Detect Flash?

[Kasracer]

Is there a way to use PHP to see if the user has flash installed and if so, what version?

I'd much rather use a detection method server-side, because client side it may not work correctly depending on the browser and/or preferences the user has chosen.

[The Hobo]

The thing with server-side is that it's...server-side, and can't do much with the client, except send output. So I doubt it's possible. But don't quote me. Maybe someone else will have a better answer.

[Kasracer]

Originally posted by The Hobo
The thing with server-side is that it's...server-side, and can't do much with the client, except send output. So I doubt it's possible. But don't quote me. Maybe someone else will have a better answer.

yar, that is what I was affraid of

[bekkel]

there are good javascripts for this..
if your php depends on it.. make a self refresing page using javascript..

[Kasracer]

Originally posted by bekkel
there are good javascripts for this..
if your php depends on it.. make a self refresing page using javascript..

I wanted to do this with PHP so I wouldn't have to depend on Java Script.

Browsers have the ability to turn off java script, and I want to be able to make a decision on where to send the person if they have flash or not. If they don't have flash and java script is disabled, then they'll just get nothing and leave.

That is why I was hoping for some sort of server-side solution, but I'm not even sure how that would even work.

[The Hobo]

Why not have a splash page with the option of text or flash? Even if I have flash enabled, back on my 56k days, I would have prefered the text version. That's how most do it (that I've seen).

[phpman]

if I am not mistaken doesn't flash have it's own check. if it doesn't load it will tell you that you need to upgrade?

[Kasracer]

Originally posted by The Hobo
Why not have a splash page with the option of text or flash? Even if I have flash enabled, back on my 56k days, I would have prefered the text version. That's how most do it (that I've seen).

No, I consider splash pages extremely annoying.

Originally posted by phpman
if I am not mistaken doesn't flash have it's own check. if it doesn't load it will tell you that you need to upgrade?

Yes it can do that, but then people would miss out on the site when they would go to install it or they would ignore it if they couldn't install it.

I'd rather a solution that is completely invisable to the user to make a decision on where to send the user.

[phpman]

Originally posted by kasracer
No, I consider splash pages extremely annoying.

Yes it can do that, but then people would miss out on the site when they would go to install it or they would ignore it if they couldn't install it.

I'd rather a solution that is completely invisable to the user to make a decision on where to send the user.

what is the difference, you send the user there or they go there themselves? either way you send the user away.

there is no other way unless you use flash or javascript.

[The Hobo]

Originally posted by kasracer
No, I consider splash pages extremely annoying.

Funny. I would find a page that gives me a Flash or HTML option to be awesome. Especially on a 56k.

Perhaps you find more than one option (or an option picked for you) to be annoying.

Weird.

[Kasracer]

Originally posted by phpman
what is the difference, you send the user there or they go there themselves? either way you send the user away.

When a user goes to a website, they shouldn't have to click again to enter, it's just bad design.

Originally posted by phpman
there is no other way unless you use flash or javascript.

Looks that way

Originally posted by The Hobo
Funny. I would find a page that gives me a Flash or HTML option to be awesome. Especially on a 56k.

I wanted it to be completely invisable to the user.

I know how to tell what kind of connection someone has through flash, so if the person didn't have flash I'd send them directly to the HTML version, otherwise I'd test the speed real quick and then send them to flash or html, depending on speed. But the user could switch to one or the other and set it as a preference which would be saved to a cookie or possibly a database.

The only problem is determining if flash is installed or not, bah so much for my idea

I'll continue to look to see if they're is any other options though.

[CornedBee]

Send them to a text-only version where there is a JavaScript that advances to a Flash version if it is installed. This way those without JavaScript stay at the text version and someone who disables JavaScript is unlikely to allow Flash anyway. And there is not a single browser that supports Flash but not JavaScript.

[The Hobo]

Originally posted by kasracer
I wanted it to be completely invisable to the user.

I know how to tell what kind of connection someone has through flash, so if the person didn't have flash I'd send them directly to the HTML version, otherwise I'd test the speed real quick and then send them to flash or html, depending on speed. But the user could switch to one or the other and set it as a preference which would be saved to a cookie or possibly a database.

Well, I guess that's better. I just hate flash websites sometimes. In fact, except for cool little games, I hate flash altogether.

So I give mad to sites that allow me to have a text version.

[Kasracer]

Originally posted by The Hobo
Well, I guess that's better. I just hate flash websites sometimes. In fact, except for cool little games, I hate flash altogether.

So I give mad to sites that allow me to have a text version.

Well my site was mainly going to be as a portfolio to demonstrate things I could do, so I wanted an entire flash version and an entire XHTML/CSS version.

I was also going to have coding and other stuff on another site with no flash or anything like that on it.