Flash, DHTML, JavaScript, why you should keep it to a minimum

 Over the years there has been a gradual shift from static HTML webpages to more interactive, graphic intensive ones. The need for greater interactivity and dynamic content has led to the development of tools such as Macromedia’s Flash, Dynamic HTML and JavaScript.

Although these tools are still widely in use today, it is necessary to make good use of these them. They must be used sensibly, in the right areas and in the right amounts.

Macromedia’s Flash is a vector based moving graphics format created to publish animations on the web. Many websites today employ Flash elements in their webpages while some build entire websites using Flash. It is a powerful tool, and it can be tempting for webmasters to use Flash lavishly on their websites. However, there are some good arguments as to why you should keep the use of Flash to a minimum. Here are some:

 Flash is invisible to the search engines. Search engines cannot read and interpret the contents of flash. What this means is lesser content form your webpage that will be indexed on the search engines and lesser visitors to your website.

Flash animations do not respond to a browsers Stop button or the Esc button on your keyboard. They cannot be easily turned off. This can be annoying to some visitors.

Most web browsers still require a plug-in to be installed before they can play Flash animations. This could turn away some visitors.

Book marking pages inside a Flash site is not possible. Also, intra page keyword search is not possible to do.

JavaScript is a popular client side scripting language. We have all come across some form of JavaScript at some point of time while surfing the internet. JavaScript is often executed by mouse functions, buttons etc. Here are some good reasons why you should keep the use of JavaScript at a minimum:

Many Search Engine Optimizers are of the view that JavaScript needlessly increases the length of the code of a webpage and this can affect the search engine rankings of a page.

Even though JavaScript is claimed to be a 100% safe programming language, there have been recent cases viruses and other malevolent programs utilizing JavaScript to execute malicious code.

Some users will disable JavaScript to stop pop up ads. Many users might not have JavaScript enabled browsers still.

DHTML is short for Dynamic HTML. It is not a scripting language like JavaScript; it is a collection of features, HTML, JavaScript, CSS etc. that enable a webpage to be dynamic. Some DHTML features would be, changing the look and feel of a webpage with the click of a button, allowing drag and drop features etc.

A major reason why you might want to keep your usage of DHTML to a minimum would be that it could display differently on different browsers. Some browsers might still not be able to load all the DHTML features. If you want all your visitors to be able to access all the features and contents of your webpage it is best to adopt a standard that would be compatible with all browsers.