Sniffing Flash

**Joshie76** · Sep 26, 2001, 02:51

Is there a way to use JavaScript to sniff for the flash plug-in in IE?

Basically, I want to do a flash splash above a login - but if the browser doesn't have flash then show a static (don't want them to download it if they don't have it).

Josh

**Dan Morgan** · Sep 26, 2001, 05:53

The way I do it is use Dreamweavers built in Flash Detection in a blank html page. The script will run and redirect the user without them really knowing.

If they have Flash it will redirect them to loginflash.htm, and if they dont then to loginstatic.htm or whatever, which you can set accordingly. If you dont have dreamweaver the code is below.

Code:

<html>
<head>
<title>Untitled Document</title>
<meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1">
<script language="JavaScript">
<!--
function MM_checkPlugin(plgIn, theURL, altURL, autoGo) { //v4.0
  var ok=false; document.MM_returnValue = false;
  with (navigator) if (appName.indexOf('Microsoft')==-1 || (plugins && plugins.length)) {
    ok=(plugins && plugins[plgIn]);
  } else if (appVersion.indexOf('3.1')==-1) { //not Netscape or Win3.1
    if (plgIn.indexOf("Flash")!=-1 && window.MM_flash!=null) ok=window.MM_flash;
    else if (plgIn.indexOf("Director")!=-1 && window.MM_dir!=null) ok=window.MM_dir;
    else ok=autoGo; }
  if (!ok) theURL=altURL; if (theURL) window.location=theURL;
}
//-->
</script>
</head>

<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000" onLoad="MM_checkPlugin('Shockwave Flash','loginflash.htm','loginstatic.htm',false);return document.MM_returnValue">
</body>
<script name="Used by MM_checkPlugin" language="javascript">
<!--
with (navigator) if (appName.indexOf('Microsoft')!=-1 && appVersion.indexOf('Mac')==-1) document.write(''+
'<scr'+'ipt language="VBScript">\nOn error resume next\n'+
'MM_dir = IsObject(CreateObject("SWCtl.SWCtl.1"))\n'+
'MM_flash = NOT IsNull(CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash"))\n</scr'+'ipt>');
//-->
</script>
</html>

**creole** · Oct 3, 2001, 07:34

Or you could simply use Flash to detect Flash. Put a 10x10 movie clip on a page with a GET URL action. IF the user has Flash installed, then Flash will take over and take them to the proper page. If they don't then you put a META refresh or something like that on the page to take them to ths static version.

**Joshie76** · Oct 3, 2001, 07:37

Thanks guys.

Creole - wouldn't your suggestion result in IE trying to download the ActiveX for flash or is this additional code that needs to be placed on the page?

J

**pnathan** · Oct 3, 2001, 10:23

This is what I use. I have a feeling that Creole's suggestion would create a trap site! This will check if the browser has flash, if it does, the script sends the flash to the browser, if not, the script sends an image to the browser.


<SCRIPT LANGUAGE=JavaScript>

</SCRIPT>


<SCRIPT LANGUAGE=VBScript>
Private i, x, MM_FlashControlVersion
On Error Resume Next
x = null
MM_FlashControlVersion = 0
var Flashmode
FlashMode = False
For i = 5 To 1 Step -1
Set x = CreateObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash." & i)
MM_FlashControlInstalled = IsObject(x)
If MM_FlashControlInstalled Then
MM_FlashControlVersion = CStr(i)
Exit For
End If
Next
FlashMode = (MM_FlashControlVersion >= 5)
If FlashMode = True Then
document.write "<object classid=""clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000"" codebase=""http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=5,0,30,0"" width=""342"" height=""111""><param name=movie value=""images/flash/logo.swf?""><param name=quality value=high><param name=""salign"" value=""tl""><param name=""menu"" value=""0""><embed src=""images/flash/logo.swf"" quality=high pluginspage=""http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash"" type=""application/x-shockwave-flash"" width=""342"" height=""111"" salign=""tl"" menu=""0""></embed></object>"
Else
document.write "<img src=""images/logo_big.gif"" width=""342"" height=""111"">"
End If
</SCRIPT>

**Joshie76** · Oct 3, 2001, 10:50

sweeet

**Arielladog** · Oct 3, 2001, 19:57

You can also check out:

http://66.34.42.140/forums/showthrea...ighlight=flash

aDog

**creole** · Oct 3, 2001, 22:44

Nope...not only does it detect Flash in general but it detects which version you have.

It goes something like this:

frame1 contains an action only available to Flash 5. If the browser has a plugin that understand that action then it goes to page 5.

frame2 contains an action only available to Flash 4. If the browser has a plugin that understand that action then it goes to page 4.

and so on. In the background is a META refresh set for like 10 seconds. The detection file is like 1k so it takes no time at all to load and run. If the user has no Flash after all of the above, then the META takes them to the "no flash" page.

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