Flash or JavaScript?

Apr 19, 2016

Hello,

I have three questions about Flash and JavaScript.

  1. I need to know at a very high-level of when you use JavaScript and when you use Flash to customize Storyline. I think you use JavaScript if you want assets to talk to each other such as passing along a variable when something completes such as an embedded video. I know you use Flash to customize the player. Is there any other time that I need flash to customize something in Storyline? Basically, I need to know who to hire for this project.
  2. If the player requires flash to customize, and you use that customized player in a published Storyline course, why won't it play on html5 like other Storyline files?
  3. Which code do you use to make a custom seekbar or progress bar?

Cheers,

Julie

2 Replies
Alexandros Anoyatis

1) You would only use Flash (and ActionScript) when modifying the Articulate Player. There are some other uses (such as Flash widgets) that provide some kind of extra functionality (such as interactive backgrounds, Print functionality, Full Screen Functionality) but - being written in ActionScript - means they play only on Flash enabled browsers.

2) It doesn't work that way. Each published output uses it's own Player depending on what you tick on the Publish settings dialog. The Articulate SDK that you would use to modify the player shell is 'Flash Only'. This is what Articulate released, so basically this is what we're limited to. You could modify some things off the html5 player post publish, but nothing groundbreaking.

3) If you're talking about the Player seekbar, then Flash, but it would only work on Flash enabled browsers & content.

If you're talking about an in-slide custom seekbar and/or progress bar, then definitely Javascript.

In simple terms, if you need to modify the look of your Player shell, you use Flash.
If you need Storyline customization and bespoke functionality for both Flash and html5 outputs, you go with JavaScript.

My 2c,
Alex

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