can we stop using activex

[code_wrong]

can we stop using activex?
Firefox doesn't use activex but we can still see flash, shockwave, movie
files etc etc ... so ..
can we stop using activex all together?? ..as it is a pain in the neck ..
it's nearly always blocked (sensibly enough) by sys admins ...

for example I have this on a page to embed a java applet:

<object
classid="clsid:8AD9C840-044E-11D1-B3E9-00805F499D93"
codebase="http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/autodl/jinstall-1_4-windows-i586.cab#Version=1,4,0,0" height="581" width="581"> <param name="CODE" value="B_applet.class"> <param name="type" value="application/x-java-applet;version=1.4"> <param name="scriptable" value="false"> <comment> </comment><embed type="application/x-java-applet;version=1.4" code="B_applet.class" scriptable="false" pluginspage="http://java.sun.com/products/plugin/index.html#download" height="581" width="581"> </object>

 

[Toby Inkster]

can we stop using activex?

I can't. But that's because I never started.

for example I have this on a page to embed a java applet:

That seems a pretty dumb way to embed a Java applet. Use the <applet>
element.

 

[code_wrong]

I can't. But that's because I never started.


That seems a pretty dumb way to embed a Java applet. Use the <applet>
element.

is not <object> the w3c way?
please be kind and illustrate the way you would do it::

 

[Toby Inkster]

is not <object> the w3c way?

The W3C has deprecated APPLET, but it's still part of HTML 4.01
Transitional and XHTML 1.0 Transitional, and offers the best
backwards-compatibility of any method of including Java applets.

please be kind and illustrate the way you would do it::

Like this:

<APPLET code="AudioItem" width="15" height="15">
<PARAM name="snd" value="Hello.au|Welcome.au">
Java applet that plays a welcoming sound.
</APPLET>

Using OBJECT it would be:

<OBJECT codetype="application/java"
classid="AudioItem"
width="15" height="15">
<PARAM name="snd" value="Hello.au|Welcome.au">
Java applet that plays a welcoming sound.
</OBJECT>

But the first example will work in Netscape 2+ whereas the second requires
6.x.

 

[cwdjrxyz]

The W3C has deprecated APPLET, but it's still part of HTML 4.01
Transitional and XHTML 1.0 Transitional, and offers the best
backwards-compatibility of any method of including Java applets.


Like this:

<APPLET code="AudioItem" width="15" height="15">
<PARAM name="snd" value="Hello.au|Welcome.au">
Java applet that plays a welcoming sound.
</APPLET>

Using OBJECT it would be:

<OBJECT codetype="application/java"
classid="AudioItem"
width="15" height="15">
<PARAM name="snd" value="Hello.au|Welcome.au">
Java applet that plays a welcoming sound.
</OBJECT>

But the first example will work in Netscape 2+ whereas the second requires
6.x.

The ActiveX object given appears to be correct if you want to use AX.
An AX object, if written properly, will validate at the W3C. To avoid
problems when sites do not support AX for whatever reason, many
commercial sites add an embed within the AX object. When AX is not
supported, the embed path within the AX object is taken instead. This
usually works, but it gives the W3C validator fits. However in many
cases you can write an ordinary object in a special way so that IE6 and
other recent browsers work without calling for the special AX id. This
is what I do for audio and video on the WMP, and it even validates as
xhtml 1.1 when served with the proper mime type application/xhtml+xml.
I do not know if this approach also works for Java. AX often allows
more control of the object, but ordinary objects, written in the
correct way, often will accept the most needed paramaters for embedding
a WMP, for example, in a web page. It is interesting that the most
recent Opera browser will accept a pure AX object without another path
for the WMP. Opera most likely is not supporting AX as such, given
their attitude toward it. They most likely are using some code
work-around when only a pure AX object is met. But when you are using
Java, even if you overcome the AX problem, there are still some who
have Java turned off.

 

[Travis Newbury]

can we stop using activex?

You can stop using it any time you like. There are plenty of other
options out there. ESPECIALLY is you are doing video or audio.

Firefox doesn't use activex but we can still see flash, shockwave, movie
files etc etc ... so ..

Actually FireFox DOES support ActiveX if it is available. It also
supports limited live connect, or that ability for javascript to "talk"
to the activeX controls on the page. (A rather nice feature is you get
to choose which activeX controls work)

can we stop using activex all together??

Again, up to you. Can you accomplish the task without it? Then by all
means lose it.

..as it is a pain in the neck ..

You can not debate an opinion. There is no account for taste.

it's nearly always blocked (sensibly enough) by sys admins ...

I have never been to a company that blocked activeX. As a matter of
fact many large corporation require it with their intranet
applications.

ActiveX is just a technology. It is completely up to you if you want
to use it or not.

 

[code_wrong]

You can stop using it any time you like. There are plenty of other
options out there. ESPECIALLY is you are doing video or audio.


