At 2:22 PM -0500 1/17/01, Aaron Johnson wrote:
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>That's where Flash usually exists does it not? The point is that
>where Flash really shines is it's ability to mimic "instant feedback"
>to the user... ie: user clicks button, instantly shows "Press
>Releases" or whatever.. and thus you have (1) html page that contains
>one big .swf with all those features.. there isn't a need for
>multiple HTML pages, in fact the only benefit to doing it your way
>would be that you could bookmark a Flash file.. you still can't
>search it's text with CTRL-F or with an indexing engine... printing
>is marginally better in Flash 5, you still can't bookmark a specific
>layer even if you have multiple HTML pages.
While what you say "to mimic "instant feedback" is one use of Flash,
it isn't he only one.
It also can be used to attain faster feedback when interfacing the client.
It is not necessary to download "one big .swf" that anticipates all
the user's choices. You can have a small, attractive, simple .swf
that interfaces the server for information based on user input... an
equivalent to an html form.
this is more efficient because:
to display the requested information, only the data (not the html) need
be transmitted to the browser
The Flash plugin inherently provides browser/platform compatibility... there
is no need to transmit markup or client-side script routines to accomplish
this.
With limited experimentation on a simple form, I have found that
Flash can refresh the form in less than 1/2 the time it takes with
conventional methods.
For the performance of my apps in particular, and of the web in
general, this is too significant again to ignore.
>
>When it comes down to it, what is Flash really usable for? Display of
>information? No. Showing store products in a dynamic environment?
>No.
Both of these can be done better, and with less bandwidth (and much
more readably/useably) than with html alone.
A simple example of usability:
the user inputs and invalid field (or partial field)
the CF app returns this field (or portion) hilited in bold or red. No need
to transmit an error page, etc.... no popups, no error messages to
decipher...
the user's attention is focused on the exact problem... a glaring error
You could have a standard catalog page as a .swf... then change the
content only based on user selection. Again, the entire page need
not be retransmitted and redisplayed... only the changed content
whether it be images or text or sample sound snippets.
Someday, client-side presentation services will allow efficient
merging of static data on the client (or in the cache) with dynamic
data from the server, through html x.x html or whatever.
Flash offers his today.
>Showing dynamic graphs and 3d images? Sure. I gotta be honest
>in saying that the only place I see Flash right now is @ cool
>development shop sites... Raremedium, Juxt... even the Macromedia
>showcase for Flash (http://www.macromedia.com/showcase/) mentions a)
>ad banners, b) sound, c) complex client side applications... Flash
>isn't going to take over the www. It wasn't made too.
>
>Just my thoughts...
>
>Aaron Johnson, MCSE, MCP+I
>Allaire Certified ColdFusion Developer
>MINDSEYE, Inc.
><phn>617.350.0339
><fax>617.350.8884
><icq>66172567
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
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