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-

Falcon Flash at http://falconflash.wordpress.com is the first of the Flash Feather series of advanced interface classes in Flash to launch.  With over one thousand downloads we are pleased that it has been helpful.  It really is a simple wrapper class for the five data classes in Flash.  It lets you easily read text and XML or send variables to and from server scripts like PHP.

var myFalcon:Falcon = new Falcon("yourfile.php or .xml or .txt");
myFalcon.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, getData);
function getData(e:Event) {
    trace (myFalcon.data.yourVariable);
    // or just myFalcon.data for XML or txt
}

Flash Feathers is located at http://flashfeathers.wordpress.com and through the links at the right.  Flash Feathers features the following open source solutions:

FLASH FEATHERS

• ROBIN – multiuser chat and realtime game classes with Flash and PHP
• FALCON – easy data transfer between Flash and server scripts
• HUMMINGBIRD – parallax effect with mouse movement for 3D menus
• GOOSE – multitouch emulator and processor with just Flash and Browsers
• PENGUIN – tilt emulator and processor for tilt and translation apps
• WOODPECKER – sound frequency and wave animation for MP3 and FLV
• GOOSE – motion capture so a cursor follows your Web cam motion
• DODO – blob detection to provide blobs anywhere there is Web cam motion

The Falcon Download ZIP file is at left.  There is a standard way to install all the Flash Feathers classes as detailed in the readme.txt file and the various class files and goes like follows:

INSTALLATION

• create a classes/ folder somewhere generic on your harddrive
• add the classes folder to your Flash Class Path – in the Flash Menu:
  
• choose Edit > Preferences > ActionScript – ActionScript 3 Settings
• use the + sign for the source path box to add the path to your classes/ folder
• put the provided com/ folder in your classes/ folder

This way your classes from Flash Feathers will all work together along with other people’s distributed classes.  DO NOT add the com/ folder to your class path in the Flash preferences!  Read above if this is not clear.

Please have a look at the VIDEO page and the sample CODE page for more information about Falcon.  You can download the code through the link at the left on http://falconflash.wordpress.com.

FRIENDS AND DONATIONS
Please let us know if you use Falcon and we will add you to the Friends area at left.  If you use Falcon for a commercial venture and would care to donate that would be super!

FEATHERS
Falcon is one of a selection of open source solutions called Flash Feathers available at http://flashfeathers.wordpress.com.

Dan Zen

-09-

INTRODUCTION

This post describes various formats of data and their similarities across different systems. It is recommended reading for beginners and long term coders. It will introduce philosophical principles and use specific examples of data transfer between Flash and PHP.

There are recommendations on how to transfer data later on in the post but before the recommendations will make sense, we need to explore data formats.

DATA

For data to be useful we usually provide a label for the data. This is called meta data or data about the data! Below, name is the meta data and Dan is the data.

   name=Dan

This is how variables work in coding – you have a variable name and a variable value. If you have more than one variable you can string them together with a given character – called a delimiter. Below is called CGI format and we see it on the end of URLs:

   name=Dan & gender=male & occupation=inventor

This data holds information about a person and lists various properties of that person. You can do this for any physical or virtual object and hence, Object Oriented Programming has objects with properties:

   {name:"Dan", gender:"male", occupation:"inventor"};

Above is an object literal in Flash. In PHP associative arrays (Hashes) are used:

   array(name=>"Dan", gender=>"male", occupation=>"inventor");

Note: that all these hold the same data and meta data – they just have different syntax.

