Flash
From BC$ MobileTV Wiki
Flash started out as a proprietary animation solution by Macromedia, inc. as a software studio which enabled animators and developers alike to collaborate on rich, interactive media objects which could in turn be embedded in a web page and displayed within a standard web browser.
The Flash technology has almost always since its inception enjoyed a strong niche following on the web, with a loyal developer, contributor and user base, however it was Adobe's 2005 acquisition of Macromedia [1] which infused the Flash technology with new life, as it re-emerged as an entire rich media platform of its own, still designed for delivery over the web and standard browsers, but with many more capabilities and a larger scope. Entire applications could now be created using the Flash and Adobe ColdFusion combination, as could multimedia presentations using Flash's VP6 (.flv) video codec, or MP4 which was supported shortly after.
Contents
Specifications
- SWF - ShockWave Flash specification (.swf): http://www.adobe.com/devnet/swf.html [2]
- FLV - Flash Video format specification: http://www.adobe.com/devnet/f4v.html
- FLA - Flash Format specification (.fla): http://wiki.benjaminwolsey.de/FLA_Format
- AS - ActionScript 3.0 specification (.as): http://livedocs.adobe.com/specs/actionscript/3/as3_specification.html
- FMA - Flash Media Manifest File Format Specification (.fma): http://opensource.adobe.com/wiki/display/osmf/Flash+Media+Manifest+File+Format+Specification
A Local Shared Object (commonly abbreviated as LSO) is the Flash-equivalent of a cookie. An LSO on a given domain is accessible only within the Flash application or object that created it.
Tools
- FlashBuilder: http://www.adobe.com/products/flash-builder.html
- Flash Develop (open source IDE): http://www.flashdevelop.org/
- Swiffy - upload SWF get HTML/CSS/JS: http://swiffy.googlelabs.com/
- Adobe Wallaby - Export Flash FLA to HTML5 Canvas: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/wallaby/[3]
- Alchemy - allows compiling C & C++ code to run on ActionScript Virtual Machine (AVM2): http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/alchemy/
- Ogg for AS3 (sample Alchemy libraries by Adobe): http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/Alchemy:Libraries[4]
- SWFobject (extremely useful for cross-browser flash embeds)
- Validifier - Turn Flash embed code into valid XHTML: http://validifier.com/
- semanticflash - Semantic Web Framework for the Flash Platform ( Flash, Flex, AIR et al. ): http://code.google.com/p/semanticflash/
- as3corelib - ActionScript 3.0 library for several basic utilities (encryption, string, number, date, JSON manipulation): http://code.google.com/p/as3corelib/
- Smokescreen - Flash without the plugin: http://smokescreen.us/
- SWF Upload (can POST from JS to this for cross-browser file uploads): http://www.swfupload.org/
- SWFOpener: http://www.browsertools.net/SWF-Opener/swf-player.html
Resources
- Tamarin Project: http://www.mozilla.org/projects/tamarin/ [5]
- FREE Flash Components and Galleries: http://www.flashxml.net/
- Flashloaded: http://www.flashloaded.com/
- FlashComponents: http://www.flashcomponents.net/
- PHP SWF Reader: https://www.sephiroth.it/swfreader.php | Example: https://www.sephiroth.it/test/php/SWF/
- Flash XMLObject: http://www.sephiroth.it/file_detail.php?id=134
Tutorials
- GoToAndLearn - Excellent Flash Video Tutorials (with objects and source code): http://gotoandlearn.com/
- Using FlashVars to pass variables to a SWF: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/164/tn_16417.html
- PART 1 - PASSING VARIABLES FROM HTML TO FLASH VIA FLASH VARS (AS1 & AS2): http://www.permadi.com/tutorial/flashVars/
- PART 2 - PASSING VARIABLES FROM HTML TO FLASH VIA QUERY STRING: http://www.permadi.com/tutorial/flashQueryString/
- PART 3 - PASSING VARIABLES FROM HTML TO FLASH VIA FLASH VARS (AS3): http://www.permadi.com/tutorial/flashVars/indexAs3.html
- PART 4 - EXECUTING JAVASCRIPT CODE FROM A FLASH MOVIE: http://www.permadi.com/tutorial/flashcalljs/index.html
- PART 5 - Executing Flash ActionScript From JS (INTERACTION WITH JAVASCRIPT): http://www.permadi.com/tutorial/flashjscommand/
- PART 6 - READING AND WRITING COOKIES FROM FLASH: http://www.permadi.com/tutorial/flashCookie/index.html
- FlashKit Tutorials (learn Flash animations): http://www.flashkit.com/tutorials/
- AS3 Tutorials: http://edutechwiki.unige.ch/en/ActionScript_3_tutorials
- OBJECT and EMBED syntax: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/415/tn_4150.html
- Flash OBJECT and EMBED tag attributes: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/127/tn_12701.html
- Creating a simple animation in Flash: http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/articles/animation_intro.html
- Compiling JW Player: http://developer.longtailvideo.com/trac/browser/tags/mediaplayer-5.8/README.txt
- Compiling JW Player Plugins: http://www.longtailvideo.com/support/jw-player/jw-player-for-flash-v5/17681/compiling-jw-player-plugins
- Compile and Debug (Flash for Blackberry) without Flash Builder Using a Command Line: http://supportforums.blackberry.com/t5/tkb/articleprintpage/tkb-id/tablet%40tkb/article-id/1
- Flash Rotating earth in Blender 2.48: http://bankerjohnson.co.uk/blog/?p=182
External Links
- wikipedia: Adobe Flash
- wikipedia: ActionScript
- wikipedia: SWF
- wikipedia: FLV
