Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
parameters are for the width and height, respectively. Finally, the last
one is the Flash Player version to test for. This one is exactly like the
static method in that it is in the form of major.minor.release or just
major. For a ton more information on SWFObject, please pay a visit
to the Google Code page at http://code.google.com/p/swfobject/.
Default Images
Now, I know this is going to sound really crazy, but what if an end
user doesn
t
haveJavaScriptturnedon?OrwhatifheorsheisusingaFlash
blocker? Sure, you could just say it
'
t have Flash installed? Or what if he or she doesn
'
'
shisorherloss,butit
'
s really
your client
s loss (and thereby your loss). In the interest of driving
all possible users to your client and to keep your client happy with
you, you
'
ll really want to serve up a default image in place of the
Flash banner to these unfortunate few people. Note the spots that
say
'
in Example 3.7 and Example 3.8. Basically
your default .gif or .jpg is either a still frame or animation (.gif)
that can get the same branding and messaging across that your
Flash file does. While designing and saving your default images for
the Web, keep file size in mind because the sites that will be show-
ing them generally give you even less than they do for your
Flash files.
Alternative content
Quality Control
Once you have built your ads, it is best to have someone other
than yourself test them. This is simply because you are too close to
the project and you know exactly what to do and when to do it.
Quality control
s job is not only to make sure your work is within
the specs it should be, but also to basically try to break your work
by doing nearly anything it takes to do so. While in this step of the
process, your ads should be hammered as if an end user wants to
provethatheorshecanrenderyouraduseless(yes,thereare
people out there who will do it just to show that they can). In addi-
tion, your ads should be tested on different operating systems, in
different browsers, with different versions of the Flash Player, with
and without the Flash Player or JavaScript, and with pretty much
anything else that may cause them to either perform in an unex-
pected manner or not perform at all. The end goal of all of this is
obviously to make sure that your ad shows, plays, and is as interac-
tive as it should be to as many end users as possible. As I men-
tioned in Chapter 1, you should expect to receive fixes and revisions
from your quality control person or team. You
'
ll also remember
from that chapter that I discussed doing the best you can to test and
'
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