HOW TO: Add YouTube videos to your posts

I know we've all wondered how to embed YouTube videos in our posts. But we've had to be happy with just putting hyperlinks inline and living with it.

Well... not an more! I've found a way to embed (yeah, that's right! I said embed) YouTube videos right into our posts (and our replies, for that matter).

Assuming you've found a video you want to embed from YouTube, take a look at the code for embedding it. In this exmple, we'll use some video I shot of a raging waterfall by my house during the last floods. Here's a screen shot showing where you will find the code for embedding video.



Here's a step-by-step on how to do it:
1. Once you've located the box where the information is found, look specifically at the textbox labeled, "Embed."



This is the code we'll need for our embedded file. Copy the code to a blank notepad file or wherever is convenient for you to read the code.

2. Here's the code in its raw form:

Code:

<object width="425" height="355"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/FTAPiU-ruaM&rel=1"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/FTAPiU-ruaM&rel=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="355"></embed></object>

The parts we're interested in are the width, the height, and the location of the YouTube video file. If you'll read the code from the beginning, we'll parse out those bits of information:

(I'm not sure what the "&rel=1" thing does, but we don't need it. So, who cares?)

3. So our width=425, our height=355, and our file location=http://www.youtube.com/v/FTAPiU-ruaM. Now, here's the key to making this work. If you just plug these variables in like they are, it won't work. The YouTube.com server knows what to do with, "http://www.youtube.com/v/FTAPiU-ruaM," but the XJBikes.com server doesn't. We have to add the correct file extension onto the file name for it to work. What's that extension, you ask? It's ".swf".

So, now our file location should read, "http://www.youtube.com/v/FTAPiU-ruaM.swf" With that minor correction, we're good to go.

4. Click on the Insert Flash File button...



...and plug in your location, width, and height variables (in that order). If you've done everything correctly, it should display the YouTube video like this:

[flash=425,355]http://www.youtube.com/v/http://www.youtube.com/v/FTAPiU-ruaM.swf[/flash]

The actual code for this video reads:

Code:

[flash=425,355]http://www.youtube.com/v/FTAPiU-ruaM.swf[/flash]

Well, that about wraps this How-To up. I hope you found this one helpful. Have a comment or suggestion? You know what to do...

 

If there are specific video hosting sites you want looked at link to them in your replies, and I'll see what I can do with them. Chances are they will be of similar coding convention.

 

this is great, some other forums I use will allow the <object> html code

others use a differen't forum of 'flash insert'.

i do have to say, i learned this forums manner by viewing one of your other posts!