IE ActiveX Update Workaround: /by @baekdal .

In January I wrote about the coming ActiveX update that will change how embedded content will be handled in Internet Explorer. In short, things like Flash movies will have to be activated (clicked) before they can be used.

But, there is an easy fix

Jason Baker (ripper.rhetoric) has created a nifty piece of JavaScript that solves the problem nicely. All you need to do is to add his code to your site and everything works like it used to.

The script is very simply. All it does it that it removes the entire block of embedded content, and reinserts it using innerHTML. Voila!

Jason writes: "Now, while it seems that this is just a quick fix for the lazy, it does have some real applications that couldn't be done otherwise, like ColdFusion-generated Flash Forms."

Actually, I think this beats Microsoft solution. It prevents us from making browser specific code for embedding things like flash and it allows us to focus on the content instead of some technical external JavaScript call.

He has even offered two version of the script - a header version for the HTML purists and a version that can be attached to the end of the HTML page.

Note: This also solves the bug in IE, where HTML content placed above embedded content would be made inactive too.

More info:

• activateActiveX (ripper.rhetoric, April 2006)

Sites using Jason's code:

• b.young
• ICHI
• Simple-Wish

Related

• Microsoft IE ActiveX Update (Baekdal.com, January 2006)
• Activating ActiveX (MSDN, January 2006)

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