Embed Flash SWF resources inside web part in SharePoint 2010

If you are looking for a quick and easy guide on how to embed shockwave and flash files (.swf) into web Web parts then look no further!

As it is a bit different to embed .swf files (and other resources) into SharePoint 2010 than it was in SharePoint 2007, I split the procedure into 2 parts: the Visual Studio part and the SharePoint part.

 The Visual Studio Part:

1. Copy the resource file (.SWF) file inside the Visual Studio project folder directly, or put it in a custom folder.

2. Select the .swf file -> properties -> set the build action property into ‘Embedded Resource’

3. Now, construct the resource FILE-PATH as: ProjectName.FolderName.FileName.Extension

Example:

My project’s name is: ‘EmbedResources’, and the file ‘Clock.swf’ is directly under the project. Then the FILE-PATH will be: “EmbedResources.Clock.swf”

4. In AssemblyInfo.cs put the following line (use the FILE-PATH from point 3 above):

[Assembly: System.Web.UI.WebResource(FILE-PATH, “application/x-shockwave-flash”)]

Example:

[assembly: System.Web.UI.WebResource("EmbedResources.Clock.swf", "application/x-shockwave-flash")]

5. In Web part code file, you can put the following code inside the RenderContents() method:

(use the FILE-PATH from point 3 above)

This.Page.ClientScript.GetWebResourceUrl(base.GetType(), FILE-PATH)

Example:

string path = this.Page.ClientScript.GetWebResourceUrl(base.GetType(), "EmbedResources.Clock.swf");

6. To display the flash put the following script:

string str = string.Concat(new object[] {

"<OBJECT classid=\"clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000\" codebase=\"http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=7,0,0,0\" width=", "120", " height=", "120", "> <PARAM NAME=movie VALUE=\"", path,

"\"> <PARAM NAME=wmode VALUE=\"Transparent\"><PARAM NAME=quality VALUE=high> <EMBED src=\"", path,

"\" quality=high wmode=\"transparent\" width=\"", "120", "\" height=\"", "120",

"\" TYPE=\"application/x-shockwave-flash\" PLUGINSPAGE=\"http://www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgi?P1_Prod_Version=ShockwaveFlash\"></EMBED></OBJECT></p>"

});

writer.Write(str);

Now install the web part solution into your SharePoint site, but we are not there yet!

 The SharePoint Part:

These are pretty much requirements, make sure you check every point here in order for the swf file to actually run:

1. Install Adobe (formerly Macromedia) Flash or Shockwave player for your browser.

2. Enable Active-X components on your browser

3. SharePoint 2010 is a little bit acts as ‘defensive’ against browser scripts and files. To overcome this, go to Central Admin -> App. Manag. -> Manage Web App. -> SharePoint 80 -> General Settings -> General Settings -> set the Browser File Handling to “Permissive”

Now, you can add the web part to page and enjoy the animations J

Note: For embedding resources inside Sandboxed web part, Joel Jeffery a good post here:

http://joelblogs.co.uk/2011/06/30/embedding-resources-in-sandbox-solutions/