- What Is CSS?
- What Is DHTML?
- DHTML vs. Flash
- Browser Hell
- What You Need to Know Already
DHTML vs. Flash
Full disclosure: I love Flash. There aren't any browser or platform issues with creating Flash movies. Of course, Flash requires a downloadable plug-in, but that's gradually gaining in popularity as an acceptable thing for Web sites. Flash can do just about everything DHTML can, a lot of things it can't, and the language to control Flash (called ActionScript) is based on JavaScript, so it's pretty easy to learn.
SIDE NOTE:
I'd be nuts if I didn't make a shameless plug right now for my Flash book, Advanced Flash 5 for Web Professionals. It's got everything you need to know about ActionScript. I had a blast writing it, and you might like it too.
The decision to use Flash or DHTML rests primarily on your target audience. Are you creating a bitchin' cool site for teen girls or a brochureware site for a marketing consultant intended for corporate CEOs? Higher-up executive types tend to not want to spend valuable time downloading plug-ins, while teens are more likely to. It all comes back to your audience and their typical behavior.