Javascript to detect flash player

[evan]

I am looking for a script (or link that explains how to do it) that will detect weather the user has a flash player running or not.

I don't want it to offer the option to install the player, rather I want it to:

detect if the user does not have it and simply trigger an event(as in swap out the swf for a static graphic or make the div containing the swf not visible)

this way the user doesn't have to take time to load a player.

I can use this in a function:

if (pluginlist.indexOf("Flash")!=-1)
document.write("You have flash installed")
but is that all I need -I have been looking at more complicated examples that look for all versions for different browsers.

[rangana]

A markup solution might be useful:


<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="225px" height="265px" data="http://example.com/flash/tearoom.swf">
<param name="movie" value="http://example.com/flash/tearoom.swf" />
<param name="quality" value="high" />
<h1>You don't have flash on your machine</h1>
</object>


If there is no flash installed, the markup inside the object tag will be seen then, otherwise, the flash will become visible and the markup hidden.

Hope that helps.

[evan]

a different approach...
Initailly I have two divs.
a static logo and a flash version of the logo.

So I opted to make two divs and run a javascript to check for flash then have it make the div holding the flash (with the z-index set so it's in front) invisible after javascript did it's check and if there was no flash player detected -using getElementId.

I tried it and it works!:


<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="225px" height="265px" data="http://example.com/flash/tearoom.swf">
<param name="movie" value="http://example.com/flash/tearoom.swf" />
<param name="quality" value="high" />


<div id="masthead"> <!--contains static logo --> </div>
</object>

[evan]

It worked like a charm -how? so why would doing this with javascript even be an option?

[rangana]

If there is a way to do things without JS, then it's better to opt it first. JS can be disabled anytime, while pure mark-up/server-side scripts won't be controlled by user.

Hop that makes sense.

[evan]

This line seemed intresting since there is no example.com or any file name tearoom.swf -so what does putting it there do?



<param name="movie" value="http://example.com/flash/tearoom.swf" />

re: javascript -I have been hearing that.