Falcon Challenge! Is there a simpler way to get data from a database into a DataGrid in Flash?

Posted on January 5, 2010 by Dan Zen

CHALLENGE!

Here is the code required to get data from a MySQL database result in PHP into a DataGrid on stage in Flash. Below is script.php:

<?PHP
   $db = mysql_connect("yourServer", "yourUserName", "yourPassword");
   mysql_select_db("yourDatabase",$db);

   include_once("falconize.php");  // in same directory
   echo falconize(mysql_query("SELECT * FROM yourTable",$db)); 
?>

In Flash with DataGrid on stage:

   // in package
   import com.danzen.utilities.FalconProvider;

   // in constructor or some other method
   var myFalcon:FalconProvider = new FalconProvider("script.php");
   myFalcon.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, function(e:Event) {
      myGrid.dataProvider = e.target.dataProvider;
   });

We could be wrong, but is this the shortest number of lines around? Let us know if you find a challenger! Download the new falcon.zip for the added falconize.php file.

Dan Zen

-2010-

Filed under: Analysis, Update Tagged: | adobe, challenge, datagrid, Falcon, falconprovider, flash, MySQL, php

8 Responses

Dan Zen, on April 11, 2010 at 5:21 pm said:

To pass variables to the server script means adjusting the FalconProvider call as follows:

new FalconProvider(“script.php”, FalconProvider.VARIABLES, {var1=”hello”, var2=7});

Reply
Kasper Kamperman, on September 23, 2010 at 6:04 pm said:

I’ve found a bug in the FalconProvider.as

When I have only one result getData doesn’t give back this result. Because with one result, the variable “max” stays 0, while there is actually one result.

This data displays correctly :
error=&f0=1%5F1285258235%5F2%2Ejpg&f1=1%5F1285236942%5F8%2Ejpg&total=2

This data is not displayed while it should :
error=&f0=1%5F1285258235%5F2%2Ejpg&total=1

I’ve changed : if(max>0)
to : if (prefix)

Reply
- Dan Zen, on January 22, 2011 at 4:20 pm said:
  
  Oops – thanks. Have made the corrections, will post the fix and announce. Thank you for pointing it out.
  
  Reply
Dan Zen, on May 7, 2011 at 2:55 am said:

Well… a year and about 6,000 views has gone by and there have been no challenges… anybody?

Reply
John, on May 16, 2011 at 6:55 pm said:

Hey, i was wandering whether falcon can be used to send and save variables into a database in a standalone flash application (as3), if this is possible could you please help me in doing this in an application I’m currently building.
Thanks, John

Reply
- Dan Zen, on July 11, 2011 at 11:44 pm said:
  
  Sorry about the delay – somehow missed this comment. It depends perhaps what you mean by a standalone application. Yes, it can bring in text but where is your database for the standalone application – if it is AIR and you are still going over the Web then yes. If it is a local SQLLite or something then I think probably not as you access the database right from Flash rather than a server script.
  
  Reply
Raz Peel, on December 2, 2011 at 6:03 am said:

Hey Dan,

You can make it even shorter by adding an optional callback to the constructor!

e.g. new FalconProvider(“script.php”, function () { /* Set Data Provider */ });

Reply
- Dan Zen, on December 2, 2011 at 2:11 pm said:
  
  Yes – you are right – just thought we should keep the traditional AS event system ;-). How’s it going Raz!
  
  Reply