Flash Remoting: The Definitive Guide

Flash Remoting MX lets developers easily integrate rich Macromedia Flash content with applications that are built using Macromedia ColdFusion MX, Microsoft .NET, Java, PHP, or SOAP-based web services. The result is complex client/server applications that more closely resemble desktop applications than traditional web pages. Gone is the click/wait/reload approach of HTML. Your web application uses Flash as the front end while Flash Remoting handles the communication behind the scenes with the application server. All the end user knows is that it's fast and flexible.

The potential uses for Flash Remoting are endless. Flash Remoting: The Definitive Guide will help you understand this breakthrough technology and use it to build your own Rich Internet Applications (RIAs). Build applications that connect to a database, file system, or other server-side technologies. Or, use Flash Remoting to create:

• online stores that feature catalogs and shopping cart systems
  
• sound and video clip libraries
  
• banner ads with built-in shopping carts, click-through tracking, and site search capabilities
  
• new controls that can be used in place of HTML
  
• extensions to Flash, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and more
  
• front-ends to databases for administrators

The book begins with Flash Remoting basics: setup, installation and an introduction to its underlying concepts. Next, you'll explore the Flash's User Interface components as they relate to Flash Remoting. Then, you'll gain insights into Flash Remoting internals and the Remoting API. The book is rich with examples that you will be able to run on your own system.

The next section focuses on the server-side environment that you'll use for your applications. Individual chapters cover Flash Remoting with ColdFusion, Server-Side ActionScript, Java, ASP.NET, and PHP.

The last section covers more advanced Flash Remoting techniques, such as calling web services from Flash Remoting, extending objects and UI controls, best practices, and debugging. Plus there is a detailed chapter demonstrating a real-world application. The book concludes with a Flash Remoting API reference.

Developers who are looking to create Rich Internet Applications with Flash will find Flash Remoting: The Definitive Guide indispensable.

Table of Contents

Preface

Part I. Remoting Fundamentals

1. Introduction to Flash Remoting

     What Is Flash Remoting?

     How Does Flash Remoting Work?

     Benefits

     Flash Remoting Requirements

     Supported Platforms

     Hello World

     Workflow Example

     Architecture for Flash Remoting Applications

2. Installing, Configuring, and Using Flash Remoting

     Installing Flash Remoting

     Naming Your Services

     The Authoring Environment

     Sequence of Events in Flash

     Making a Remote Call

3. Client/Server Interaction, UI Components, and RecordSets

     User Interface Components

     Flash UI Components Set 2 and Flash Charting Controls

     Macromedia's DRK

     Text Objects

     Building Forms in Flash MX

     The RecordSet Class

     DataGlue

4. Flash Remoting Internals

     The NetConnection Class

     Using NetServices

     Creating Responder Functions

     RecordSet Object

     The Timeline

     Catching Errors

     Registering Objects

Part II. The Server-Side Languages

5. Flash Remoting and ColdFusion MX

     Introduction to ColdFusion MX

     How ColdFusion Fits into Flash Applications

     Service Name Mappings

     ColdFusion Pages Versus ColdFusion Components

     Loading Query Data Incrementally

     ColdFusion Security: Authenticating Users

     Updating Data on the Server

6. Server-Side ActionScript

     What Is Server-Side ActionScript?

     The CF Object

     When to Use Server-Side ActionScript

     Datatype Conversions

     Handling Errors with try/catch

     Extending Server-Side ActionScript with Java

7. Flash Remoting and Java

     The Flash Remoting Gateway

     Supported Platforms

     Setting Up Flash Remoting for J2EE

     Service Types

     Datatype Conversions

     Service Lookup

     Invoking Service Methods

     Architecture and Design

     Referencing the Request and Session

     Saving and Sharing State

     Databinding

     Security

     OpenAMF

8. Flash Remoting and .NET

     Overview of .NET

     Connecting to .NET

     Datatype Conversions

     Database Access with ADO.NET

     State Management

     Error Handling in Flash Remoting with .NET

9. Flash Remoting and PHP

     Introduction to PHP

     Installing AMFPHP

     Datatype Conversions

     Using AMFPHP with Web Services

     Using AMFPHP with PHP Classes

     Working with a Database

Part III. Advanced Flash Remoting

10. Calling Web Services from Flash Remoting

     What Is a Web Service?

