Flash has built-in functionality that displays a preloader of the file being downloaded while that file being downloaded. So, myfile.swf can specify what should be displayed while myfile.swf downloads. Pretty awesome idea. There's three ways I can think of implementing this:
- The preloader is contained within the first x bytes of the swf file. After the browser receives x bytes it displays the preloader while the rest of the file is downloading.
- The preloader is built into the Flash runtime and the first x bytes of the swf file simply provide a skin for the preloader.
- Every swf file actually contains two applications - the preloader and the main program. After the entire preloader has been received it begins running and the input stream is redirected to the preloader.
Does anybody know how this is actually accomplished?