Comments on: Flex and Taxes http://www.maploop.com/blog/2007/10/11/flex-and-taxes/ mapping in circles... Thu, 11 Mar 2010 09:05:18 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: Caglar kaya http://www.maploop.com/blog/2007/10/11/flex-and-taxes/#comment-1189 Caglar kaya Sun, 23 Dec 2007 21:38:45 +0000 http://www.maploop.com/blog/2007/10/11/flex-and-taxes/#comment-1189 <p>I agree that it sounds like a Flash Player version problem.</p> I agree that it sounds like a Flash Player version problem.

]]> By: eric http://www.maploop.com/blog/2007/10/11/flex-and-taxes/#comment-953 eric Sat, 17 Nov 2007 10:41:13 +0000 http://www.maploop.com/blog/2007/10/11/flex-and-taxes/#comment-953 <p>Tracked down the problem with the kind help of the user who brought it to my attention. Her Windows workstation was locked down so insanely tight that she could barely open a new Explorer window without permission.</p> <p>The html wrapper attempted to upgrade her v7 Flash Player, but got stuck at some point, despite the fact she had both Javascript enabled, and didn't have one of the few versions of Flash Player that the auto-update feature doesn't care for.</p> <p>We worked through how many potential users would be in a similar situation (not many at all), and decided to post a note that the "app" required "the latest Flash Player", and provide a link to the Adobe page discussing updates and the potential problems and their fixes.</p> <p>Fortunately, this assuaged the concerns of the power-that-be enough to let the project continue. I feared their reaction would be something like "why are we using a proprietary format that requires the user to download something before they can use it?" But that didn't happen, and I don't have to bang my head repeatedly against the wall about it.</p> <p>Fact is,one of the reasons the Flash Player/Flex platform is so appealing is because the plug-in is so endemic, and as such removes the platform-specific considerations from the mix. Bummer, but at least I got it working.</p> <p>Thanks for all your suggestions—I do need to take another look at ensuring the wrapper template is sufficiently robust.</p> Tracked down the problem with the kind help of the user who brought it to my attention. Her Windows workstation was locked down so insanely tight that she could barely open a new Explorer window without permission.

The html wrapper attempted to upgrade her v7 Flash Player, but got stuck at some point, despite the fact she had both Javascript enabled, and didn’t have one of the few versions of Flash Player that the auto-update feature doesn’t care for.

We worked through how many potential users would be in a similar situation (not many at all), and decided to post a note that the “app” required “the latest Flash Player”, and provide a link to the Adobe page discussing updates and the potential problems and their fixes.

Fortunately, this assuaged the concerns of the power-that-be enough to let the project continue. I feared their reaction would be something like “why are we using a proprietary format that requires the user to download something before they can use it?” But that didn’t happen, and I don’t have to bang my head repeatedly against the wall about it.

Fact is,one of the reasons the Flash Player/Flex platform is so appealing is because the plug-in is so endemic, and as such removes the platform-specific considerations from the mix. Bummer, but at least I got it working.

Thanks for all your suggestions—I do need to take another look at ensuring the wrapper template is sufficiently robust.

]]> By: Robert Hirst http://www.maploop.com/blog/2007/10/11/flex-and-taxes/#comment-913 Robert Hirst Mon, 15 Oct 2007 10:08:59 +0000 http://www.maploop.com/blog/2007/10/11/flex-and-taxes/#comment-913 <p>You could try replacing the element in the html wrapper template with a message stating that Javascript should be enabled to view the site, that way it can perform version detection and will kick off an upgrade if someone has a lower-than-specified version. There might be better ways, but I've mainly done intranet development where the Flash player version is easily controlled, so haven't looked much beyond that.</p> <p>If the user still has a problem with the site, then you could up the minimum flex version to 9.0.28 (Project Settings -> Flex Compiler) and see if this fixes it (I believe it is set to 9.0.0, looking at the generated output).</p> <p>If the auto-update fails for permission reasons then the user will need to contact their administrator to perform the upgrade.</p> You could try replacing the element in the html wrapper template with a message stating that Javascript should be enabled to view the site, that way it can perform version detection and will kick off an upgrade if someone has a lower-than-specified version. There might be better ways, but I’ve mainly done intranet development where the Flash player version is easily controlled, so haven’t looked much beyond that.

If the user still has a problem with the site, then you could up the minimum flex version to 9.0.28 (Project Settings -> Flex Compiler) and see if this fixes it (I believe it is set to 9.0.0, looking at the generated output).

If the auto-update fails for permission reasons then the user will need to contact their administrator to perform the upgrade.

]]> By: eric http://www.maploop.com/blog/2007/10/11/flex-and-taxes/#comment-896 eric Fri, 12 Oct 2007 14:40:49 +0000 http://www.maploop.com/blog/2007/10/11/flex-and-taxes/#comment-896 <p>Thanks for the tips. I feared it was something along the Flash Player version lines. I was under the impression that this kind of thing wasn't all that likely (or even possible) -- particularly within different builds of the same version of Flash Player. Sigh. Suggestions for a fix?</p> Thanks for the tips. I feared it was something along the Flash Player version lines. I was under the impression that this kind of thing wasn’t all that likely (or even possible) — particularly within different builds of the same version of Flash Player. Sigh. Suggestions for a fix?

]]> By: Gary http://www.maploop.com/blog/2007/10/11/flex-and-taxes/#comment-893 Gary Fri, 12 Oct 2007 11:38:52 +0000 http://www.maploop.com/blog/2007/10/11/flex-and-taxes/#comment-893 <p>I agree that it sounds like a Flash Player version problem. Some apps developed in FP 9.0.28.0 and higher have this behavior when run on FP 9.0.16.0</p> I agree that it sounds like a Flash Player version problem. Some apps developed in FP 9.0.28.0 and higher have this behavior when run on FP 9.0.16.0

]]> By: Robert Hirst http://www.maploop.com/blog/2007/10/11/flex-and-taxes/#comment-890 Robert Hirst Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:16:09 +0000 http://www.maploop.com/blog/2007/10/11/flex-and-taxes/#comment-890 <p>I don't know the answer, but what would happen if a user had Javascript disabled, and a version of Flash too early for Flex to work?</p> <p>I've always imagined the version detection wouldn't kick in, and the default template would show the Flex anyway, but then just end up with an empty frame because none of the widgets work. I've never actually tried it myself though.</p> <p>You could ask her to pick the About Flash Player option and paste out the "You have version x,x,x,x installed" text to assist.</p> <p>I use NoScript and I find there are many Flex sites and examples around which don't display (even though I have the right version of Flash) unless I enable Javascript.</p> I don’t know the answer, but what would happen if a user had Javascript disabled, and a version of Flash too early for Flex to work?

I’ve always imagined the version detection wouldn’t kick in, and the default template would show the Flex anyway, but then just end up with an empty frame because none of the widgets work. I’ve never actually tried it myself though.

You could ask her to pick the About Flash Player option and paste out the “You have version x,x,x,x installed” text to assist.

I use NoScript and I find there are many Flex sites and examples around which don’t display (even though I have the right version of Flash) unless I enable Javascript.

]]>