MULTIPLE OBJECTS

Often we want to keep data on multiple objects:

   name=Dan & gender=male & occupation=inventor &
   name=Jen & gender=female & occupation=inventor

With variables, the name of the variable needs to be unique. So we put an index number on the variable names like so (start at 0 or start at 1):

   name0=Dan & gender0=male & occupation0=inventor &
   name1=Jen & gender1=female & occupation1=inventor

In Flash, we hold multiple objects in an array. An array is a list of elements. We can access the elements by their index number. This index number starts at 0 for almost all programming languages. Below is an array literal of two objects, me and you.

   people = [me, you];
   trace (people[0]); // would trace me
   trace (people[1]); // would trace you

Now, remember the objects had name, gender and occupation properties:

   people = [
      {name:"Dan", gender:"male", occupation:"inventor"},
      {name:"Jen", gender:"female", occupation:"inventor"}
   ]

In PHP this would be a multidimensional associative array (an array of arrays):

   people = array(
      array(name=>"Dan", gender=>"male", occupation=>"inventor"),
      array(name=>"Jen", gender=>"female", occupation=>"inventor")
   );

DATABASES

To store multiple objects we typically use a database which is just a table with rows (records) and columns (fields). Below we have two rows and three columns:

Name   Gender   Occupation
----   ------   ----------
Dan    male     inventor
Jen    female   inventor

To get the data out of the database table we loop through the rows and put the data into variables (CGI format) or into a PHP array or into XML as will later be described.

HIERARCHIES

This is one of the most important aspects of data and you will live in delusion if you do not fully understand. All data can be represented by a hierarchy. Hierarchies are often thought of as rigid but they are not because you are free to adjust the context.

In a hierarchy, an object is called a node – think of a node as a holder. Node 0 is at the top – it holds all (http://nodism.org). You can organize / categorize / group the object by any of its properties – so you have the various permutations (ors) and combinations (ands). Ors go across and ands go down. Below is a hierarchy diagram showing the location of the object me based on some of my properties.

Relative to any node, you have its context – which is above the node and its content which is below the node. A node also has a parent and can have children and siblings.

Note that the object we are interested in (me) appears in any of the nodes. It is nice that I am directly related to Node 0 (ring a bell?)

I am categorized under dans. I am categorized under inventors and inventors called dan. I am categorized under males and male inventors called dan, etc.

Imagine that we had 100 inventors and 100 gardeners. In the CGI format, we would have to repeat this information 100 times for each.

   name=Dan & gender=male & occupation=inventor &
   name=Jen & gender=female & occupation=inventor &
   etc.

It would take up less data if would could say, here are all the inventors and here are all the gardeners.

   inventors:
      name=Dan & gender=male
      name=Jen & gender=female
      etc.
   gardeners:
      name=Jim & gender=male
      etc.

Note the tabbing or nesting of the data. This is an indication that a hierarchy is present. It shows up in table of contents, in directory structures, etc. All these are just another view of a hierarchy. Relational databases try to cut down on this repetition and handle hierarchy but it is not always practical.

Short of applying prefixes to variables, there is no native way to create a hierarchy with CGI format. We call this flat data. But we can nest with multidimensional arrays in Flash and in PHP – Here is Flash:

   people = [
            {occupation:"inventor",
                people:[
                   {name:"Dan", gender:"male"},
                   {name:"Jen", gender:"female"}
                ]
            },
            {occupation:"gardener",
                people:[
                   {name:"Jim", gender:"male"}
                ]
            }];

here is PHP:

   people = array(
            array(occupation=>"inventor",
               people=>array(
                  array(name=>"Dan", gender=>"male"),
                  array(name=>"Jen", gender=>"female")
               )
            ),
            array(occupation=>"gardener",
               people=>array(
                  array(name=>"Jim", gender=>"male")
               )
            ));

Obviously, going from the simple tabbed list to arrays adds some complexity in syntax but the hierarchical structure is maintained. To simplify and standardize the representation of data in a hierarchy XML was created.

 
XML IS ANOTHER WAY TO STORE A HIERARCHY

The XML below has the same data and hierarchy as the arrays and objects above.

   <people>
      <occupation type="inventor">
         <person name="Dan" gender="male" />
         <person name="Jen" gender="female" />
      </occupation>
      <occupation type="gardener">
         <person name="Jim" gender="male" />
      </occupation>
   </people>

A comparison on the structural characters used in the systems is below:

   XML uses:    <>/="
   PHP uses:    array()=>",
   Flash uses:  []{}",:=

XML is simpler. It is a little longer because you have to end your tags with tag names but that sometimes helps clarify what level you are on in your hierarchy.

