gistfile1.txt

#!/usr/bin/ruby

# convert embed code generated by some Flash video players into valid markup
# (use object tag instead of deprecated embed tag)

require 'rexml/document'

require 'rubygems'
require 'builder'

class Embed < REXML::Document

  def flashvars
    xpath_get(['//embed/@flashvars', ])
  end

  def height
    xpath_get(['//embed/@height', ])
  end

  def src
    xpath_get(['//embed/@src', ])
  end

  def type
    xpath_get(['//embed/@type', ])
  end

  def width
    xpath_get(['//embed/@width', ])
  end

  def to_object
    xm = Builder::XmlMarkup.new

    xm.object(
      :type => type,
      :data => src,
      :height => height,
      :width => width) {
      xm.param(:name => 'flashvars', :value => flashvars)
    }
  end

  def xpath_get(xpaths)
    result = nil
    xpaths.each do |xpath|
      n = root.elements[xpath]
      unless n.nil?
        result = n.value
        break
      end
    end
    result
  end

end

input = '<embed src="http://www.theonion.com/content/themes/common/assets/videop
layer2/flvplayer.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowScriptAccess="al
ways" wmode="transparent" width="400" height="355" flashvars="file=http://www.th
eonion.com/content/xml/92328/video&autostart=false&image=http://www.theonion.com
/content/files/images/NO_KEYBOARD_article.jpg&bufferlength=3&embedded=true&title
=Apple%20Introduces%20Revolutionary%20New%20Laptop%20With%20No%20Keyboard"></emb
ed>'

e = Embed.new(input)

puts "input: #{input}\n\noutput: #{e.to_object}"