Flash Menu - Using the same menu_data.js file

Post by **Andy** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 7:20 pm

If Milonic produced a Flash based menu that used a data file in the same way as the DHTML menu, would you use it? Or is Flash too restrictive at the moment?

Your comments would be most appreciated.

Cheers
Andy

Post by **John** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 8:45 pm

Too restrictive. We must maintain accessible sites here, and Flash isn't fully up to it yet.

timrivera · Post by **timrivera** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 8:45 pm

I don't know how I'm supposed to vote, but I personally would prefer to use JavaScript instead of a plugin. But then this menu is the first time in seven years that I've used JavaScript, due to JS's unreliability. (So this is a compliment to the Milonic Menu.)

Tim

Post by **John** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 8:47 pm

timrivera wrote:I don't know how I'm supposed to vote...

Just click on a button and hit Submit Vote.

timrivera · Post by **timrivera** » Mon Jan 05, 2004 8:52 pm

jgillett wrote:Just click on a button and hit Submit Vote.

There weren't any buttons or a useable form a few minutes ago. Now that I have voted, I see that for some reason the results were originally displayed instead of the voting form.

kevin3442 · Post by **kevin3442** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 7:17 am

timrivera wrote:...There weren't any buttons or a useable form a few minutes ago. Now that I have voted, I see that for some reason the results were originally displayed instead of the voting form.

You weren't logged into the forum the first time you opened the thread. You can only vote if you're logged in (but if your viewing as a "guest" you can still see the results).

Kevin

tepidarium · Post by **tepidarium** » Tue Jan 06, 2004 5:56 pm

I think a flash menu version of Milonic would be a great solution.

I actually think a flash version of Milonic would be MORE accessible than the current DHTML -

Reasons why:

1. True Flash is a plugin-but the plugin has a huge installed userbase.

2. The DHTML menu actually has a number of instabilities in older browsers and platforms (i.e. Netscape 4.7 on MAC OS 9 , IE 5 for MAC, etc).

3. The new versions of the DHTML seem to borrow styles from existing style sheets -may not be desirable.

--
Having the menu in flash would make the menu independent and stable and limit conflicts and interactions with other scripts that cause problems.

I would LOVE a Flash milonic menu!

my .02 cents

Hergio · Post by **Hergio** » Wed Jan 07, 2004 10:32 pm

I actually think it would be a nice product to add to the Milonic family. As long as it does not take away from the javascript version of the menu. What would be nice about it is (1) you could get some NICE effects without piling up the filesize and (2) Macromedia would do the job of creating plugins that were compatible with ALL the browsers, Milonic would just have to make sure the menu code worked with certain versions of flash.

Downside, you are relying on another company to provide the underlying technology so you'd have to work through any changes they make to it, considering its a non-standard and created by a private company who can do what they like with flash technologies. But thats not a biggie since flash is so widely used. You're doing it now with the browser makers.

But again, I stress, the javascript version should remain the meat and potatoes of the Milonic menu product line and the flash version would be a nice side dish.

It shouldnt take away from its development.

flii · Post by **flii** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 4:18 pm

i come from a world where the people i know purposely don't install flash, shockwave, etc on their main browser (which isn't ie) so they can avoid the ads that use those programs. i personally don't have them installed, but i do have to agree most people do since they use ie. i probably would never use a flash version, but it does sound like a pretty good idea. flash has a lot of advantages in some areas, but i'd prefer the js version.

since the voting options go straight from "never" to "i'd give it some thought", i'll mark my vote here as a simply "probably not", because i highly doubt i ever will, but hey, you never know.

and really, you have to give andy credit for managing to make the menu better all the time.

it's gotta be hard to do as often as he does!

Post by **John** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 4:25 pm

flii wrote:and really, you have to give andy credit for managing to make the menu better all the time. it's gotta be hard to do as often as he does!

Trust me - it is

Andy is dedicated to this thing almost to a fault, as you obviously know.

Your kind words (and Flash comments) are most appreciated.

tepidarium · Post by **tepidarium** » Thu Jan 08, 2004 5:29 pm

It mis undeniable that flash is a mainstream plug-in installed on most computers. I think concern over flash plugin propogation is on the same level as concern over people using version 4 browsers.

The menu in flash would seem to have many advantages as Hergio pointed out in his post above...

once again, I'd love to see it.

tepidarium · Post by **tepidarium** » Fri Jan 16, 2004 6:05 pm

You know...one thing flash has going for it is that, assuming people have flash installed, it's a stable platform which probably won't cause the weird browser incompatibility problems that DHTML can...

Besides if the user doesn't have flash...the menu just won't appear...at least it won't crash the browser as can happen with dhtml...

btw - take a look at this menu -

http://www.secretplus.com/flashwebmenu/index.html

- the generator isn't practical to use but if milonic could be emulated into a quick loading file like this I think that would be a powerful solution.

Milonic JavaScript Menu

Flash Menu - Using the same menu_data.js file

Would you use a Flash Menu

Flash Menu - Using the same menu_data.js file