SORTING

Before creating XML or multidimensional associative arrays you will want to decide how to categorize your data. This is just choosing your branch in the single hierarchy. Do you want to sort by occupation or by gender or by occupation and then gender:

   <people>
      <occupation type="inventor">
         <gender type="male">
            <person name="Dan" />
         </gender>
         <gender type="female">
            <person name="Jen" />
         </gender>
      </occupation>
      <occupation type="gardener">
         <gender type="male">
            <person name="Jim" />
         </gender>
      </occupation>
   </people>

Sorting is usually determined by how you want to use or display your data. These days, with E4X XML parsing in Flash, it is pretty easy to recreate any branch of data so ultimately, the best way to sort your XML is so that it contains the least data. The XML above has 277 characters where the previous version was 217. So choose the previous. A flat version would look like below with 194 characters. So for three records it is not worth nesting. But you start saving at five records.

   <people>
      <person name="Dan" gender="male" occupation="inventor" />
      <person name="Jen" gender="female" occupation="inventor" />
      <person name="Jim" gender="male" occupation="gardener" />
   </people>

CONSIDERATIONS

In general, what we are aiming for is the smallest amount of data being passed. There are trade-offs primarily in the usage of meta data. Do not send meta data if you want the smallest amount of data. Arrays can hold data in a hierarchy with or without meta data. But without meta data it can get confusing because you have to know where things are positioned. In essence, the index numbers become your meta data.

Textual data is small compared to image data like for a picture. So we usually do not mind sending meta data. Re-evaluate this for thousands of records for instance. Or at least keep your meta data (and data) small: n1=dan&g1=m&o1=inventor&n2=Jen etc.

A second consideration is ease of application which is sometimes related to lines of code required to do data transfer. Below are the three popular data formats as described above:

1. Variables
2. Arrays / Objects
3. XML

These are all relatively easy if the data is small and unrelated:

   // variables
   backgroundColor=#AAAAAA&width=500

   // associative array
   $config = array(backgroundColor=>"#AAAAAA", width=>"500");

   // object
   config = {backgroundColor:"#AAAAAA", width:"500"};

   // XML
   <config>
      <background color="#AAAAAA" />
      <width value="500" />
   </config>

For multiple data you loop through data. Here is a sample of looping through a MySQL data result for each of the three types:

   // variables
   $i = 0;
   while ($myrow = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
      echo "name".$i."=".urlencode($myrow['name']).
      "&gender".$i."=".urlencode($myrow['gender']).
      "&occupation".$i."=".urlencode($myrow['occupation'])."&";
             $i++;
   }

   // multidimensional associative arrays
   $config = array();
   while ($myrow = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
      array_push($myrow, $config);
   }

   // XML
   $config = "<config>";
   while ($myrow = mysql_fetch_array($result)) {
      $config .= '<person name="'.urlencode($myrow['name']).'
      " gender="'.urlencode($myrow['gender']).'
      " occupation="'.urlencode($myrow['occupation']).' />';
   }
   $config .= "</config>";

To create a hierarchy as you loop is more tricky. You do not do this with variables. XML for instance it looks like below – multidimensional associative arrays would be similar:

   $query = "SELECT * FROM people ORDER BY occupation, name";
   $result = mysql_query($query,$db);
   $lastoccupation = "";
   $output = '<people>';
   if ($result) {
      while ($myrow = mysql_fetch_row($result)) {
         $name = $myrow["name"];
         $gender = $myrow["gender"];
         $occupation = $myrow["occupation"];
         if ($occupation != $lastoccupation) {
            if ($lastoccupation != "") {
               $output .= '</occupation>\n';
            }
            $output .= '<occupation type="$occupation">\n';
            $lastoccupation = $occupation;
         }
         $output .= '<person name="$name" gender="$gender" />\n';
      }
      $output .= '</occupation>';
   }
   $output .= '</people>';

So, not a lot of fun to form hierarchical data. You may be able to find custom PHP classes that will help you form hierarchical data but then there is the step of preparing the classes and calling them. In the end, the flat data will probably do for most cases unless you have hundreds of records. We have a surprise for you to make flat data easy in PHP.

