confused on swf files and publishing...?

[mr.pbody]

i'm confused as to what is an swf file...is it the flash document or the published file???

and when i call for a swf file to load in an empty movie clip what files are supposed to be in the same folder for that to happen.

here is why i ask this stupid question:
when i open my folder with all of my flash crap in it i see flash documents (what flash opens when i start the program), flash movies and html documents (the files that i have published).
but none of them say swf file. (???)

[Mavrisa]

Im not sure about all of the question but i know that a .fla file is a flash document which you can edit, and a .swf is a file which people view as it was meant to be (published). i think there are more types but im not sure what they are.
i would try putting all your files in the same folder, because it can find the files more easily.

[jahasloth]

SWF is the file extension on a Flash Movie. By default, Windows hides file extensions, so you will never see the SWF extension. Know that Explorer lists a SWF as "Flash movie"

FLA is the editable Flash document. This is what you open in the editor. Again, Windows Explorer hides the extension, but calls it type "Flash Document"

Your "Flash Movie" called myMovie is actually named, myMovie.swf, but Windows hides the extension, '.swf'.

[mr.pbody]

thanks for the replies!

i somehow deleted my swf player and all of those movie extensions had someother crazy program trying to play them...hence my confusion.
downloaded a swf player and i was back in buisness.