Cross Browser Flash Detection in Javascript

Question

Does anyone have an example of script that can work reliably well across IE/Firefox to detect if the browser is capable of displaying embedded flash content. I say reliably because I know its not possible 100% of the time.

Answer 1

SWFObject is very reliable. I have used it without trouble for quite a while.

Answer 2

I agree with Max Stewart. SWFObject is the way to go. I'd like to supplement his answer with a code example. This ought to to get you started:

Make sure you have included the swfobject.js file (get it here):

<script type="text/javascript" src="swfobject.js"></script>

Then use it like so:

if(swfobject.hasFlashPlayerVersion("9.0.115"))
{
    alert("You have the minimum required flash version (or newer)");
}
else
{
    alert("You do not have the minimum required flash version");
}

Replace "9.0.115" with whatever minimum flash version you need. I chose 9.0.115 as an example because that's the version that added h.264 support.

If the visitor does not have flash, it will report a flash version of "0.0.0", so if you just want to know if they have flash at all, use:

if(swfobject.hasFlashPlayerVersion("1"))
{
    alert("You have flash!");
}
else
{
    alert("You do not flash :-(");
}

Answer 3

I know this is an old post, but I've been looking for a while and didn't find anything.
I've implemented the JavaScript Flash Detection Library. It works very well and it is documented for quick use. It literally took me 2 minutes. Here is the code I wrote in the header:

<script src="Scripts/flash_detect.js"></script>
<script type="text/javascript"> 
 if (!FlashDetect.installed) {
    alert("Flash is required to enjoy this site.");         
 } else {
    alert("Flash is installed on your Web browser.");
 }
</script>        

Answer 4

You could use closure compiler to generate a small, cross-browser flash detection:

// ==ClosureCompiler==
// @compilation_level ADVANCED_OPTIMIZATIONS
// @output_file_name default.js
// @formatting pretty_print
// @use_closure_library true
// ==/ClosureCompiler==

// ADD YOUR CODE HERE
goog.require('goog.userAgent.flash');
if (goog.userAgent.flash.HAS_FLASH) {
    alert('flash version: '+goog.userAgent.flash.VERSION);
}else{
    alert('no flash found');
}

which results in the following "compiled" code:

var a = !1,
    b = "";

function c(d) {
    d = d.match(/[\d]+/g);
    d.length = 3;
    return d.join(".")
}
if (navigator.plugins && navigator.plugins.length) {
    var e = navigator.plugins["Shockwave Flash"];
    e && (a = !0, e.description && (b = c(e.description)));
    navigator.plugins["Shockwave Flash 2.0"] && (a = !0, b = "2.0.0.11")
} else {
    if (navigator.mimeTypes && navigator.mimeTypes.length) {
        var f = navigator.mimeTypes["application/x-shockwave-flash"];
        (a = f && f.enabledPlugin) && (b = c(f.enabledPlugin.description))
    } else {
        try {
            var g = new ActiveXObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash.7"),
                a = !0,
                b = c(g.GetVariable("$version"))
        } catch (h) {
            try {
                g = new ActiveXObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash.6"), a = !0, b = "6.0.21"
            } catch (i) {
                try {
                    g = new ActiveXObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash"), a = !0, b = c(g.GetVariable("$version"))
                } catch (j) {}
            }
        }
    }
}
var k = b;
a ? alert("flash version: " + k) : alert("no flash found");

Answer 5

Minimum version I've ever used (doesn't check version, just Flash Plugin):

var hasFlash = function() {
    return (typeof navigator.plugins == "undefined" || navigator.plugins.length == 0) ? !!(new ActiveXObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash")) : navigator.plugins["Shockwave Flash"];
};

Answer 6

Carl Yestrau's JavaScript Flash Detection Library, here:

http://www.featureblend.com/javascript-flash-detection-library.html

... may be what you're looking for.

Answer 7

Perhaps adobe's flash player detection kit could be helpful here?

http://www.adobe.com/products/flashplayer/download/detection_kit/

Answer 8

Detecting and embedding Flash within a web document is a surprisingly difficult task.

I was very disappointed with the quality and non-standards compliant markup generated from both SWFObject and Adobe's solutions. Additionally, my testing found Adobe's auto updater to be inconsistent and unreliable.

The JavaScript Flash Detection Library (Flash Detect) and JavaScript Flash HTML Generator Library (Flash TML) are a legible, maintainable and standards compliant markup solution.

-"Luke read the source!"

Answer 9

Code for one liner isFlashExists variable:

<script type='text/javascript'
    src='//ajax.googleapis.com/ajax/libs/swfobject/2.2/swfobject.js'> </script>

<script type='text/javascript'>
   var isFlashExists = swfobject.hasFlashPlayerVersion('1') ? true : false ;
   if (isFlashExists) {
    alert ('flash exists');
   } else {
    alert ('NO flash');
   }
</script>

Note that there is an alternative like this: swfobject.getFlashPlayerVersion();

Answer 10

View the source at http://whatsmy.browsersize.com (lines 14-120).

Here is the abstracted cross browser code on jsbin for flash detection only, works on: FF/IE/Safari/Opera/Chrome.