- Just a Flash in the Web video pan? (2005 launch of Flash 8, became first strong web video player): http://www.zdnet.co.uk/news/networking/2005/08/02/just-a-flash-in-the-web-video-pan-39211831/
- Setting up a Flash project for local and network playback: http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/articles/local_network_playback_print.html
- Apple approves iPhone-ready Flash: http://www.bnet.com/2448-14061_23-265440.html
- AS3 Library for OAuth with Twitter for AIR Apps: http://drawlogic.com/2009/07/08/as3-library-for-oauth-with-twitter-for-air-apps/
- Sorry, Adobe - Flash is the new Vista: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/sorry-adobe-flash-is-the-new-vista/2139?tag=nl.e539
- How secure is Flash? Here's what Adobe won't tell you: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/bott/how-secure-is-flash-heres-what-adobe-wont-tell-you/2152?tag=nl.e589
- Flash alternatives raise bar for Adobe: http://www.zdnetasia.com/flash-alternatives-raise-bar-for-adobe-62201045.htm?tag=mantle_skin;content
- Creating and Playing FLV Videos in Flash : http://www.republicofcode.com/tutorials/flash/video_flvplayback/
- How to play SWF Files: http://www.videohelp.com/forum/archive/how-to-play-swf-files-t368051.html
- How to Download Embedded Flash Files using your Browser: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-download-embedded-flash-swf-files-using-your-browser/
- Playing Flash SWF files: http://www.adobe.com/livedocs/flash/9.0/UsingFlash/help.html?content=WSd60f23110762d6b883b18f10cb1fe1af6-7bd2.html
- Passing parameters to Flash using Javascript: http://www.flashmagazine.com/tutorials/detail/passing_parameters_to_flash_using_javascript/
- Passing Variables Around - Flash to HTML and Back: http://www.actionscript.org/resources/articles/102/1/Passing-Variables-Around---Flash-to-HTML-and-Back/Page1.html
- Setting Parameters flash from php: http://www.justskins.com/forums/setting-parameters-flash-from-php-76206.html
- Sending variables from flash to PHP and back: http://code2design.com/tutorial/sending_variables_from_flash_to_php_and_back
- Flash Vs. CSS/HTML: Which Will You Choose?: http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/csshtml-which-will-choose
- ActionScriptPassing parameters to a Flash movie : http://mc-computing.com/Languages/ActionScript/Getting_html_data.html
- ActionScript::sendToURL(): http://livedocs.adobe.com/flash/9.0/ActionScriptLangRefV3/flash/net/package.html#sendToURL()
- Intro to Flashvars | Passing variables to actionscript from the html embed: http://blog.circlecube.com/2008/05/tutorial/flashvar-tutorial/
- Passing Variables into a Flash Movie: http://www.hooverwebdesign.com/articles/passing-variables-into-a-flash-movie.html
- Passing Variables Using Flash and Dreamweaver: http://layersmagazine.com/flash-passing-variables.html
- Using FlashVars to pass variables to a SWF: http://kb2.adobe.com/cps/164/tn_16417.html
- Flash Query String: http://noscope.com/journal/2003/12/query_string
- Passing variable from JavaScript To AS3 (Flash CS3.. loop through all variables trying to talk to Flash from JS): http://www.metah.ch/blog/2007/07/passing-variable-from-javascript-to-as3-flash-cs3/
- Flash - String.isUrl: http://sephiroth.it/proto_detail.php?id=150
- Create a Flash Login System Using PHP and MySQL – Part 2 : http://active.tutsplus.com/tutorials/actionscript/create-a-flash-login-system-using-php-and-mysql-–-part-2/
- Beginners Guide to Getting Started with AS3 (Without Learning Flex): http://www.senocular.com/flash/tutorials/as3withmxmlc/
- Haxe Sandy Ability to Generate a 3D Javascript Engine Port of Sandy for Canvas: http://drawlogic.com/2009/07/16/haxe-sandy-able-to-generate-a-3d-javascript-engine-port-of-sandy-for-canvas/
- One year after iPad - Is Adobe Flash still relevant?: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/perlow/one-year-after-ipad-is-adobe-flash-still-relevant/16967
- wmode transparent - the only way to display DHTML on top of Flash: http://www.communitymx.com/content/source/E5141/wmodetrans.htm
- Flash is dead! Long live HTML5: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/networking/flash-is-dead-long-live-html5/1633?tag=nl.e539
- Flash to Focus on PC Browsing and Mobile Apps; Adobe to More Aggressively Contribute to HTML5 (cuts 750 jobs): http://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/2011/11/flash-focus.html
- Viacom’s MTV Acquires (leading Flash game/film boutique) Atom Entertainment for $200 Million: http://www.dmwmedia.com/news/2006/08/09/viacoms-mtv-acquires-atom-entertainment-for-200-million
- Viacom's MTV acquires social-gaming company SocialExpress: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100708/FREE/100709887
- Viacom profit jumps on cost cutting, cable revenueRead more: http://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100805/FREE/100809910
References
- ↑ Adobe Acquires Macromedia: http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/200504/041805AdobeAcquiresMacromedia.html
- ↑ http://www.adobe.com/content/dam/Adobe/en/devnet/swf/pdf/swf_file_format_spec_v10.pdf
- ↑ Adobe demos Flash-to-HTML5 conversion tool: http://blogs.adobe.com/jnack/2010/10/adobe-demos-flash-to-html5-conversion-tool.html
- ↑ OGG in Flash? Yes you can. Now how about WMA?: http://bcdef.org/2009/05/13/ogg-in-flash-yes-you-can-now-how-about-wma/
- ↑ wikipedia: Tamarin (JavaScript engine)
See Also
Adobe | ActionScript | Flex | HTML5 | Silverlight | JavaFX
