Modern ways to download Flash Player

What if a visitor doesn't have Flash Player installed? In this case, you probably would like to offer an easy way to download the latest version of the plug-in. Throughout the years, many efforts have been made to achieve this goal, some better than others. For example, traditional publishing methods for rich media content created for Flash Player rely on nonstandardized methods to download the latest version of Flash Player. Markup like the following:

<embed ... pluginspage="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer" />

does not allow the use of alternative content and will result in the notorious click-to-download puzzle piece (see Figure 8), or something similar, like a Lego block.

Figure 8. Puzzle-piece icon indicating the need to download a plug-in

Markup like the following:

<object ... codebase="http://fpdownload.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=8,0,0,0">

results in a missing content icon and a rather obtrusive and confusing information bar in Microsoft Internet Explorer (see Figure 9).

Figure 9. Internet Explorer prompt to install Flash Player as an ActiveX control

The SWFObject 2 project team advises you not to use these outdated methods anymore and offers two improved methods to download Flash Player instead: Adobe Express Install and alternative content, which can be used in tandem.

The first method is a mechanism built into Flash Player that enables you to upgrade an outdated Flash plug-in to the latest version without having to browse to the Adobe website. It displays a standardized download dialog box (see Figure 10).

Figure 10. Adobe Express Install prompt to update Flash Player

Express Install uses a pop-up confirmation window and is therefore an optional feature that can be activated by web authors.

The second method—fallback content—offers an unobtrusive way to download Flash Player. By default, SWFObject 2 Generator publishes the following alternative content:

<a href="http://www.adobe.com/go/getflashplayer">
    <img src="http://www.adobe.com/images/shared/download_buttons/get_flash_player.gif" alt="Get Adobe Flash player" />
</a>

This results in a "Get Adobe Flash Player" button to point visitors to where they can download the plug-in (see Figure 11).

Figure 11. Standard "Get Adobe Flash Player" button

Please note that this is just stub markup that conveys the Flash Player download link and accompanying download icon ready to be customized by web authors. As an example, you could add a few lines of copy to your alternative content explaining that the intended interactive or audiovisual user experience requires the latest version of Flash Player, with a link to the download page. When using SWFObject 2 dynamic publishing, you should add that modern JavaScript support is required too.

When you update the previous example and show it to visitors without Flash Player support, it will look like Figure 12 (also available as index2_updated.html from the example_2 folder).

Figure 12. Updated alternative content prompting the user to install the latest version of Flash Player

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