Flash vs Javascript (jQuery) Pros and Cons
Until the availability of Javascript libraries such as jQuery and MooTools adding animation and interactive features that don’t require reloading a web page were out of reach for many web designers/developers unless they used Flash.
This was largely due to Javascript implementations not being consistent in major browsers. Without using a Javascript library you need extensive knowledge about the inconsistencies between the browsers and extensive knowledge about Javascript in order to work around them.
jQuery and MooTools offer a library of routines that are cross browser compatible which greatly reduces the learning curve. These libraries also offer functions to handle many routine tasks making Javascript programming faster and easier to learn.
The Pros & Cons of using Flash vs Javascript:
| Flash Pros | Flash Cons |
|---|---|
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| Javascript Pros | Javascript Cons |
|---|---|
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When to use Flash vs Javascript:
| Application | Flash | Javascript |
|---|---|---|
| Slide Show | X | |
| Form Validation | X | |
| Dropdown Menus | X | |
| Tabbed Panels | X | |
| Popups & Tooltips | X | |
| Expandable/Collapsible Elements | X | |
| Video/Audio Player | X | |
| Complex Animation | X | |
| 3D | X | |
| Complex Multimedia | X |
Flash & Javascript Resources:
| Flash | Javascript |
|---|---|
| Kirupa – nice tutorials Flashloaded – components Digicrafts – components Flash Components Swish – Flash Generator Swift 3D – 3D designer/animator |
jQuery – Javascript Library MooTools - Javascript library jQuery Slideshow jQuery Validation jQuery UI jQuery Lightbox |
While Flash still has a few areas that make it the better choice there are many features that are easily handled by Javascript. If you’re just getting started take a look at jQuery, it simplifies the process of using Javascript and can greatly enhance a web site.
Additional Reading:
- Follow the Flash War
LogicPool - Javascript Compiler from Google
LogicPool - Top 10 jQuery Plugins and Resources
LogicPool - Scribd social publishing site dumps Flash in favor of HTML5
MacWorld - Hulu Shuns HTML5 Commits to Flash, Adobe Attacks Apple
TrustedReviews - JavaScript vs. Flash for Animation
Webreference
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Written by: Don Lyckman Don Lyckman is a Web Developer/Designer |
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In my experience, jQuery’s impressive and reliable (incl. sophisticated animations) with proper implementation. It’s also a snap to degrade without JS (which to be clear is a fully-fledged language and object-oriented- ECMAScript Harmony would establish classes modules etc.)
I’m surprised SVG had no mention. It has some serious advantages over Flash – extensible, interoperable, XML, DHTML, CSS…
Neither suffer from typical Adobe design limitations and whims: promiscuously accepting cookies by default, installing an updater, vendor-specificity, requiring users to visit Adobe.com to change their settings(?!), insisting on sending meaningless headers with every HTTP_PUT that confuses servers, etc.). And we need hardly mention accessibility….
Still, I guess the real world’s saddled with constraints that make Flash considerable until standards are more widely supported. Thankfully the web’s getting dragged faster into the 21st century.
People tend to forget in this who flash/html5 argument that one of the MAJOR uses for flash is web applications and games. I shudder at the thought of trying to build games using weakly typed, outdated JavaScript spaghetti code. When I can actually start writing ‘proper’ object oriented applications using JavaScript (probably with the next iteration of the language) then we can talk about it becoming a practical alternative to flash. Steve Jobs has done a lot of harm spreading misinformation about the Flash platform, as well as refusing to get with the rest of the world and allow it on his mobile devices. The general statement above about not being compatible with ‘cell phones’ is misleading as well. Android based devices support flash, as well as MANY non-apple phones. Cheap phones tend to have issues with any type of complex plugins or even scripting languages for that matter.
In reference to the Flash cons section: “Cost of purchasing Flash software”
You can use FlashDevelop and the Flex SDK for free.
Another case to use Flash is when presenting dynamic/complex charts and graphs. There are JS libs for this, but I’ve had better luck with Flash when the charts get more complicated.
Seeing that on the JS negs : “Users can disable Javascript support” I’d have to mention that these 2 are missing from the Flash negs :
a) Note that users first require to download a Flash plugin
b) Note that users can disable Flash plugin
Both of these points are quite tricky when considering that some websites are doing background tasks with Flash.
Also HTML5 replacing nowadays video/audio flash players could also be noted.
Hey,
I was working with Flash for a long time but since I realized the JavaScript capabilities I have switched technology.
However, the UI in Flash was much better.
PA
Hi,
I am in pursuit of a software capable enough to perform 3d animations. It will be used on a touch screen surface. I am not a software guy, but I am seeking for some one to perform that kind of programming job. I would like to know the best software to use before I start looking for programmer. As far as I know, Flash is the best option. What do you guys think?
Thanks
Hey Guys…iam learning web design and application development but there are so many options out there to go with…my question is which is the best for web development and RIA…and is flash future somehow looks bleak?Am currently using HTML5,CSS3 and JAVASCRIPT
As far as I’m concerned flash is essentially dead. Adobe has announced they will not make anymore updates to the Android flash player which means very few users will have a device even capable of viewing flash content. A better investment might be learning mobile development with jQuery Mobile and Phonegap. With that skill you’ll be able to not only produce for the web, but also mobile devices. For animation take a look at adobe’s edge software which produces flash style animations using javascript: http://www.adobe.com/products/edge.html