A Must have Checklist Before You Avail Flash to HTML5 and XML Conversion

With the evolution of advanced web technologies, Flash has become obsolete and giving way to HTML5 and XML. To sustain sites with embedded Flash, it becomes necessary to convert Flash to newer formats. Sites offering learning systems, necessarily have to embrace new technologies to maintain the interactivity quotient and allow multimedia to play out seamlessly.

Quick Overview

• Create a migration list
• Prioritizing the courses
• Check for revaluation of exiting courses
• Select appropriate tools
• Add all the files to one place
• Testing and deployment
• Decide the structure for your document
• Define the paragraph type
• Add hierarchy
• Define attributes
• Carry out the Needed Rewriting

Flash was once the universal standard for developing learning modules but its incompatibility with mobile systems calls for its substitution with responsive formats. XML and HTML5 are now popular modes for online publishing. Flash to HTML5 conversion is thus the need of the hour. To facilitate the streamlined conversion of legacy modules to contemporary versions, it is desirable to follow an action plan as mentioned below.

1. Create a migration list

   All learning modules which need to be migrated to HTML5 must be listed before conversion. This will ensure that everything important would undergo conversion and you don’t miss out on anything.

2. Prioritizing the courses

   The requirements of all courses may not be the same. Courses may require design upgrades, technology upgrades, or complete redesigning. Hence, requirements of specific modules must be prioritized before conversion starts.

   Courses needing minor upgrades should be accorded the highest priority compared to one which calls for extensive upgrading.

3. Check for revaluation of exiting courses

   When learners subscribe to a learning course, they expect it to be short and to the point. Further, the course must not be bulky so that it can be accessed on the go on smartphones and tablets. All legacy courses must be scanned through for identifying the ones that are more than an hour or two in duration.

   During the conversion of Flash to HTML5, you need to weed out unwanted elements and only retain the useful portions. This would ensure that multiple device users have a better experience during training for skills upgrading. The support tool's potential can be leveraged for developing shorter and more meaningful courses during conversion.

   The process of migration of Flash learning modules to HTML5 renders the courses mobile-friendly and allows for a complete revamping of modules that are lengthy or not engaging.

   Long courses can be disintegrated into sho

4. Select appropriate tools

   Two categories of tools are available for conversion. They are rapid development and standard tools. Popular eLearning authoring tools are Adapt, iSpring, Studio 13, and Articulate whereas common standard authoring tools are Trivantis Lectora, Adobe Captivate, Adobe CS6, and Articulate Storyline.

5. Add all the files to one place

   Before starting the conversion, all source files of Flash courses must be compiled in one place to facilitate quicker migration. These files carry the raw codes, resources, text, and media used by developers before they were exported for creating final learning modules.

6. Testing and deployment

   Once the main phase of conversion is over, you need to test the user experience for the newly converted modules. To ensure that the courses are serving the needful, gather the subscribers, feedback, and reviews. Any discrepancy must be set right earnestly. This would improve the acceptability of migrated courses.

   The compatibility of the existing browser with HTML5 content must be evaluated. Support of LMS needs to be ascertained for mobile learning courses.

7. Decide the structure for your document

   Before starting with XML conversion, you need to decide the appropriate structure for your document. Primarily, the sections related to headings, subheadings, or sequences must be spelled out.

8. Define the paragraph type

   The paragraph type for each section must be well defined for optimum results. The main heading section comes first and in the steps section, the numbering must be provided if the same is needed.

9. Add hierarchy

   Some sections can be parent sections under which all smaller or child sections must be contained. Several child sections otherwise called siblings might be present under the parent section. The complete hierarchy must be designed beforehand.

10. Define attributes

    For enjoying better XML conversion services, attributes must be well defined. They carry significant details about the section or paragraph element. You can bring the learning module’s title along with the name of the author and date of release using the ‘title type’ attribute, for example.

11. Carry out the Needed Rewriting

    Once all the attributes have been defined and the document structure has been finalized, some rewriting may be required in certain sections.

    Once the sections have been identified, rewriting of the content should be done to ensure compatibility with the finalized structure. Before conversion, all content should be modified as per the structure.

The steps mentioned above need to be religiously followed to ensure impeccable results after conversion. One step should be taken at a time so that vital elements are not missed or overlooked. Flash to HTML5 conversion or XML conversion is the exclusive forte of professional agencies like MAPSystems. Hence, they must be entrusted with the work for stellar outcomes.