One more consideration is JSON – JavaScript Object Notation. JSON is an alternative to XML as a way to pass a hierarchy. It does this by turning multidimensional associative arrays (arrays and objects) into a delimited string in one system (like PHP or Flash) so you can pass the data to a receiving system. In the receiving system, JSON parses (reads) the string and turns it back into multidimensional associative arrays (arrays and objects).

You send the JSON string as a variable value.

OPTIONS

Now that we have explored data, here are some options to transfer data.

1. Native to Flash, is the URLLoader and associated classes such as URLRequest, etc. This can get as complicated as 5 classes but can also be done in the two classes above taking various defaults (you’ll need an Event class too). URLLoader can pass variables, XML or JSON.

2. Falcon (http://falconflash.wordpress.com) is a way of transferring data such as variables, XML and JSON. It does so in one class and is a wrapper class for the native Flash data classes. Falcon also has a PHP function called falconize which in one line, turns a data result into numbered variables that FalconProvider automatically converts to a Flash DataProvider for populating List, ComboBox and DataGrid objects.

3. Flash Remoting is a way to call functions between systems. You can pass parameters to the functions and return results. The parameters and results can be variables, XML, and multidimensional associative arrays (arrays and objects). See AMFPHP. Remoting is a binary protocol so uses less data than string based operations. You probably will not notice until you are in hundreds if not thousands of records. Remoting requires classes on the Flash and PHP side and directory systems to be put in place. So it can be initially more complex but those that use it and get used to it like it.

RECOMMENDATIONS

Assuming you have users and a publisher (author or client, etc.)

1. Store publisher-updated variables in XML and collect with Falcon

2. Store user-updated data in a database and send variables with Falcon

3. Use FalconProvider and falconize for related, tabular data

4. For large numbers (over 100) of nested data use JSON and Falcon

5. For really large numbers (over 1000) of nested data send arrays with remoting

More on recommendation 3:

In PHP, the falconize function automatically numbers your database query results and echoes them to Flash in the CGI Format. It does this in one line as shown below. $db is your database connection, $error is any errors you may have recorded inputting data before this call.

   echo falconize(mysql_query("SELECT * FROM table",$db), $error);

Flash List, ComboBox and DataGrid objects use a DataProvider object to populate their displays. A DataProvider is a linear array of objects – one object per row. Each object has properties to hold the values for each column in the row. We have seen this before – the linear array of objects:

   myDataProvider = [
      {name:"Dan", gender:"male", occupation:"inventor"},
      {name:"Jen", gender:"female", occupation:"inventor"}
   ];

FalconProvider automatically makes a DataProvider for you so in your Event.COMPLETE method you can assign this ready-made DataProvider to your DataGrid for example as follows:

   myDataGrid.dataProvider = myFalconProvider.dataProvider;

This means, with FalconProvider, getting data from a database result to a DataGrid is as easy as getting a single variable – and that is pretty easy!

1. Import your class
2. Call your server (PHP)
3. Set Event Handler for data coming back
4. Access the data coming back

SUMMARY

In this post:

• an explanation of the differences between flat (variables) and hierarchical data (multidimensional arrays and XML).
• the isomorphism of multidimensional associative arrays and XML (they are the same).
• arrays and objects can be passed by converting to JSON or using remoting.
• an alternative is XML.
• the native Flash URLLoader class and associated classes can send and receive variables, XML or JSON as can Falcon which uses one class.
• falconize lets you echo numbered variables matching your database results in one line of code in PHP.
• FalconProvider has added functionality of automatically making a DataProvider for List, ComboBox and DataGrid objects.
• recommendations on what system to use resulted in choosing Falcon except for very large data sets when you might consider remoting for speed.

Inventor, Dan Zen

-2010-

Here is a list of keywords that have been used to find Falcon – Flash AS3 Data Class.

