Using Flash with ASP'NET

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Using Flash with ASP.NET

• Wayne Smith, Principal Consultant
• The Multimedia Mix

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Macromedia Flash ASP.NET

• Why?
• Basic Data Binding in Flash Pro MX2004
• Getting data from ASP.NET into Flash
• Loadvars
• Data components
• Flash Remoting
• Utilising .SWF within Visual Studio
• Utilising .SWF within .EXE

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Why?

• If youre a Flash user?
• See previous presentations!
• If youre a potential Visual Studio user?
• Cross platform
• Cross device
• Everyone has it
• Small player
• Smart client
• Etc. etc. etc

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Databinding in Flash

• Either visual or in code
• Visual is easy, but inflexible
• Code needs learning
• A simple example

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Getting data into Flash

• GetVars
• Flash Data Components
• Flash Remoting

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Getting data into Flash

• GetVars - Bad
• Flash Data Components - Good
• Flash Remoting - Better

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GetVars

• Old, old, old
• Showing just for completeness
• Legacy Flash will use this
• Can still be used with .NET
• Dont start with this!
• (Hint it can still be useful ?)

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Data Components

• 1st step for visual designers

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Data Wizards

• Data Connection Wizard
• DataGrid Column Editor
• The easiest possible solution
• Very rigid rules for use

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Flash Remoting

• Requires .NET SDK (even with VS installed!)
• 3rd party solutions available (FlashOrb)
• Visual data components are available (but)
• You need to code
• Plenty of source is available
• Example(s)
• Gotcha

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Flash Remoting Summary

• Fast due to AMF (Flashs native language)
• More access to ASP.NET
• ASP.NET adapter
• ADO.NET data binding adapter
• Web services adapter
• Auto proxy generation (dont forget the gotcha)
• Assembly (.dll)
• More flexibility with incoming data
• Recordsets especially
• The learning curve is well worth it

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Getting Flash into Visual Studio

• How to integrate with rest of project
• Right-click on the Toolbox, choose "Add/Remove
  items..."
• Select the "COM Components" tab
• Scroll down to "Shockwave Flash Object" and make
  sure it's ticked
• Click OK

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Flash within executables

• Flash is a very flexible graphical tool
• 3rd party components add more goodies
• Communication is easy
• (Psst loadvars helps a lot!)
• Stock History example

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Thanks! Plus a Few Final Links

• .NET XML Web Services Repertory
• http//www.flash-db.com/
• http//www.flashkit.com/
• http//www.moock.org/
• http//www.markme.com/mxna/index.cfm