Flash Remoting 101

1
Flash Remoting 101

• Tom Muck

For latest version of sessions and example code,
go tohttp//www.tom-muck.com/sessions
2
Introduction to Flash Remoting

• What is Flash Remoting?
• How Does Flash Remoting Work?
• What is it Used For?

3
Technologies

• Flash (client)
• Application server
• Database server
• File system
• Email
• XML
• Web services

4
Action Messaging Format (AMF)

• Automatically handles all datatype conversions
  between ActionScript and server.
• Can convert multiple complex datatypes.
• Seamlessly supports multiple server-side
  technologies and application servers.
• Allows remote services and web services to be
  called directly from Flash without requiring any
  additional server-side code to be written.

5
Action Messaging Format (cont)

• Provides a simple and consistent API for calling
  remote services and web services from the Flash
  Player.
• Action Message Format (AMF) to serialize data
  offers better performance than string-based
  serialization techniques (such as XML), even
  though it is not as widely supported as XML.

6
The Server-Side Languages

• Macromedia ColdFusion MX (built in)
• J2EE Application Servers and Java Servlet Engines
  (Tomcat, etc)
• Macromedia
• JRun 4 (built in)
• Microsoft ASP.NET
• PHP

7
Benefits

• Why not XML? (sample)
• HTML and Server-side Code (sample)
• TCP Trace demo

8
Flash Remoting Requirements

• Compatible application server
• Macromedia Flash MX
• Macromedia Flash Remoting Components
• Flash Remoting Adapter on the application server

9
The Authoring Environment

• Flash Remoting Components located in Window gt
  Other Panels gt Common Libraries gt Remoting
• mx.remoting.
• mx.rpc.
• mx.services.Log
• mx.remoting.debug.NetDebug

10
Flash Remoting Windows and Menu Options

• NetConnection Debugger
• Service Browser
• Help Menu

11
Bottom Line Typical Installations

• http//www.flash-remoting.com/basics/options.cfm

12
Hello World

• Flash MX ActionScript Code
• ColdFusion MX
• demo

13
The RecordSet Object

• Structure of the RecordSet Object
• Using the RecordSet Object
• Flash Remoting Using a RecordSet
• Server-side code CF C Java PHP SSAS
• The Client-side ActionScript Code
• Download .fla

14
DataGlue

• Allows simple binding of RecordSet data to UI
  components
• import mx.remoting.DataGlue
• Using DataGlue
• Download .fla

15
Where to Get More Information

• http//www.macromedia.com/go/flashremoting
• http//www.flash-remoting.com/
• http//www.communitymx.com/
• http//www.macromedia.com/devnet/mx/flashremoting/
  
• Books
• Flash Remoting The Definitive Guide by Tom Muck
• Complete Flash Remoting by Joey Lott