Drupal use everywhere valid XHTML syntax.
The embed tag which we use on the play page isn't part of any W3 standards.
This makes websites using our module to be not fully W3 compilant.

We have to make our module W3 compilant where is possible.
On the web I found some hints on how to make Flash and Quicktime W3 compatible pages.

This is on my todo list but if someone have time
to do this please submit a patch.

Fabio

CommentFileSizeAuthor
#5 video.module.wmv.patch2.49 KBLukeLast
#3 video.patch2.59 KBfax8

Comments

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented

Here there is a valid realplayer page.
And here a valid windows media page.

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented

here some valid W3 examples.
here an alternative for quicktime

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented
StatusFileSize
new video.patch2.59 KB

here a patch for quicktime player XHTML W3 compatible.
Tested with mozilla, mozilla ff, ie6, ie7 on windows with quicktime 6.5 pro.

Feedback are welcome.
Really useful Mac feddback (safari, ie mac)

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented

To apply the patch above get lates video.module from cvs.
Uncompress and put the complete directory on your modules/ folder.

then apply the patch using "patch < video.patch" from modules folder.

LukeLast’s picture

LukeLast commented
StatusFileSize
new video.module.wmv.patch2.49 KB

Here's a patch for WMV that seems to validate fine to XHMTL 1.0 strict.

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented

I didn't try this patch yet..
but I think that older version of IE will not
work well... did you try this with IE 5 and IE 5.5?

These browsers are really buggy and doesn't follow
well standars.. but we have to still support them.

LukeLast’s picture

LukeLast commented

I'm in Paris now and don't have access to any IE 5 or 5.5 machines. Are you refering to the lack of embed tags? Because when I added those it lost XHTML compliance.

Here's the HTML in use for testing: http://www.ppixel.com/index.php?q=node/33/play

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented

Paris!?! nice!

I will try your patch with older browsers..
Have a good time!

LukeLast’s picture

LukeLast commented

Thanks, it's a great place to live. I'll be here until december.

What about handling the old browser cases in PHP by detecting the user agent ($_SERVER['HTTP_USER_AGENT']) and sending the old code. This eliminates the need for the extra CSS file which adds another file to the clutter not to mention an extra web hit. What do you think?

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented

yeah, this could be a solution.. but maintaining two codes for every video format
will make the module harder to maintain, harder to understand and really big!

I think that using a css solution should be good.
(webserver overhead should be ignored: there is caching)

Maybe using an unique solution should be the best:
http://www.mustardlab.com/developer/test/embed/
There they used a javascript for all video formats.
seems it work.

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented

Seems that wordpress people made progress in making
their video plug-in XHTML compatible.

http://www.rossgerbasi.com/2006/01/21/extreme-video-plugin-20/

I don't if their solution is backward compatible with old browsers
but.. could be useful if someone could investigate on this..

Fabio

deekayen’s picture

deekayen commented

revision 1.32 has some changes to quicktime and some param tags

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented

AC_QuickTime.js file seems copyrighted by Apple.
This probably means that the licence of this file is not GPL.
So we CAN'T put it on our video module archive.

Some time ago I proposed looking at http://www.mustardlab.com/developer/test/embed/
where there is an js object bug workaround which seems to come with less copyright issues.

Fabio

deekayen’s picture

deekayen commented

GPL has a copyright statement in it, too. The license grants use, reproduction, and distribution if you keep the copyright notice when you don't modify it, you don't use Apple's name to advertise the module, and you can't sue them for bugs. I didn't modify it, I left the notice, and I don't think we'll ever use Apple's name to advertise the module. It's probably not too much harder to write our own QT js stuff. I guess we'll just consider QT still open with regards to what I did.

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented

this is not a copyright problem. It's a licence problem.

If you go to http://developer.apple.com/internet/ieembedprep.html
the webpage from where the AC_QuickTime.js came from, before
you are able to download the javascript file you have to accept a licence
agreement.
On the agreement you can read:

In consideration of your agreement to abide by the following terms, and subject to these terms, Apple grants you a personal, non-exclusive license, under Apple's intellectual property rights in this Apple Software (the "Apple Software"), to use, reproduce, modify and distribute the Apple Software;

For me the personal statement could be a problem.

Moreover users which will download the AC_QuickTime.js from drupal site
will not have to subscribe the apple licence and this could be a problem.

deekayen’s picture

deekayen commented

I agree to swap it out. Do you have any features in mind that would need the dynamic object building functions of AC_Quicktime.js or could we just put the object HTML we had before in some JS document.write() outputs?

deekayen’s picture

deekayen commented

I just tried to replace AC_Quicktime.js with a simpler, home-grown js file, but I need to be added as a maintainer on the video project node (see http://lists.drupal.org/pipermail/development/2006-May/016096.html). Luke should probably be added, too.

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented

ok. I added luke and you as mantainer.
but please post your changes here.
Then everyone can check for problems.

deekayen’s picture

deekayen commented

Version 1.34 reverts AC_Quicktime.js use. It takes the Quicktime HTML from 1.31 and drops it in a multi-use .js file. The intention now is to create InsertXXHTML js functions for each type that needs it. Quicktime has a dual bonus to get rid of ActiveX notices and XHTML validation.

deekayen’s picture

deekayen commented

Just FYI, I checked to make sure the JS method worked in IE, FF, and Opera, but I won't have access to test Safari until tomorrow.

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented

This implementation does not degrade for people with javascript disabled.

I think that the correct approach should be let php draw a object only tag
(which is fully XHTML compatible). Then javascript should take care of adding
the embed stuff for browser which need it for displaying videos.

deekayen’s picture

deekayen commented

The JS for Quicktime isn't just for XHTML, though. I threw the whole thing in a .js file because I needed to get rid of the ActiveX warning IE users get on properly patched WinXP systems when the object tag loads the classid.

You're right that it doesn't degrade. What I was considering was users who have js disabled probably also have ActiveX disabled. I would also gamble if they're technical enough to be paranoid about JS, they're probably also skilled enough to figure out how to download a movie through the download tab.

My commit was selfish because 99.56% of my customers use IE and the ActiveX popup window was getting annoying on their properly patched WinXP boxes. The tradeoffs I see are ActiveX popup, XHTML, and JS.

This has made me dream up some crazy implementation ideas. One is some JS that would either set a cookie or somehow POST in a background process to set a $_SESSION var that lets the module know it can use a JS implemenation. On a direct pageload of the play page, that idea falls apart.

How do you see the priorities of solving the ActiveX popup, XHTML compliance, and JS degredation? I get the impression you don't use IE since you haven't discussed it at all (I don't, but my customers do).

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented

ActiveX popup has more priority than others.
XHTML compilance and degradable js needs to be implemented asap.

Fabio.

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented

I just get a sponsor for this.
My deadline is in 3 weeks.

Fabio

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented

task almost complete...
just few problems still need to be understood but..
I'm getting there.

Preview:
http://varesano.net/video-demo/

Fabio

fax8’s picture

fax8 commented
Status: Active » Fixed

this feature has finally been implemented.
Get video.module v1.38 for try it out.

See http://drupal.org/node/69581 for more informations.

Fabio

Anonymous’s picture

(not verified) commented
Status: Fixed » Closed (fixed)