Debugging & Accessibility
1. What techniques can a web designer use to optimize and debug Flash created web sites? Feel free to share any other tips that you found during your research that may be of value to creating animated web sites in Flash.
“Trace” statements are likely the most known debugging tool used for actionScript code. You can place a trace statement anywhere you want and have it output just about anything you want also.
trace(”I’m a trace action!”);
myTrace = “I’m the content of a variable”;
trace(myTrace);
You can similarly use a text object you’ve placed directly on the stage to monitor during run time. You’ll only need to set something similar to: debug.text = myStringVariable;
Flash has an integrated debugger that is very powerful. To activate the
debugger, you need to go into Control > Debug Movie. You will see
the usual Test Movie setup but with an additional window aptly titled
‘Debugger’.
If you’re anything like me, you might use adobe’s liveDocs on line. I suppose it’s a debugging tool also. I plug in search criteria based on the error I’ve been delivered or the process I’m trying to complete. I also use forums and threads to help solve problems. I haven’t yet posted anything yet however.
http://www.actionscript.org/resources/articles/63/1/Common-Errors-and-Debugging/Page1.html
2. What is accessibility and why is it important? What should a web designer keep in mind when designing a web site to maintain accessibility? How does accessibility effect a web site’s animation?
Accessibility is an approach to web design that aims to ensure the widest access to the content and features of a website. The term is often used to refer to accessibility for people with disabilities, particularly blindness. … www.monash.edu.au/staff/web/glossary.html
Tim Berners-Lee, W3C director and inventor of the World Wide Web, defines it as access by everyone, regardless of disability. Even though the World Wide Web is continuously growing, many users:
• use speech browsers or “eyes busy”/”hands busy”, as businessmen in cars;
• don’t have the latest graphical browsers and plug-ins;
• surf with slow modems, or reside in rural or remote areas with limited access to the Internet;
• browse without graphics, using text-only browsers or subscribe to non-graphic services;
• access in noisy, high- or low-light environments;
There are also many users with disabilities as;
• Visual – blind, low vision, color blind;
• Auditory – deaf, hard of hearing;
• Motor/physical – paraplegic;
• Cognitive/learning – dyslexic, learning disabled.
• They may not be able to see, hear, move, or may not be able to process some types of information easily or at all.
• They may have difficulty reading or comprehending text.
• They may not have or be able to use a keyboard or mouse.
• They may have a text-only screen, a small screen, or a slow Internet connection.
• They may not speak or understand fluently the language in which the document is written.
• They may be in a situation where their eyes, ears, or hands are busy or interfered with (e.g., driving to work, working in a loud environment, etc.).
• They may have an early version of a browser, a different browser entirely, a voice browser, or a different operating system.
Accessibility increases benefits for both parties: the User and the Web site Provider. It may also persuade developers to take in some alternate considerations. They may be more likely to use stronger contrasting colors or, web safe colors, abstain from flashing screens or quick moving objects and use simpler navigation.
http://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG10/
http://www.rnib.org.uk/xpedio/groups/public/documents/publicwebsite/public_animatedimages.hcsp
http://www.webnauts.net/accessibility.html
Add comment September 20th, 2008
