System.capabilities object

Availability

Flash Player 6.

Description

You can use the System.capabilities object to determine the abilities of the system and player hosting a SWF file. This allows you to tailor content for different formats. For example, the screen of a cell phone (black and white, 100 square pixels) is different than the 1000-square-pixel color PC screen. To provide appropriate content to as many users as possible, you can use the System.capabilities object to determine the type of device a user has. You can then either specify to the server to send different SWF files based on the device capabilities, or tell the SWF file to alter its presentation based on the capabilities of the device.

You can send capabilities information using a GET or POST HTTP method. The following is an example of a server string for a device that does not have MP3 support and has a 400 x 200 pixel, 8 x 4 centimeter screen:

"A=t&SA=t&SV=t&EV=t&MP3=t&AE=t&VE=t&ACC=f&PR=t&SP=t&SB=f&DEB=t&V=WIN%207%2C0%2C0%2C226&M=Macromedia%20Windows&R=1152x864&DP=72&COL=color&AR=1.0&OS=Windows%20XP&L=en&PT=External&AVD=f&LFD=f"

Property summary for the System.capabilities object

Property

Description

Server string

System.capabilities.avHardwareDisable

Read-only; specifies whether the user's camera and microphone are enabled or disabled.

AVD

System.capabilities.hasAccessibility

Indicates whether the player is running on a system that supports communication between Flash Player and accessibility aids.

ACC

System.capabilities.hasAudio

Indicates whether the player is running on a system that has audio capabilities.

A

System.capabilities.hasAudioEncoder

Indicates whether the player is running on a system that can encode an audio stream, such as that coming from a microphone.

AE

System.capabilities.hasEmbeddedVideo

Indicates whether the player is running on a system that supports embedded video.

EV

System.capabilities.hasMP3

Indicates whether the player is running on a system that has an MP3 decoder.

MP3

System.capabilities.hasPrinting

Indicates whether the player is running on a system that supports printing.

PR

System.capabilities.hasScreenBroadcast

Indicates whether the player supports the development of screen broadcast applications to be run through the Flash Communication Server.

SB

System.capabilities.hasScreenPlayback

Indicates whether the player supports the playback of screen broadcast applications that are being run through the Flash Communication Server.

SP

System.capabilities.hasStreamingAudio

Indicates whether the player can play streaming audio.

SA

System.capabilities.hasStreamingVideo

Indicates whether the player can play streaming video.

SV

System.capabilities.hasVideoEncoder

Indicates whether the player can encode a video stream, such as that coming from a web camera.

VE

System.capabilities.isDebugger

Indicates whether the player is an officially released version or a special debugging version.

DEB

System.capabilities.language

Indicates the language of the system on which the player is running.

L

System.capabilities.localFileReadDisable

Read-only; specifies whether the player will attempt to read anything (including the first SWF file the player launches with) from the user's hard disk.

LFD

System.capabilities.manufacturer

Indicates the manufacturer of Flash Player.

M

System.capabilities.os

Indicates the operating system hosting Flash Player.

OS

System.capabilities.pixelAspectRatio

Indicates the pixel aspect ratio of the screen.

AR

System.capabilities.playerType

Indicates the type of player: stand-alone, external, plug-in, or ActiveX.

PT

System.capabilities.screenColor

Indicates whether the screen is color, grayscale, or black and white.

COL

System.capabilities.screenDPI

Indicates the dots-per-inch screen resolution, in pixels.

DP

System.capabilities.screenResolutionX

Indicates the horizontal size of the screen.

R

System.capabilities.screenResolutionY

Indicates the vertical size of the screen.

R

System.capabilities.serverString

A URL-encoded string that specifies values for each System.capabilities property.

n/a

System.capabilities.version

A string containing Flash Player version and platform information.

V