Replay: Converting Old Flash UI To HTML5 Compatible Code

TL;DR: Replay uses behavior-driven reconstruction from video to automatically convert legacy Flash UI into modern, HTML5-compatible code, saving development teams countless hours.

The death of Flash in 2020 left a gaping hole in the internet's historical archive and presented a huge migration challenge for companies still reliant on Flash-based UI. Manually rewriting these interfaces is a time-consuming and error-prone process. Screenshot-to-code tools fall short because they lack an understanding of user interaction flow and dynamic behavior. Enter Replay: a video-to-code engine that leverages Gemini to reconstruct working UI from screen recordings, offering a streamlined solution for converting old Flash UI to HTML5.

The Flash Migration Problem: Beyond Just Visuals#

Flash wasn't just about static visuals; it was about interactivity, animations, and user flows. A simple screenshot-to-code conversion only captures the appearance of the UI, not the behavior. This is where the real challenge lies. Consider a Flash-based e-commerce site with complex product filtering and checkout processes. Recreating this functionality from static images would be a nightmare.

Replay addresses this problem head-on by analyzing video recordings of users interacting with the Flash UI. This "Behavior-Driven Reconstruction" allows Replay to understand the underlying logic and recreate it accurately in HTML5.

Replay: Behavior-Driven Reconstruction in Action#

Replay analyzes video as the source of truth. It doesn't just see pixels; it interprets actions. It recognizes button clicks, form submissions, and state changes. This allows Replay to generate code that not only looks like the original Flash UI but also behaves like it.

Key Features for Flash Conversion:#

• •Multi-page Generation: Replay can handle complex applications with multiple pages and interconnected flows, automatically generating the necessary HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.
• •Supabase Integration: Seamlessly connect your converted UI to a modern backend using Supabase, enabling data persistence and dynamic content.
• •Style Injection: Maintain the original look and feel of your Flash UI with style injection, ensuring a consistent user experience.
• •Product Flow Maps: Visualize the user flows within your application, making it easier to understand and maintain the converted code.

Replay vs. Traditional Approaches#

💡 Pro Tip: Providing high-quality video recordings of common user flows will significantly improve the accuracy and completeness of the generated code.

Step-by-Step Guide: Converting Flash UI with Replay#

Here's a practical guide on how to use Replay to convert your old Flash UI to HTML5:

Step 1: Recording the Flash UI#

Record videos of users interacting with the Flash UI. Focus on capturing key user flows, such as:

• •Logging in
• •Navigating between pages
• •Filling out forms
• •Interacting with interactive elements (buttons, sliders, etc.)

📝 Note: The clearer and more comprehensive the recordings, the better the results. Aim for recordings with minimal distractions and consistent user behavior.

Step 2: Uploading to Replay#

Upload the video recordings to the Replay platform. Replay will automatically analyze the videos and begin the reconstruction process.

Step 3: Reviewing and Refining the Generated Code#

Once Replay has finished processing the videos, you'll be presented with the generated HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code. Review the code carefully and make any necessary adjustments.

⚠️ Warning: While Replay strives for accuracy, manual review is always recommended to ensure the converted code meets your specific requirements.

Step 4: Integrating with Supabase (Optional)#

If your Flash UI relied on a backend database, you can integrate the converted code with Supabase. Replay provides tools and guidance to help you connect your UI to Supabase and manage your data.

Here's an example of how you might fetch data from Supabase using JavaScript:

typescript
// Example: Fetching data from Supabase
import { createClient } from '@supabase/supabase-js'

const supabaseUrl = 'YOUR_SUPABASE_URL'
const supabaseKey = 'YOUR_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY'
const supabase = createClient(supabaseUrl, supabaseKey)

const fetchData = async () => {
  const { data, error } = await supabase
    .from('your_table')
    .select('*')

  if (error) {
    console.error('Error fetching data:', error)
    return []
  }

  return data
}

// Usage example
fetchData().then(data => {
  console.log('Data from Supabase:', data)
  // Update your UI with the fetched data
});

Step 5: Style Injection (Optional)#

If you want to maintain the exact look and feel of your original Flash UI, you can use Replay's style injection feature. This allows you to apply CSS styles to the generated HTML elements, ensuring a consistent user experience.

Here's a simplified example of how style injection might work:

javascript
// Example: Injecting CSS styles
const injectStyles = (css) => {
  const style = document.createElement('style');
  style.textContent = css;
  document.head.appendChild(style);
};

// Example CSS (replace with your actual styles)
const flashStyles = `
  .button {
    background-color: #007bff;
    color: white;
    padding: 10px 20px;
    border-radius: 5px;
  }
`;

injectStyles(flashStyles);

This script dynamically adds the provided CSS to the

of your HTML document, effectively applying the styles to your elements. You would extract the CSS from your original Flash assets or recreate them manually.

Benefits of Using Replay#

• •Significant Time Savings: Automate the conversion process and reduce the time required to migrate from Flash.
• •Improved Accuracy: Behavior-driven reconstruction ensures that the converted code accurately reflects the functionality of the original Flash UI.
• •Reduced Development Costs: Lower development costs by automating a significant portion of the conversion process.
• •Modernized Technology Stack: Migrate to a modern, HTML5-compatible technology stack.
• •Enhanced Maintainability: The generated code is clean, well-structured, and easy to maintain.
• •Preserve User Experience: Style injection ensures a consistent user experience across platforms.

Replay provides a revolutionary approach to converting old Flash UI, leveraging video analysis and AI to understand user behavior and reconstruct working code. This dramatically reduces the time and effort required for Flash migration, allowing development teams to focus on more strategic initiatives.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free tier with limited functionality. Paid plans are available for more advanced features and higher usage limits. Check the pricing page for current details.

How is Replay different from v0.dev?#

While v0.dev and similar tools generate UI code from text prompts or static images, Replay analyzes video recordings to understand user behavior and reconstruct the underlying logic of the UI. This behavior-driven approach is crucial for accurately converting complex Flash applications.

What kind of video quality is required for Replay to work effectively?#

Clear, high-resolution video recordings are ideal. Ensure that the video captures all user interactions and UI elements clearly. Minimize distractions and maintain consistent lighting.

What if my Flash UI uses ActionScript?#

Replay focuses on reconstructing the UI and user interactions. ActionScript logic will need to be rewritten in JavaScript or a similar language. However, Replay provides a solid foundation for the UI structure and behavior, simplifying the overall migration process.

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Ready to try behavior-driven code generation? Get started with Replay - transform any video into working code in seconds.