Click the Falcon press release link to find out more about how Falcon can help you get data in and out of Flash.  Here is a post that shows a simple example of sending variables back and forth between Flash and PHP.  Please see the examples link above for more examples.  Hope it helps!

 

Click here to download a simple example of passing multiple variables from Flash to PHP using the Falcon Class.  This has always been available with the Falcon class but the original variables example uses the FalconProvider class – and has the added complexities of a database (MySQL) and a DataGrid component in Flash.

This zip has the very basics of passing variables between Flash and the server.

This zip also removes all the examples provided in the main Falcon ZIP which may make it easier for some to organize themselves ;-)  If you want XML, Text, DataGrids or lists, etc. then get the original ZIP.

-09-

TO SEND MULTIPLE VARIABLES FROM FLASH TO PHP:

make an object that holds the variables you want to send as properties and pass that object to Falcon as the third parameter:

var myObject = new Object();
myObject.text1 = yourText1.text;
myObject.text2 = yourText2.text;
myObject.text3 = yourText3.text;

var myFalcon:Falcon=new Falcon("http://localhost/serverscript.php", Falcon.VARIABLES, myObject);

Then you can collect these in PHP as $_POST["text1"], etc.

TO SEND MULTIPLE VARIABLES FROM PHP TO FLASH

You must echo only the variables in cgi format so that is url encoded format as follows:

var1=value1&var2=value2&var3=value3, etc.

In practice, in PHP it looks like this:

$var1 = "some text that might have bad & or = etc.";
$var2 = "some other info";
$var3 = 22;

echo "var1=".urlencode($var1)."&var2=".urlencode($var2)."&var3=".urlencode($var3);

This should be the only line that PHP echoes. You should not have any line returns before the start of PHP or after the end of PHP.

In Flash, you would retrieve these variables with Falcon in the COMPLETE event method like so:

trace (e.target.data.var1, e.target.data.var2, e.target.data.var3);

You can use the variables however you want ;-)

Falcon! What a grand code name ;-).

Here is the Falcon ZIP file with instructions and samples.

Falcon is a custom class that wraps the Adobe Flash ActionScript 3 five data classes normally used to access a server script or system such as PHP, Perl, Ruby, ASP, etc. and then of course on to databases like MySQL, SQL Server, etc. It makes it so that you do not have to worry about the URLVariables, URLRequest, URLRequestMethod, URLLoader and URLLoaderDataFormat code.

You pass the following parameters to the Falcon AS3 data class:

• the URL to your server script, text, binary data or XML File
• an optional type of data – Falcon.VARIABLES, TEXT, BINARY or XML_DATA
• an optional data object that holds variables to send to the server

You set an Event.COMPLETE listener to call a function. The event object’s target has three properties. A Boolean error property, a data property and if you use the FalconProvider class there is a dataProvider property:

1. The error property (eventObject.target.error) will be true if connection to the server fails and false if it succeeds.

2. The data property (eventObject.target.data) holds the variables, text, binary or XML that comes back from the server:

• Variables – if your server script sends age=23 and you ask for data.age then you get 23
• Text – for example from a text file just use myTextField.text = data;
• Binary – this is your binary feed (actually untested but should work)
• XML – this a Flash XML object representing the XML from the server

3. Note there are two classes you can use – Falcon and FalconProvider. In FalconProvider, the dataProvider property (eventObject.target.dataProvider) is provided in the variables case when the variables come back in some sort of sequence like name1, age1, name2, age2, etc. FalconProvider automatically provides a DataProvider object with columns of name, age, etc. You can use this for a DataGrid or if you use label1, data1, label2, data2 then you can use it for a List or ComboBox. You must have a component that uses the DataProvider (DataGrid, List, etc.) in the library of your FLA if you use the FalconProvider class.

4.  Please note that if you use the default Falcon.VARIABLES, then your server script such as PHP must return at least one key/value pair – in the following format  variable=value&variable2=value.  So in a simple example – status=complete.   You cannot have any lines above your <?PHP either otherwise the new line characters cause problems.

