Editing Splash screen (section)

== Purpose ==
Splash screens are typically used by particularly large applications to notify the user that the program is in the process of loading. They provide feedback that a lengthy process is underway. Occasionally, a [[progress bar]] within the splash screen indicates the loading progress. A splash screen disappears when the application's main window appears. Splash screens may be added for a period of time and then replaced anew.

Splash screens typically serve to enhance the [[look and feel]] of an application or [[web site]], hence they are often visually appealing. They may also have [[animation]]s, graphics, and [[sound]].

On the [[World Wide Web|Web]], a splash screen is a [[web page|page]] of a [[web site]] that acts as a front page prior to displaying the [[home page]]. Designers may use splash pages:

* To direct users to the appropriate website for their [[country]] or [[language]] preference.
* To direct users to a low-[[Bandwidth (computing)|bandwidth]] site or one more accessible to disabled users.
* As an additional form of [[advertising]].
* to restrict access to content such as [[pornography]], [[alcohol (drug)|alcohol]] advertising or sales, or [[gambling]].
* As an aesthetic complement to the main page.
* To grab someone's attention to take them to a page with more details usually for a product that they are selling.
An early use of the splash screen on a Flash website was to enable the site developer to launch the site in a JavaScript-controlled new window without browser elements such as scroll-bars or an address bar, and in the exact size of the Flash movie. This has gone out of style with the predominance of pop-up blockers. Instead, many Flash web pages now allow their audience to choose to go to full screen viewing.

Since splash screens often increase the wait for the desired content and may take a long time to load, they are not liked by all users. Web splash screens are especially inconvenient for users with slow [[internet connection]]s as the first page may take longer to load. Moreover, if the user has turned off rich content, such as images, [[Adobe Flash|Flash]], or [[Adobe Shockwave|Shockwave]], the splash page may not load at all. Splash pages and any associated main pages created in [[Adobe Flash|Flash]] often cannot be accessed by search engines or handled by text readers for the blind.<ref>{{cite web|title=Flash Accessibility Issues|url=http://webaim.org/techniques/flash/#issues|website=WebAIM.org|access-date=September 8, 2015|archive-date=September 5, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905090116/http://webaim.org/techniques/flash/#issues|url-status=live}}</ref>