What do you all consider about Flash Buttons for Site Navigation.Can they be trusted so other users can see it and navigate easily.

I know you can have a script running that replaces a flash movie with a gif or jpg if they don't have flash enabled on their browser. This way they can navigate with normal image links as opposed to flash.

There are a variety of browsers and browser versions which do not support flash. If it's important that *everyone* be able to navigate your site then Flash is probably not a great choice.

Thanks for your replies,

SO what would be a better alternative:-

Swap Images
or
DHTML Links.

Some people also disable javascript. You need to know who your target audiance is. Can you tell us more about the site?

It will be a learning site for students,teachers and parents in India.Most of the people here surf the internet from cyber cafes as very few have their own computers. Also i want the site to be good looking if not visually stunning.

if you have a 5+ browser, and you go to a site with Flash animation, does it not automatically install the flash player into your browser? ( shockwave or Flash 5 player, whatever) i have seen it happen on IE 5+

i know a few months ago it might have been a hassle for folks trying to put flash on their site, but i just don't see a lot of people out there now involuntarily using anything less than a 5+ browser.

Look at your logs...many people use old browsers...some because we can't all afford a computer with the latest wuffles and tweedles and some from preference.

quote:

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some because we can't all afford a computer with the latest wuffles and tweedles and some from preference.

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That's not entirely true... IE updates are free. Most people chose not to upgrade.

I would assume that you could go ahead and design the site in Flash. But I'm not sure what the students and teachers are learning. If it's Flash design eductation that's great. Otherwise, I would go with standard HTML using CSS a:hover effect is better than a JavaScript image swap. Less download time too, easier to maintain etc.

I dont think the issue is that IE updates are free, its that some people are still using modems (which means anywhere from 14.4-56), they dont have a few hours to download the new updates. Also, some of the older computers have a hard time running newer browsers, since they are such resource hogs.

Thanks for all your replies. CSS Hover effect emerges the winner?

Flash is the most widely distributed plug (maybe not version 5 though) because it has come as a preinstalled plugin on both IE and NS for quite a while now. Still, I just really hesitate to make something as "mission critical" as a menu dependant on something like that.

JS fired image rollovers are more supported than CSS/DHTML type menus because its been around a very long time. Truly, I've come to like simple text based menus on the sites I visit. Its just easier and more straight forward.

I-the autoinstall feature is unique to IE. Not all browsers do that.

I'm using IE6 now but only because XP installed it. Otherwise, I may never have upgraded it again because I don't like where MS is going with it (somebody save me from cartoon UI graphics please!)

Lets go work at the evil M$ place baffled. Maybe we can fire their design team and take over.

A thing to remember about flash and javascript.

search engines can't read the text on an image or in a flash file.

I use them some but still make sure my sites key words are text and text links.

so my vote also goes to css text mouseovers.

Download time?

A full set of flash buttons or navigation bar properly done probably take less downloading than just one gif or jpeg small button

That may be true. However, not everyone can see Flash, but they can see a gif or a jpg.

Personally I believe if you just have normal text, use text links if you want to get fancy use the alternatives depending on who your site targets.