5.  If you want to avoid caching issues, put a random number on the end of your script call like so: somefile.php?rand=”+Math.random().

Falcon was created by Inventor Dan Zen. You may use the code as you wish and if possible a credit link to this site will help make the world an easier place ;-). If you are interested in learning to make classes like this or other aspects of interactive multimedia please visit the Sheridan Interactive Multimedia blog for information about its one year post grad college program. Thank you to all at Adobe for such great tools and for our wonderful Flash user group, FITO in Toronto.

-30-

Falcon is an Adobe Flash ActionScript CS3 Class that wraps up the native data classes to send and receive variables to a text, XML file or server script like PHP connected to DataBases like MySQL, etc. When using Falcon, you will not have to use URLVariables, URLRequest, URLRequestMethod, URLLoader and URLLoaderDataFormat.

We have just updated Falcon to remove the automatic DataProvider feature because that required a component with a DataProvider to be placed in the FLA. We have instead, additionally provided a FalconProvider class that is the same as Faclon but has the automatic DataProvider feature. Use the FalconProvider class when you have sequenced variables to be put into a DataGrid, ComboBox, List, TileList, etc.

Use Falcon when you want to load in text, XML or if you want to send or receive variables from a server script. We have been using Falcon for a while now and it is so easy – a few lines of code rather than fifteen. Enjoy.

BASIC XML USAGE (See examples above for reading a text file or variables, etc.)

For a fast usage of what is in the zip file. Just grab the Falcon.as file and put it in the same directory as your FLA. Then to read in a text file this is what you do. The XML is just as easy – the variables, require a server script so is a little more work – see the examples link for more:

XML EXAMPLE (AS)

package falcon{
	import flash.display.MovieClip;
	import flash.events.Event;
	import flash.text.TextField;
	public class FalconXML extends MovieClip {
		public function FalconXML() {
			var myFalcon:Falcon=new Falcon("sample.xml", Falcon.XML_DATA);
			myFalcon.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE,getData);
		}
		private function getData(e:Event) {
			if (e.target.error) {
				myText.text = "sorry, error connecting to XML file";
			} else {
				myText.text = e.target.data.text; 
				myText.appendText("\n\n"); // new lines
				myText.appendText(e.target.data.author);
				myText.appendText("\n"); 
				myText.appendText(e.target.data.location.@city);
				myText.appendText(", "); 
				myText.appendText(e.target.data.location.@country);
			}
		}
	}
}

XML EXAMPLE (XML)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<sample>
	<text><![CDATA[Hello there from <XML>]]></text>
	<author>Dan Zen</author>
	<location country="Canada" city="Dundas" />
</sample>

Falcon is an Adobe Flash ActionScript CS3 Class that wraps up the native data classes to send and receive variables to a text, XML file or server script like PHP connected to DataBases like MySQL, etc. When using Falcon, you will not have to use URLVariables, URLRequest, URLRequestMethod, URLLoader and URLLoaderDataFormat.

We have just updated Falcon to remove the automatic DataProvider feature because that required a component with a DataProvider to be placed in the FLA. We have instead, additionally provided a FalconProvider class that is the same as Faclon but has the automatic DataProvider feature. Use the FalconProvider class when you have sequenced variables to be put into a DataGrid, ComboBox, List, TileList, etc.

Use Falcon when you want to load in text, XML or if you want to send or receive variables from a server script. We have been using Falcon for a while now and it is so easy – a few lines of code rather than fifteen. Enjoy.

BASIC USAGE

For a fast usage of what is in the zip file. Just grab the Falcon.as file and put it in the same directory as your FLA. Then to read in a text file this is what you do. The XML is just as easy – the variables, require a server script so is a little more work – see the examples link for more:

// in your constructor for instance…
var myFalcon:Falcon=new Falcon(“sample.txt”, Falcon.TEXT);
myFalcon.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE,getData);

// in the body of your class make the event method:
private function getData(e:Event) {
if (e.target.error) {
trace (“sorry, error accessing text file”);
} else {
trace (e.target.data); // this is your text data!
}
}