Answer 11

what about:

var hasFlash = function() {
    var flash = false;
    try{
        if(new ActiveXObject('ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash')){
            flash=true;
        }
    }catch(e){
        if(navigator.mimeTypes ['application/x-shockwave-flash'] !== undefined){
            flash=true;
        }
    }
    return flash;
};

Answer 12

If you are interested in a pure Javascript solution, here is the one that I copy from Brett:

function detectflash(){
    if (navigator.plugins != null && navigator.plugins.length > 0){
        return navigator.plugins["Shockwave Flash"] && true;
    }
    if(~navigator.userAgent.toLowerCase().indexOf("webtv")){
        return true;
    }
    if(~navigator.appVersion.indexOf("MSIE") && !~navigator.userAgent.indexOf("Opera")){
        try{
            return new ActiveXObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash") && true;
        } catch(e){}
    }
    return false;
}

Answer 13

If you just wanted to check whether flash is enabled, this should be enough.

function testFlash() {

    var support = false;

    //IE only
    if("ActiveXObject" in window) {

        try{
            support = !!(new ActiveXObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash"));
        }catch(e){
            support = false;
        }

    //W3C, better support in legacy browser
    } else {

        support = !!navigator.mimeTypes['application/x-shockwave-flash'];

    }

    return support;

}

Note: avoid checking enabledPlugin, some mobile browser has tap-to-enable flash plugin, and will trigger false negative.

Answer 14

To create a Flash object standart-compliant (with JavaScript however), I recommend you take a look at

Unobtrusive Flash Objects (UFO)

http://www.bobbyvandersluis.com/ufo/index.html

Answer 15

Have created a small .swf which redirects. If the browser is flash enabled it will redirect.

package com.play48.modules.standalone.util;

import flash.net.URLRequest;


class Redirect {


static function main() {

    flash.Lib.getURL(new URLRequest("http://play48.com/flash.html"), "_self");

}

}

Answer 16

Using Google Closure compiler goog.require('goog.userAgent.flash') library I created this 2 functions.

boolean hasFlash()

Returns if browser has flash.

function hasFlash(){
    var b = !1;
    function c(a) {if (a = a.match(/[\d]+/g)) {a.length = 3;}}
    (function() {
    if (navigator.plugins && navigator.plugins.length) {
        var a = navigator.plugins["Shockwave Flash"];
        if (a && (b = !0, a.description)) {c(a.description);return;}
        if (navigator.plugins["Shockwave Flash 2.0"]) {b = !0;return;}
    }
    if (navigator.mimeTypes && navigator.mimeTypes.length && (a = navigator.mimeTypes["application/x-shockwave-flash"], b = !(!a || !a.enabledPlugin))) {c(a.enabledPlugin.description);return;}
    if ("undefined" != typeof ActiveXObject) {
        try {
            var d = new ActiveXObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash.7");b = !0;c(d.GetVariable("$version"));return;
        } catch (e) {}
        try {
            d = new ActiveXObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash.6");b = !0;
            return;
        } catch (e) {}
        try {
            d = new ActiveXObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash"), b = !0, c(d.GetVariable("$version"));
        } catch (e) {}
    }
    })();
    return b;
}

boolean isFlashVersion(version)

Returns if the flash version is greater than provided version

function isFlashVersion(version) {
    var e = String.prototype.trim ? function(a) {return a.trim()} : function(a) {return /^[\s\xa0]*([\s\S]*?)[\s\xa0]*$/.exec(a)[1]};
    function f(a, b) {return a < b ? -1 : a > b ? 1 : 0};
    var h = !1,l = "";
    function m(a) {a = a.match(/[\d]+/g);if (!a) {return ""}a.length = 3;return a.join(".")}
    (function() {
        if (navigator.plugins && navigator.plugins.length) {
            var a = navigator.plugins["Shockwave Flash"];
            if (a && (h = !0, a.description)) {l = m(a.description);return}
            if (navigator.plugins["Shockwave Flash 2.0"]) {h = !0;l = "2.0.0.11";return}
        }
        if (navigator.mimeTypes && navigator.mimeTypes.length && (a = navigator.mimeTypes["application/x-shockwave-flash"], h = !(!a || !a.enabledPlugin))) {l = m(a.enabledPlugin.description);return}
        if ("undefined" != typeof ActiveXObject) {
            try {
                var b = new ActiveXObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash.7");h = !0;l = m(b.GetVariable("$version"));return
            } catch (g) {}
            try {
                b = new ActiveXObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash.6");h = !0;l = "6.0.21";return
            } catch (g) {}
            try {
                b = new ActiveXObject("ShockwaveFlash.ShockwaveFlash"), h = !0, l = m(b.GetVariable("$version"))
            } catch (g) {}
        }
    })();
    var n = l;
    return (function(a) {
        var b = 0,g = e(String(n)).split(".");
        a = e(String(a)).split(".");
        for (var p = Math.max(g.length, a.length), k = 0; 0 == b && k < p; k++) {
            var c = g[k] || "",d = a[k] || "";
            do {
                c = /(\d*)(\D*)(.*)/.exec(c) || ["", "", "", ""];d = /(\d*)(\D*)(.*)/.exec(d) || ["", "", "", ""];
                if (0 == c[0].length && 0 == d[0].length) {break}
                b = f(0 == c[1].length ? 0 : parseInt(c[1], 10), 0 == d[1].length ? 0 : parseInt(d[1], 10)) || f(0 == c[2].length, 0 == d[2].length) || f(c[2], d[2]);c = c[3];d = d[3]
            } while (0 == b);
        }
        return 0 <= b
    })(version)
}