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Object Tag 0.2 Released - feedback appreciated

Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 6:40 pm
by viebig
Hello people!

I just uploaded the new version of the Object Tag. Since it´s been tested and used on production sites, I will list some benefits you can achieve on using it, and I´ve added a really special feature that´s helping me a lot with Acessibility and SEO on flash whole made sites using CMSMS as a backend.

Why would you use it?

Do you like accessibility? seo? web standards? flash? media player? quicktime? All together? No javascript? A standard way to include flash, media player or quicktime movies without repeat the whole code? A way that fits on any good browser and even IE(that I not tag as good)? Try it. Use It. 

First, you can find it here:

http://dev.cmsmadesimple.org/projects/objecttag/

just download it and put on you /plugins folder

Now when you go to Extensions -> Tags on CMSMS Admin, the object tag should be listed as 'object'.

Dont be so rush, and take a good look at the Help link.

It´s simple! But I will teach a few more tricks, and how I am using this tag to deliver not just movies, but whole dynamic flash content driven by CMSMS using the Object Tag.

I´ve added two new params, the 'open' and 'close' options.

If you want to display a flash movie, and want a alternative content if the user dont have flash enabled, use a device that not support flash, or the version of Flash that you´re using and/or want with to be WAI Accessibility Standards Compliant, you should use something like:

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{object src='uploads/movie.swf' height='300' width='300' param='quality::low||bgcolor::#ffffff' alt='Alternative content'}
Ok, that was easy, but limited if this alternative content is more than a single line or a link. Now you can do the same using the new 'open' and 'close' params as:

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{object open=1 src='uploads/movie.swf' height='300' width='300' param='quality::low||bgcolor::#ffffff'}

Alternative content, Download Link, a content block, a menu tag, any tag, any module, anything that represents the flash movie original content

{object close=1}
Note that you can add any content between the two call to the object tag.

Let´s go further, let´s send some data to flash via flashvars!

Ok, to do this, let´s organize the job! First we need to add a new content block to the template, and let´s assign the contents to a variable. Put this somewhere on you template.

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{content block='flashvars' assign='flashvars' wysiwyg='false'}
Great, now any page associated with this template will show a new textarea on edit page. The idea it to put on this content block the value of the FlashVars param so put something like:

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text=This text is dynamic, provided from CMSMS!&text2=More dynamic text
ok, now we can call the object tag and set the flashvars using this content block! Look:

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{object open=1 src='uploads/movie.swf' height='300' width='300' param='FlashVars::$flashvars||bgcolor::#ffffff'}

Some alternative content, or even the same data(xhtml formatted) we´re sending to flash.

Download flash player link.

{object close=1}
Now inside you movie there will be two new variables text and text2.

This is just and idea, use it the way you like it!

This practice in the only SEO and Accessibility compliant with the search engines specifications and WAI standards.

Currently my showcase is http://www.restaurantekinoshita.com.br

There is just one movie and I have all pages indexeds, with own meta tags, keywords and content.  In this case, after you went throught one page, you will stay on that page navigating the whole site, since we have a great jazz!

But check out http://www.google.com.br/search?q=site% ... ita.com.br

All the pages are indexed, each one with the same content as flash, own meta keywords and description! All the links are indexed too!

Remember, to view the alternative content, you have to use a xhtml compliant text browser, or a browser that dont have flash installed. It´s pratically impossible to turn flash off(FlashBlock wont work because it do not show the alternative content). Or try viewing the source code!

Try Goggling Amaya for a good W3C compliant browser.

Please send me feedback, suggestions and improvements! 

Thank you, and enjoy!

PS: Thanks to this forum  :), that saved all this text you´re reading right now (my cpu crashed when I was writing)

Re: Object Tag 0.2 Released - feedback appreciated

Posted: Sat Jul 19, 2008 8:51 pm
by viebig
still waiting the feedback  :)

check http://www.heineken.com.br

Re: Object Tag 0.2 Released - feedback appreciated

Posted: Wed Jul 30, 2008 11:20 am
by nuno
FANTASTIC WORK ;)

Best regards
Nuno Costa

Re: Object Tag 0.2 Released - feedback appreciated

Posted: Sat Aug 02, 2008 10:32 pm
by Jean le Chauve
muito obrigado.
Agora nos podemos tomar uma boa cerveza con os meilhores SEO  ;D

Re: Object Tag 0.2 Released - feedback appreciated

Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 6:43 pm
by nuno
Jean le Chauve wrote: muito obrigado.
Agora nos podemos tomar uma boa cerveza con os meilhores SEO  ;D
wow :)

Re: Object Tag 0.2 Released - feedback appreciated

Posted: Sun Aug 03, 2008 8:51 pm
by viebig
soon ore will come,

please let me know about your implementation! dont need to post public, pm or email me

I want suggestions, bugs and etc!

