Explorer.

I have been totally unable to find a web page with a Flash movie that validates as XHTM v1 Strict. Maybe this is a common problem with page that use the Satay method in order to validate? I'm on a slow line, so maybe it only shows up to me. Can anyone point me to a page containing a Flash movie that DOES validate so I can see if I see the same.

Thanks.

[DanA]

The problem must be with the location of the file home_ban.swf
You have to choose between images/flash/c.swf?path=home_ban.swf or images/flash/c.swf?path=/images/flash/home_ban.swf for data and value.

[Tourex]

Hi DanA

Thanks for your reply and for the private message giving me some addresses to sample pages. I get exactly the same thing on all three examples - the initial "not found" symbol which is replaced by the movie when it is fully downloaded.

I do not get this problem when using the traditional calls to Flash. It is not my version of Internet Explorer or machine, because I've checked that I see the same on several other machines. I am astonished that nobody else has said "that's normal" using the satay code. Don't you see the X-flag before the movie loads DanA?

[DanA]

I get the message "Press OK to continue loading the content of this page" (that's why I don't use Flash) and cannot see the X-flag before the movie loads.

[Tourex]

All very strange!

[JAB Creations]

You might like my post! :) My site is served (by default anyway) as XHTML 1.1 (application/xhtml+xml) and is WAI AAA compliant (and validates as so). That being said the following is an almost complete rip of one of the pages that is part of my site's music player which Flash is used as nothing more then the streaming audio (and redirect at the end). I also have alternative content (required for accessibility) which is basically the span and anchor elements inside of the Flash object.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.1//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml11/DTD/xhtml11.dtd">
<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en">
<head>
<title>Your title here</title>
<link href="http://www.example.com/themes/theme-classic.css" media="screen" rel="stylesheet" title="classic" type="text/css" />
<!--[if IE]><link href="http://www.example.com/themes/ieccss7.css" media="screen" rel="stylesheet" title="ieccss7" type="text/css" /><![endif]-->
<script src="http://www.example.com/scripts.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
</head>

<body>

<div class="border-bottom">
<img alt="Matt Pollard" class="left mplayer" src="../images/artist-mp.gif" />
<select class="mplayer" onchange="location=this.options[this.selectedIndex].value" tabindex="1">
<option selected="selected" value="http://www.example.com/mplayer/example-2.3-01-hi.php">( 2.3-01 - Matt Pollard - Rape of a Planet )</option>
<option value="http://www.example.com/mplayer/example-2.3-02-hi.php">2.3-02 - Project Majestic - Anxious Hearts Remix</option>
<option value="http://www.example.com/mplayer/example-2.3-03-hi.php">2.3-03 - Haroon Piracha - String Machine</option>
<option value="http://www.example.com/mplayer/example-2.3-04-hi.php">2.3-04 - DJ Carbunk1e - Suffering Planet Remix</option>
<option value="http://www.example.com/mplayer/example-2.3-05-hi.php">2.3-05 - Tocard - Castle Wolfenstein Remix</option>
<option value="http://www.example.com/mplayer/example-2.3-06-hi.php">2.3-06 - McVaffe - Yoshi's Island Indian Ragga</option>
<option value="http://www.example.com/mplayer/example-2.3-07-hi.php">2.3-07 - Spaeth - Sands Of Time</option>
<option value="http://www.example.com/mplayer/example-2.3-08-hi.php">2.3-08 - Mystical Sun - Nebulous Mist</option>
<option value="http://www.example.com/mplayer/example-2.3-09-hi.php">2.3-09 - Ailsean - Final Ecstasy</option>

</select>
<a accesskey="1" href="example-2.4-09-hi.php" tabindex="2" title="Go to previous chronological track."><img alt="Previous Track" class="mpprevious" src="../images/interface-transparency.gif" /></a>
<a accesskey="2" href="../home/home-music-playlist-2.3.php#MP" rel="content" tabindex="3" title="View detailed information about this track."><img alt="Music Playlist" class="mpplaylist" src="../images/interface-transparency.gif" /></a>
<a accesskey="3" href="#" onclick="PlayFlashMovie();" tabindex="4" title="Play this track if it's paused."><img alt="Play" class="mpplay" src="../images/interface-transparency.gif" /></a>
<a accesskey="4" href="#" onclick="PauseFlashMovie();" tabindex="5" title="Pause this track if it's playing."><img alt="Pause" class="mppause" src="../images/interface-transparency.gif" /></a>
<a accesskey="5" href="example-00-hi.php" tabindex="6" title="Click to stop the music player."><img alt="Stop" class="mpstop" src="../images/interface-transparency.gif" /></a>
<a accesskey="6" href="example-2.3-02-hi.php" tabindex="7" title="Go to the next chronological track."><img alt="Previous Track" class="mpnext" src="../images/interface-transparency.gif" /></a>
<br />
<object class="mplayer" data="example-2.3-01-hi.swf" id="mplayer" tabindex="7" type="application/x-shockwave-flash">

<span>It appears you do not have the <a accesskey="8" class="icon external" href="http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/download.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash" rel="external" tabindex="9" title="Flash Plugin">Flash</a> plugin installed is required for this presentation.</span>
<param name="loop" value="false" />
<param name="movie" value="example-2.3-01-hi.swf" />
</object>

</div>

</body>
</html>

I hope this helps! I don't browse the Flash forum often at all so feel free to message me if you need me back on the thread.

- John

[Tourex]

Great stuff, John - I'll give that a try. Thank heavens there someone here who believes in standards.

[rvivi]

of course

[benihana]

>>> WAI AAA compliant (and validates as so).

really?

[adrianTNT]

I see you already got some solutions, this is the solution that I used and many sites use this one:

<snip>

It validates and it fixes the IE active x border issue too.

[edited by: trillianjedi at 2:40 pm (utc) on Nov. 11, 2006]
[edit reason] TOS [/edit]