Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

Using Flash on Web Pages

Flash movies can be placed on a web page, or they can be used as a web page. Moreover, with the advanced scripting present since Flash 5, and the inclusion of server-side applications such as Flash Media Server 2, Breeze, and Flex, the uses for Flash movies are limited only by imagination. Some possibilities include:

• Art and motion graphics

• Animation and cartooning

• Splash pages, intros, and ad banners

• Interaction and navigation

• Multimedia web sites

• Video and audio players

• E-commerce

• Rich media applications

• Data and statistical applications

• Web-based training

• Distance learning

• Live communication

While Flash introduces a number of significant improvements over what can be accomplished using just HTML and scripting in the browser, there are a few drawbacks to using Flash as well. Let’s look at the pros and cons of using Flash on a site.