Actually FireFox DOES support ActiveX if it is available. It also
supports limited live connect, or that ability for javascript to "talk"
to the activeX controls on the page. (A rather nice feature is you get
to choose which activeX controls work)


Again, up to you. Can you accomplish the task without it? Then by all
means lose it.


You can not debate an opinion. There is no account for taste.


I have never been to a company that blocked activeX. As a matter of
fact many large corporation require it with their intranet
applications.

ActiveX is just a technology. It is completely up to you if you want
to use it or not.

which other technologies allows web sites to mess around with files and
settings on the local machine?

The networks I have been looking at are school networks - where, if the user
can download/install something she shouldn't, she will. I am not entirely
sure if the activex is being blocked or if the web object itself is being
blocked. (eg a shockwave object). but if we remove methods which use the
security blackspot that is acivex then. that at least removes one variable
in the question: - why can't pupils download educational web objects? -
shockwave, Java, etc.
cheers
cw

 

[Travis Newbury]

which other technologies allows web sites to mess around with files and
settings on the local machine?

That was exactly WHY activX was created. To give special abilities to
web pages and web applications. At the time of it's creation, that was
a good thing and gave some awesome abilities to intranets and websites.

Sadly Microsoft did not anticipate the backlash and the hackers.

To quote Reagan "Just because it did not work (as planned), does not
mean it was a bad idea."

Again, arguing over an opinion is a complete waste of time.

 

[code_wrong]

The W3C has deprecated APPLET, but it's still part of HTML 4.01
Transitional and XHTML 1.0 Transitional, and offers the best
backwards-compatibility of any method of including Java applets.


Like this:

<APPLET code="AudioItem" width="15" height="15">
<PARAM name="snd" value="Hello.au|Welcome.au">
Java applet that plays a welcoming sound.
</APPLET>

Using OBJECT it would be:

<OBJECT codetype="application/java"
classid="AudioItem"
width="15" height="15">
<PARAM name="snd" value="Hello.au|Welcome.au">
Java applet that plays a welcoming sound.
</OBJECT>

But the first example will work in Netscape 2+ whereas the second requires
6.x.

well for some reason I could not get the object method to work in IE using
the example above ...
When I used applet it worked fine .... this makes me wonder why all the
books .. the w3c .. sun.com trying to push the object method .. of the
three books I have here only one mentions the APPLET element .. I think the
other two are too busy trying to promote the latest standard .. infuriating
to waste time on this simple operation

 

[Stan McCann]

I can't. But that's because I never started.

Lucky you. I'd never used it until preparing for a class I'm teaching
this semester. The book has an on-line component using ... You guessed
it. I don't like it and some of my students have had difficulty with
it because even the firewall in SP2 doesn't like it. This is a novice
level course; some of my students had never used a computer. And first
thing we do is to teach them to open their computer to the world and
have to field all of the calls of "I can't get it to work."

About half of my students are now using some simple PHP pages I put
together for them.

That seems a pretty dumb way to embed a Java applet. Use the <applet>
element.

You can object, embed, or applet all you want; my only java is in my
cup.

 

[cwdjrxyz]

Lucky you. I'd never used it until preparing for a class I'm teaching
this semester. The book has an on-line component using ... You guessed
it. I don't like it and some of my students have had difficulty with
it because even the firewall in SP2 doesn't like it. This is a novice
level course; some of my students had never used a computer. And first
thing we do is to teach them to open their computer to the world and
have to field all of the calls of "I can't get it to work."

About half of my students are now using some simple PHP pages I put
together for them.

Many people tend to think of ActiveX as something associated with web
pages, especially those written for Windows IE browsers and relatives.
But the web is just the tip of the iceberg for uses of ActiveX. It
often is used at the program level even on computers that may never be
connected to the web. For those who use a Microsoft OS such as the XP,
you likely have dozens of ActiveX subprograms and plugins on programs
that you use. This is especially the case for media programs. For
example the very popular Roxio and Nero media program sets are loaded
with ActiveX plugins. I recently installed a GoldWave sound editor so
that I could work with 24 bit, 96kHz PCM audio files such as are used
for DVD-Audio standard. This program has a tool on a menu that searches
other programs for ActiveX plugins that it can use, if you need them.
It finds about 40 on my computer, with the bulk of them in Roxio, Nero,
and several other media programs.Heaven knows how many other non-media
ActiveX applications are on the computer. For example, the McAfee
antivirus programs use ActiveX controls. When there is a major program
upgrade, McAfee often asks you to allow downloading a new ActiveX
control which it needs for the upgraded program. Make no mistake,
ActiveX is very powerful and very useful, especially on a Windows OS
based computer. I don't know how much the Windows OS to replace the XP
will use ActiveX. However until and if most people are not using
Windows XP and earlier Windows OSs, ActiveX likely still will be used
very much, especially at the program level on the computer.