     Why Use Flash Remoting?

     Web Services from a ColdFusion Server

     Web Services from an ASP.NET Server

     Wrapping J2EE and JRun Web Services

     Web Services from PHP

     BabelFish Web Service

     Datatype Conversions

     Creating a Flash MX Web Service Extension

11. Extending Objects and UI Controls

     Principles Behind UI Components

     DataProviderClass and DataGlue

     Enhancing a Standard Control

     Enhancing the RecordSet Class for Interactivity

     Adding Validation to a TextField

12. Flash Remoting Best Practices

     Separation of Tasks

     Separation of Functionality

     Server-Proofing the Application

     Component Use

     Clean API

     Loops and Repeated Operations

     OOP or Not OOP

     ColdFusion RecordSets

     Implementing Caching

     What to Walk Away With

13. Testing and Debugging

     Debugging Flash Remoting Applications

     Trapping Errors

     The Flash ActionScript Debugger

     NetConnection Debugger

     NetDebug.as

     Trace Debugging

     Testing Server-Side Code

     Using a TCP Trace Utility

     Debugging SQL Code

14. Real-World Application

     General Considerations

     Requirements

     Specifications

     The Modules

     Flash Remoting Code

     Testing and Debugging

     Completed Application

     Future Expansion

15. Flash Remoting API

Part IV. Appendixes

A. ActionScript Datatype Conversion

B. Books and Online Resources

C. Specification and Implementation for a Real-World Application

Index

Flash Remoting MX讓開發人員能夠輕鬆地將豐富的Macromedia Flash內容與使用Macromedia ColdFusion MX、Microsoft .NET、Java、PHP或基於SOAP的Web服務構建的應用程序集成。結果是更接近桌面應用程序而不是傳統網頁的複雜客戶端/服務器應用程序。HTML的點擊/等待/重新加載方法已經過時。您的Web應用程序使用Flash作為前端，而Flash Remoting在幕後處理與應用程序服務器的通信。最終用戶只知道它快速且靈活。

Flash Remoting的潛在用途是無窮的。《Flash Remoting: The Definitive Guide》將幫助您了解這一突破性技術並使用它來構建自己的豐富互聯網應用程序（RIAs）。構建連接到數據庫、文件系統或其他服務器端技術的應用程序。或者，使用Flash Remoting創建：

• 具有目錄和購物車系統的在線商店
  
  


• 聲音和視頻片段庫
  
  


• 具有內置購物車、點擊跟踪和站點搜索功能的橫幅廣告
  
  


• 可用於替代HTML的新控件
  
  


• 擴展Flash、Dreamweaver、Fireworks等的前端
  
  


• 用於管理員的數據庫前端

本書從Flash Remoting的基礎知識開始：設置、安裝和介紹其基本概念。接下來，您將探索Flash的用戶界面組件與Flash Remoting的關聯。然後，您將深入了解Flash Remoting的內部和Remoting API。本書豐富的示例可以在您自己的系統上運行。

接下來的部分專注於您將用於應用程序的服務器端環境。各個章節涵蓋了Flash Remoting與ColdFusion、Server-Side ActionScript、Java、ASP.NET和PHP的結合。

最後一部分涵蓋了更高級的Flash Remoting技術，例如從Flash Remoting調用Web服務、擴展對象和UI控件、最佳實踐和調試。此外，還有一個詳細的章節演示了一個真實世界的應用程序。本書以Flash Remoting API參考結束。

希望使用Flash創建豐富互聯網應用程序的開發人員將會發現《Flash Remoting: The Definitive Guide》是不可或缺的。

目錄

前言

第一部分. Remoting基礎知識

1. Flash Remoting介紹

     什麼是Flash Remoting？

     Flash Remoting如何工作？


     優點

     Flash Remoting要求

 
   支持的平台

     Hello World

 
   Flash Remoting應用程序的架構

2. 安裝、配置和使用Flash Remoting

   
 安裝Flash Remoting

     命名您的服務


     作者環境

     Flash中的事件序列


     進行遠程調用

3. 客戶端/服務器交互、UI組件和RecordSets

 
   用戶界面組件

     Flash UI組件集2和Flash圖表控件


     Macromedia的DRK

     文本對象


     在Flash MX中構建表單

     RecordSet類


     DataGlue

4. Flash Remoting內部

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