Flash Player and JavaScript

Question

Hi,
I am the creator of the
Virtual Cutter.
This is a website that can be used to create clips and playlists
for a large number of streaming video formats, and currently
supports the Windows Media Player, Real Player, Quicktime Player
and Kasenna Broadband Player. I am now looking to support the Flash
Player as well, or, more accurately, Flash-specific file formats
such as swf and flv.
As I am not a Flash programmer and do not know much about
Flash files, I hope to find answers to the questions I have about
this issue in this forum.
To use the architecture of the Virtual Cutter, I need to
access the Flash Player using JavaScript.
1. Is there a JavaScript function to get the current position
of the videofile? Something like flashplayer.getcurrentposition
2. Is it possible to add buttons to start, stop, pause,
rewind the file?
Off course, to play a clip, it must be possible to play a
file from any position in the file. The Virtual Cutter therefore
generates (depending on the player) an .asx, ram or.smil file, that
contains parameters for start point and end point/duration.
3. Is there a similar file format that I can use to play only
a selection of the Flash file?
4. Is is possible to create a playlist, so a sequence of
clips can be played?
5. What Flash-specific file formats could be processed?
The Virtual Cutter is an Open Source project. If anyone is
interested in working together on this, please contact me.
Best wishes,
André Rosendaal

Answer 1

No Flash for iPads, iPhones, or iPods
Here's why there's is no Flash available for iDevices or other mobile devices. Adobe was unable to provide a product that was suitable to the needs of battery powered mobile devices used for Internet browsing. Existing Flash technology used too much memory, ate battery life, and was buggy. Simply put Flash did not work well on mobile devices.
Apple's Steve Jobs led the escape from Flash dependency when Apple introduced the iPhone, and later introduced the iPad. There was a hue and cry over the omission. Time proved Jobs was right on target.
So this is why there is no Flash for your iPhone or iPad or iPod nor for most SmartPhones. Flash has been abandoned by many sites in favor of supported technologies such as HTML5 or by providing their own custom app.
Here is Steve Jobs official comment on his momentous decision to omit Flash from iDevices: Steve Jobs on Flash.
Here is Adobe's later announcement to cease development of Flash for mobile devices: Adobe on Mobile Flash. Adobe is not providing Flash for Apple iOS devices, and they no longer provide Flash for any other cellular phones. Flash is officially gone.
Now, you are not necessarily out on a limb. There are some apps that can display some Flash, but don't count on there ability to display anything using Flash.
A sample of Apps that can display some Flash content:
  1. Puffin
  2. SkyFire
  3. Photon Flash
  4. Browse2Go
  5. Swifter
Also, note that many sites that use Flash provide their own app for accessing their material. So check with your favorite sites and find out if "there's an app for that."