--- title: Embedded Resources order: 33 layout: page --- [[components.embedded]] = Embedded Resources You can embed images in Vaadin UIs with the [classname]#Image# component, Adobe Flash graphics with [classname]#Flash#, and other web content with [classname]#BrowserFrame#. There is also a generic [classname]#Embedded# component for embedding other object types. The embedded content is referenced as __resources__, as described in <>. The following example displays an image as a class resource loaded with the class loader: [source, java] ---- Image image = new Image("Yes, logo:", new ClassResource("vaadin-logo.png")); main.addComponent(image); ---- The caption can be given as null to disable it. An empty string displays an empty caption which takes a bit space. The caption is managed by the containing layout. You can set an altenative text for an embedded resource with [methodname]#setAlternateText()#, which can be shown if images are disabled in the browser for some reason. The text can be used for accessibility purposes, such as for text-to-speech generation. [[components.embedded.image]] == Embedded [classname]#Image# The [classname]#Image# component allows embedding an image resource in a Vaadin UI. [source, java] ---- // Serve the image from the theme Resource res = new ThemeResource("img/myimage.png"); // Display the image without caption Image image = new Image(null, res); layout.addComponent(image); ---- The [classname]#Image# component has by default undefined size in both directions, so it will automatically fit the size of the embedded image. ((("scroll bars"))) If you want scrolling with scroll bars, you can put the image inside a [classname]#Panel# that has a defined size to enable scrolling, as described in <>. You can also put it inside some other component container and set the [literal]#++overflow: auto++# CSS property for the container element in a theme to enable automatic scrollbars. (((overflow CSS property))) [[components.embedded.image.generated]] === Generating and Reloading Images You can also generate the image content dynamically using a [classname]#StreamResource#, as described in <>, or with a [classname]#RequestHandler#. If the image changes, the browser needs to reload it. Simply updating the stream resource is not enough. Because of how caching is handled in some browsers, you can cause a reload easiest by renaming the filename of the resource with a unique name, such as one including a timestamp. You should set cache time to zero with [methodname]#setCacheTime()# for the resource object when you create it.//BUG #2470. [source, java] ---- // Create the stream resource with some initial filename StreamResource imageResource = new StreamResource(imageSource, "initial-filename.png"); // Instruct browser not to cache the image imageResource.setCacheTime(0); // Display the image Image image = new Image(null, imageResource); ---- When refreshing, you also need to call [methodname]#markAsDirty()# for the [classname]#Image# object. [source, java] ---- // This needs to be done, but is not sufficient image.markAsDirty(); // Generate a filename with a timestamp SimpleDateFormat df = new SimpleDateFormat("yyyyMMddHHmmssSSS"); String filename = "myfilename-" + df.format(new Date()) + ".png"; // Replace the filename in the resource imageResource.setFilename(makeImageFilename()); ---- [[components.embedded.flash]] == Adobe [classname]#Flash# Graphics The [classname]#Flash# component allows embedding Adobe Flash animations in Vaadin UIs. [source, java] ---- Flash flash = new Flash(null, new ThemeResource("img/vaadin_spin.swf")); layout.addComponent(flash); ---- You can set Flash parameters with [methodname]#setParameter()#, which takes a parameter's name and value as strings. You can also set the [parameter]#codeBase#, [parameter]#archive#, and [parameter]#standBy# attributes for the Flash object element in HTML. [[components.embedded.browserframe]] == [classname]#BrowserFrame# The [classname]#BrowserFrame# allows embedding web content inside an HTML <iframe> element. You can refer to an external URL with [classname]#ExternalResource#. As the [classname]#BrowserFrame# has undefined size by default, it is critical that you define a meaningful size for it, either fixed or relative. [source, java] ---- BrowserFrame browser = new BrowserFrame("Browser", new ExternalResource("http://demo.vaadin.com/sampler/")); browser.setWidth("600px"); browser.setHeight("400px"); layout.addComponent(browser); ---- Notice that web pages can prevent embedding them in an <iframe>. [[components.embedded.embedded]] == Generic [classname]#Embedded# Objects The generic [classname]#Embedded# component allows embedding all sorts of objects, such as SVG graphics, Java applets, and PDF documents, in addition to the images, Flash graphics, and browser frames which you can embed with the specialized components. For example, to display a Flash animation: [source, java] ---- // A resource reference to some object Resource res = new ThemeResource("img/vaadin_spin.swf"); // Display the object Embedded object = new Embedded("My Object", res); layout.addComponent(object); ---- Or an SVG image: [source, java] ---- // A resource reference to some object Resource res = new ThemeResource("img/reindeer.svg"); // Display the object Embedded object = new Embedded("My SVG", res); object.setMimeType("image/svg+xml"); // Unnecessary layout.addComponent(object); ---- The MIME type of the objects is usually detected automatically from the filename extension with the [classname]#FileTypeResolver# utility in Vaadin. If not, you can set it explicitly with [methodname]#setMimeType()#, as was done in the example above (where it was actually unnecessary). Some embeddable object types may require special support in the browser. You should make sure that there is a proper fallback mechanism if the browser does not support the embedded type.