Re: Object Tag 0.2 Released - feedback appreciated

Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 7:06 am
by christiaans
I'm completely off-topic here, but darn, what is that song? I absolutely love it :D.

Ontopic: I will most certainly test it as soon as possible!

Re: Object Tag 0.2 Released - feedback appreciated

Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 3:20 pm
by viebig
what song? the heineken track was developed just for the site!

Re: Object Tag 0.2 Released - feedback appreciated

Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:30 pm
by rodeto
Just perfect!
I was already adding my own code into the template. The code I used was

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<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
data="c.swf?path=movie.swf" 
width="940" height="134">
<param name="movie" 
value="c.swf?path=movie.swf" />
</object> 
as discussed on A List Apart but this is much easier.

There is just one issue: in IE6 I need to click OK in a popup window to get the movie going. You might want to take a look at that

Re: Object Tag 0.2 Released - feedback appreciated

Posted: Mon Aug 04, 2008 6:10 pm
by christiaans
viebig wrote: what song? the heineken track was developed just for the site!
I meant the jazzy tune on http://www.restaurantekinoshita.com.br yes ;)

Re: Object Tag 0.2 Released - feedback appreciated

Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 1:06 am
by viebig
rodeto wrote: Just perfect!
I was already adding my own code into the template. The code I used was

Code: Select all

<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash"
data="c.swf?path=movie.swf" 
width="940" height="134">
<param name="movie" 
value="c.swf?path=movie.swf" />
</object> 
as discussed on A List Apart but this is much easier.

There is just one issue: in IE6 I need to click OK in a popup window to get the movie going. You might want to take a look at that
well, ie6 really sucks at that point. My intention is clear: provide the correct way to display objects using a xhtml compliant object tag, with acessibility and SEO support.

I have no intention to adapt it to a specific browser. The browsers that should be compliant with the webstandards. This is a IE bug/security implementation.


I dont know why IE6 would trigger a warning. Anyway I´ll try to find out.

There is one solution to prevent this warning, currently I dont have time and IE6 to test it, if you can do it for me I would be glad, and if this works I will launch a new update on cmsms forge.

Put this code imediatelly after the object tag call

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<__script__ type="text/javascript">
objects = document.getElementsByTagName("object");
for (var i = 0; i < objects.length; i++)
{
    objects[i].outerHTML = objects[i].outerHTML;
}
<__script__>

Re: Object Tag 0.2 Released - feedback appreciated

Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 7:18 am
by rodeto
viebig wrote: well, ie6 really sucks at that point. My intention is clear: provide the correct way to display objects using a xhtml compliant object tag, with acessibility and SEO support.

I have no intention to adapt it to a specific browser. The browsers that should be compliant with the webstandards. This is a IE bug/security implementation.
You're absolutely right there but there are still a lot of people who use this. And because of that I will keep it on my list and provide the website as good as possible for them too.

When you have the time you might want to have a look at the article on A List Apart. No JS needed there :)

But as I said before: a great tag! Thanks for that.

Re: Object Tag 0.2 Released - feedback appreciated

Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2008 11:42 am
by viebig
honestly, I dont know if it my english or it´s my hurry, but I did not see anything related with that issue on this Article.

The object tag dont use javascript at all. That script I sent you was a a dirty and quick solution, not tested by me.

If you could point me to the correct paragraph, I would appreciate it!

Re: Object Tag 0.2 Released - feedback appreciated

Posted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 7:46 pm
by Jean le Chauve
Great Viebig :)
Look there : http://www.zoomjeune.be/concours/candid ... production
object : video wall  8)

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{object open=1 src='http://www.youtube.com/v/2rwa_3RRAKc&hl=fr&fs=1' height='344' width='425' class='flashplayer image-candidat'}
Vidéo de Elraton Production{object close=1}
<br /><br />
{object open=1 src='http://www.dailymotion.com/videowall/Lenouveaujasoneur&cols=5&rows=2' height='168' width='462' 
class='flashplayer dm_videowall' param='wmode::transparent||allowscriptaccess::always'}Mur vidéo de Elraton Production
{object close=1}
rapaz, eu o devo uma maracuyároska.

Re: Object Tag 0.2 Released - feedback appreciated

Posted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 3:35 am
by viebig
great job!

thanks for using it! fell free to add sugestions!