SOME RANDOM DUDE

As a Flash Developer, I get very strange looks when I suggest to clients and co-workers not to use Flash as a solution for particular pieces of a project. While I am an advocate for Flash, I also encourage the implementation of Flash in appropriate situations. AJAX is not just a buzz word. It is a very viable method for solving problems that otherwise would have been done in Flash. We should not have to see another basic Flash slideshow using XML to fade images in and out. There are plenty of AJAX slideshows that can perform just as well as Flash (sans high-end motion features).

With the Flash / JavaScript Integration Kit, the doors were opened to allow Flash and Javascript to communicate with each other. While there are some very impressive examples of using Flash and Javascript together, very little seems to have been done with this new method of Flash development. This surprises me greatly as it has completely changed how I approach developing Flash applications.

Background

Using the Flash/Javascript Integration Kit can be as simple as calling an Actionscript function with an onclick using the Flash/Javascript Integration Kit as the medium. This alone adds a whole new level of functionality and flexibility to your Flash applications. However, now it gets interesting as you add another level to it using AJAX.

Many Flash projects I have worked on were chosen to be executed in Flash in order to drive rich media. Subsequently, all other content (including large amounts of copy) were given a second priority in terms of accessibility and functionality. Flash has gotten better about accessibility, but let’s face it, it cannot hang with HTML/CSS. Instead of choosing one technology to drive all your content, this hybrid system opens many doors for what can be done (well) for applications containing both rich media and informational content.

I use XML for every Flash application I work on, be it small or large. It cuts down on development time and allows for more powerful functionality. The drawback with this system is that many times I have to do at least some custom coding for the incoming application data. By using Javascript/AJAX to read/manipulate all the data and subsequently deliver it to Flash, you can pass the exact information needed by each Actionscript class/method. While it is not harder to read XML in Flash than Javascript, with this way you have the opportunity to use the data contained in XML with either AJAX functions or with Flash. Your work is cut in half while doubling your potential functionality as the data can now be delivered via AJAX or Flash. This allows you to create dummy-Flash applications that need to do much less to perform the same task as Javascript is now able to handle everything up front.

Examples

As I have alluded to before, my Javascript is not something to be studied. These examples are rudimentary, but they give you an idea how the two technologies can complement each other. The examples below have been tested in FF 1.5, IE 6.0 and Saf 1.3.2. Credit to Wikipedia for all written content within the examples.

In the first example, you see a basic Flash/Javascript hybrid where Javascript-enabled HTML links are used to call Actionscript functions and all XML data is handled by Flash to display the shape and associated text. This example is simple, but gives an example of how Flash/Javascript hybrid development can improve upon standards-based development.

In the example below, Javascript is handling all the XML up front so that the developer can decide what sort of information should be viewed in Flash (the shape) and what should be viewed in HTML (the associated text). Once again, this example is simple, but all the caveats of accessibility in Flash are avoided as media is shown in Flash and information is displayed in HTML. In addition, the embed size of the swf can be much smaller as it is designed to show only one piece of the puzzle. This can lead to more modular Flash applications with less overhead.

Flash is no longer relegated to its embed dimensions. Flash can be accessed and interacted with from Javascript enabled HTML interfaces. I have spent a tremendous amount of time altering interfaces to create new skins for different dimensions or uses of the same Flash application. This is no longer a necessity as you can leave the interface out of Flash and build it in HTML. The standardistas must be drooling as this is a huge step for more standards-centric Flash design. The Flash developers should be drooling because this means that they will need to reskin application interfaces much less frequently.

Why the Need?

You could argue that the development is being moved from one side (Flash), to the other (Javascript). The advantage with this system, however, is that after your basic functionality is written in Javascript and Actionscript, your interface can be whatever size, shape, language, or color-scheme you desire. All with HTML & CSS. Quickly. Many of these problems can be solved in Flash, however this method seems much more graceful to me as it comes closer to solving the problem at its root. As long as the functionality on the Flash side does not have to be altered, you will never have to open up the FLA file again. Are you excited yet?

Combining AJAX and Flash has already been worked on and, as expected, has already been given its own acronym - FLAJAX. Unlike the AJAX boon, however, FLAJAX has not taken off which leaves me scratching my head. Many of our projects, as designers or developers, include some form of rich media delivery. Flash owns this market hands down, but it is proprietary and relegated to its embedded dimension. HTML/AJAX had pushed forward what static websites can do in terms of media, but it is still lacking in ability. For rich media, a marriage of AJAX and Flash seems logical, if not necessary, for the majority of rich media applications. From my view, this lack of Flash/Javascript cooperation seems to be bottlenecking at the developer level. Many Flash and Javascript developers enjoy their chosen technology and either are not too stoked about learning the other or do not have the time. I am guilty of perpetuating this problem as I, for the most part, fit in the latter category (and a little in the former as well).

Cooperation Is Fun!

The heading above may sound cheesy (because it is), but a little cooperation between Flash and Javascript developers could bring about some very cool applications. I recommend to all Flash and Javascript developers (if you have not already), to check out the Flash/Javascript Integration Kit. Once you read up on it, find your counterpart and get a-coding. There certainly is not a deficit in standards-based rich media applications, so you can pretty much start anywhere. If you come up with a good application, drop me a line (somerandomdude [AT] somerandomdude [DOT] net), as I would love to hear about it.actionscript, AJAX, flajax, flash, javascript, web design web development