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Flash

Call Function

SWF Action
Action Category: 
Control
Action Details: 
0
Action Identifier: 
61
Action Structure: 
<n.a.>
Action Length: 
0 byte(s)
Action Stack: 
pop 1 (s), pop 1 (i), pop i2 (a), push 1 (a)
Action Operation: 
s1 := pop();
i2 := pop();
for(idx := 3; idx < i2 + 3; ++idx) {
  aidx = pop();
}
r := call s1(a3, a4, a5...a(i2+2));
push(r);
Action Flash Version: 
5

Pops one string that represents the name of the function to call, pop one integer indicating the number of arguments following, pop each argument, call the named function, push the result of the function on the stack. There is always a result1.

  • 1. When nothing is returned by the function, the result undefined is pushed on the stack.

DefineBinaryData

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
87
Tag Type: 
Define
Tag Flash Version: 
9
Brief Description: 

Defines a buffer of any size with any binary user data.

Tag Structure: 
struct swf_definebinarydata {
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 87 */
	unsigned short		f_data_id;
	unsigned long		f_reserved;	/* must be zero */
	unsigned char		f_data[<variable size>];
};

The DefineBinaryData tag is used to save any arbitrary user defined binary data in an SWF movie. The Flash player itself ignores that data. The size of the data is not specifically limited.

The f_data_id is this object identifier. The identifier is the same type as any identifier (like a sprite identifier.) It is used in ActionScripts to reference the data.

The f_reversed area is 32 bits and it must be set to zero in version 9.

DefineSceneAndFrameData

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
86
Tag Type: 
Define
Tag Flash Version: 
9
Brief Description: 

Define raw data for scenes and frames.

Tag Structure: 
struct swf_definesceneandframedata {
	swf_tag				f_tag;		/* 86 */
	unsigned char			f_data[tag size];
};

This tag is used to define some raw data for a scene and frame. It is often used to include XML files in Flash animations.

f_data is an array of bytes.

Metadata

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
77
Tag Type: 
Format
Tag Flash Version: 
8
Brief Description: 

This tag includes XML code describing the movie. The format is RDF compliant to the XMP as defined on W3C.

Tag Structure: 
struct swf_metadata {
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 77 */
	string			f_metadata;
};

The Metadata tag is used to describe the SWF movie in a robot readable form. It will be used by search engines to index your Flash movies.

The f_metadata string is an XML buffer defined using the RDF definition compliant with the XMP specification. You can find more information on the W3C and other websites:

RDF Primer
RDF Specification
Dublin Core

Note that this description can describe everything, from the entire movie to each single line of code in your action scripts.

The string must be UTF-8 encoded.

CSMTextSettings

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
74
Tag Type: 
Define
Tag Flash Version: 
8
Brief Description: 

Define whether CSM text should be used in a previous DefineText, DefineText2 or DefineEditText.

Tag Structure: 
struct swf_csmtextsettings {
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 74 */
	unsigned short		f_text_id_ref;
	unsigned		f_use_flag_type : 2;
	unsigned		f_grid_fit : 3;
	unsigned		f_reserved : 3;
	long float		f_thickness;
	long float		f_sharpness;
	unsigned char		f_reserved;
};

The CSMTextSettings are used to change the rendering mode of glyphs in a DefineText, DefineText2 and DefineEditText.

The f_text_id_ref is a reference to a tag holding some texts which glyphs need to be tweaked with these settings.

The f_use_flag_type defines which of the system (0) or Flash (1) font renderer should be used.

...
Value Renderer Version
0 System 8
1 Internal Flash Type

DefineFontAlignZones

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
73
Tag Type: 
Define
Tag Flash Version: 
8
Brief Description: 

Define advanced hints about a font glyphs to place them on a pixel boundary.

Tag Structure: 
struct swf_definefontalignzones {
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 73 */
	unsigned short		f_font2_id_ref;
	unsigned		f_csm_table_hint : 2;
	unsigned		f_reserved : 6;
	swf_zone_array		f_zones[corresponding define font3.f_font2_glyphs_count];
};

Since SWF8, this tag was added to allow a clear definition of where a glyph starts. This is a hint to ensure that glyphs are properly drawn on pixel boundaries. Note that it is only partially useful for italic fonts since only vertical hints really make a difference.

The f_font2_id_ref needs to reference the font identifier of a DefineFont3. Each DefineFontAlignZones shall have a different f_font2_id_ref.

FileAttributes

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
69
Tag Type: 
Format
Tag Flash Version: 
8
Brief Description: 

Since version 8, this tag is required and needs to be the very first tag in the movie. It is used as a way to better handle security within the Flash Player.

