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DianeV
Joined: Eons Ago
# Posts: 5246
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Posted: 2001-Mar-20 14:37
What is the deal with Flash and ActiveX?One of my browsers has the Flash plugin; the other does not, and this one has ActiveX disabled: http://dianev.com/example/vector.html My computer guy recommends having ActiveX disabled, as it can make the computer insecure. So, my question is: why is ActiveX used, and what can it do that coding without it cannot?
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lisasmiles
Joined: Jan 16, 2000
# Posts: 413
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Posted: 2001-Mar-20 19:37
ActiveX is basically Microsoft Java. MS didn't invent/couldn't make money off of Java. Instead of allowing Java to become a standard, and/or be run efficiently in Windows, they invented a new tool called ActiveX. An ActiveX control is about on the scripting level of a Java applet.The reason your computer guy wants you to disable ActiveX is because it is insecure. Unless you know and trust the source of the script you happen upon on the web, you can't know if the script contains malicious commands, will introduce virii, or make other unwise changes to your system. Java is not that risky. Java is insecure in a different way. For more information: Security Tradeoffs: Java vs. ActiveX
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DianeV
Joined: Eons Ago
# Posts: 5246
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Posted: 2001-Mar-20 20:52
Interesting. It rather begs the question why any site needs ActiveX to display Flash.
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lisasmiles
Joined: Jan 16, 2000
# Posts: 413
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Posted: 2001-Mar-21 15:13
MS (and Macromedia, together, I assume) installed a plug-in player in IE for Flash that relies on an ActiveX component. When a modern version of IE comes upon a .swf file, it calls an ActiveX component to play the script inline using the plug-in player.This is avoidable on the client end. There is a flash viewer that does not rely on an ActiveX component. It's browser and platform independent. But, then you have to save the .swf files you come upon and launch them in the viewer. Needless to say, this would work ok for viewing splash screens, animations, and things like that, but wouldnt work for things like navigation systems.
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DianeV
Joined: Eons Ago
# Posts: 5246
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Posted: 2001-Mar-21 15:25
Okay. Unfortunately, this doesn't sound too visitor-friendly. First, you'd have to know that you'd need to save the file and view it separately. Secondly, I'd personally have to really want to view it to do that at all.
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lisasmiles
Joined: Jan 16, 2000
# Posts: 413
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Posted: 2001-Mar-21 15:34
I think it could be automated, but it still wouldn't be 'inline'. It would be like using the PDF viewer. The plug in would launch the viewer.
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DianeV
Joined: Eons Ago
# Posts: 5246
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Posted: 2001-Mar-21 16:36
Aha. Sorry to keep asking, but I think I am missing something here -- why do they do it that way (with ActiveX), instead of just allowing the Flash plugin to play the .swf as Netscape does?
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lisasmiles
Joined: Jan 16, 2000
# Posts: 413
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Posted: 2001-Mar-21 17:54
I'm just glad I can keep answering  I'd say its because the NS plug in uses Java support. Instead of allowing Java to become the standard, MS invented ActiveX.
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DianeV
Joined: Eons Ago
# Posts: 5246
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Posted: 2001-Mar-22 15:44
Ah. Ain't life grand. 
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Flame
Joined: Feb 14, 2000
# Posts: 470
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Posted: 2001-Mar-24 11:24
Related article on the battle between Sun and MicroShaft over Java use (dateline Jan. 24, 2001): http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/ms_sun010124.html (Added: ) An old but informative article on how the battle between Java and ActiveX started:
http://www.unixinsider.com/swol-09-1996/swol-09-activex.html
[This message has been edited by Flame (edited 03-24-2001).]
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