Specifications

CHAPTER 17
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Alternatives to Express Install
When you add the Express Install script to your wrapper, one of the following results occur when a client requests
that wrapper:
• Client runs the application.
• Client upgrades Flash Player by using Express Install and then runs the application.
• Client upgrades Flash Player by using alternative method and then runs the application.
• Client does not upgrade Flash Player and runs alternate content.
Users who do not update the Flash Player version by using Express Install generally fall into the following
categories:
• Browser with disabled scripting If the browser disables JavaScript, the browser executes content in the
<noscript> tag of the wrapper. The version detection logic from the index.template.html and AC_OETags.js files
is not interpreted when your wrapper is loaded into a browser, nor is Express Install usable.
• Browser with no Flash Player installed If the browser has no Flash Player installed but JavaScript is
enabled, the browser executes the alternate content area in the
<script> tag of the wrapper.
• Browser with Flash Player version earlier than 6.0.65 If Flash Player is not new enough to run the Express
Install SWF file (playerProductInstall.swf), but JavaScript is enabled, the browser executes the alternate content
area in the
<script> tag of the wrapper.
• User refuses Flash Player installation or upgrade If the user declines to install Flash Player or to upgrade
their version of Flash Player, the browser executes the alternate content area in the
<script> tag of the wrapper.
It is up to you to determine whether to provide content in HTML format or some other format that the browser
can render without using Flash Player.
In situations where the browser executes alternate content, you can use the
<object> and <embed> tags to embed
your Flex application and provide an upgrade and installation path for players that are old or missing.
The
<object> tag’s codebase property is used to enforce the player versioning for a Microsoft Internet Explorer
browser. The tag adds support for basic player version detection and installation. The
codebase property defines
the minimum version specified at the end of the CAB file’s location (for example,
#version=9,0,0). If the
browser requests this page with a player version older than that, the user is prompted to upgrade their player. This
installation can occur without the user having to restart the browser.
The
<embed> tag’s pluginspage property is used for Firefox, Netscape 8, and Mozilla-based browsers. If there is
no plug-in installed, the browser displays a plug-in icon and the text “Click here to get the plug-in.” When a user
clicks the icon, they are directed to an appropriate location, depending on the type of browser being used, where
they can download and install the latest version of Flash Player. The
pluginspage property does not enforce a
required version of the plug-in.