Tag Structure: 
struct swf_fileattributes {
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 69 */
	unsigned		f_reserved : 3;
	unsigned		f_has_metadata : 1;
	unsigned		f_allow_abc : 1;	/* since V9.0 */
	unsigned		f_suppress_cross_domain_caching : 1;	/* since V9.0 */
	unsigned		f_swf_relative_urls : 1;	/* since V9.0 */
	unsigned		f_use_network : 1;
	unsigned		f_reserved : 24;
};

The FileAttributes tag is new to version 8. It must be present in all movies version 8 and over. It must be the very first tag in the SWF movie. It should be unique (other instances will be ignored.)

The f_has_metadata flag shall be set to 1 whenever the movie includes a Metadata tag.

The f_allow_abc flag shall be set to 1 to give the player the right to execute DoABC scripts (this is a version 9 flag, in version 8, keep it set to 0.)

The f_suppress_cross_domain_caching must have some effect over the caching of some things... (version 9+)

The f_swf_relative_urls means that URLs specified ...

DebugID

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
63
Tag Type: 
Define
Tag Flash Version: 
6
Brief Description: 

This tag is used when debugging an SWF movie. It gives information about what debug file to load to match the SWF movie with the source. The identifier is a UUID.

Tag Structure: 
struct swf_debugid {
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 63 */
	unsigned char		f_uuid[<variable size>];
};

The DebugID tag is used to match a debug file (.swd) with a Flash animation (.swf). This is used by the Flash environment and is not required to create movies otherwise.

The f_uuid is a universally unique identifier. The size should be 128 bytes. It is otherwise defined by the size of the tag. All Unix and MS-Windows OSes offer a library to generate UUIDs. Although, you can very well just use a simple counter, it will work too.

DefineVideoStream

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
60
Tag Type: 
Define
Tag Flash Version: 
6
Brief Description: 

Defines the necessary information for the player to display a video stream (i.e. size, codec, how to decode the data, etc.). Play the frames with VideoFrame tags.

Tag Structure: 
struct swf_definevideostream {
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 60 */
	unsigned short		f_video_id;
	unsigned short		f_frame_count;
	unsigned short		f_width;	/* WARNING: this is in pixels */
	unsigned short		f_height;
	unsigned char		f_reserved : 5;
	unsigned char		f_deblocking : 2;
	unsigned char		f_smoothing : 1;
	unsigned char		f_codec;
};

This tag defines a video stream. To playback the video stream, one needs to add a list of VideoFrame tags.

The f_width and f_height are defined in pixels. This is rather uncommon in SWF so it is to be noted multiple times.

DefineEditText

Tag Info
Tag Number: 
37
Tag Type: 
Define
Tag Flash Version: 
4
Brief Description: 

An edit text enables the end users to enter text in a Flash window.

Tag Structure: 
struct swf_defineedittext {
	swf_tag			f_tag;		/* 37 */
	unsigned short		f_edit_id;
	swf_rect		f_rect;
	unsigned		f_edit_has_text : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_word_wrap : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_multiline : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_password : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_readonly : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_has_color : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_has_max_length : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_has_font : 1;
	if(version >= 6) {
		unsigned		f_edit_reserved : 1;
		unsigned		f_edit_auto_size : 1;
	}
	else {
		unsigned		f_edit_reserved : 2;
	}
	unsigned		f_edit_has_layout : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_no_select : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_border : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_reserved : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_html : 1;
	unsigned		f_edit_use_outlines : 1;
	if(f_edit_has_font) {
		unsigned short		f_edit_font_id_ref;
		unsigned short		f_edit_font_height;
	}
	if(f_edit_has_color) {
		swf_rgba		f_edit_color;
	}
	if(f_edit_has_max_length) {
		unsigned short		f_edit_max_length;
	}
	if(f_edit_has_layout) {
		unsigned char		f_edit_align;
		unsigned short		f_edit_left_margin;
		unsigned short		f_edit_right_margin;
		signed short		f_edit_indent;
		signed short		f_edit_leading;
	}
	string			f_edit_variable_name;
	if(f_edit_has_text) {
		string			f_edit_initial_text;
	}
};

Additional interactivity has been added in V4.0 of the SWF format. This is given by the use of edit boxes offering the end users a way to enter text as if the SWF movie was in fact an interactive form.

The text is defined in a variable (accessible in action scripts). It can be dynamically assigned and retrieved. It is legal to have an empty string as the variable name (not dynamically accessible).

Since version 8, the text drawn by a DefineEditText tag can be tweaked by adding a CSMTextSettings tag.

The f_edit_word_wrap flag will be set to true (1) in order to have words going beyond the ...