Bryan, >Is it possible to INSERT or UPDATE MySQL data directly from flash, >whether or not PHP is used too? > >For example, I want an embedded flash application, and based on what a >user selects in that application, it automatically UPDATES a MySQL table. > >P.S. I know this is solely a PHP group, and sorry if this topic is too >off-topic, but it may involve some PHP along the way... I wouldn't know if it is possible directly from Flash (guess not) but it is not a good ID to allow. As James already pointed out: any Flash app runs on the client machine. To enable any flash app to do anything with your MySQL database you will need to give that client machine direct access to your DB. So if this is not an intranet application: you will need to give the whole world direct access to your database. Bad idea.
Rather, use a PHP layer in between, which is very easy to do. The PHP app accesses the database and passes data to and from the Flash app. You can use session variables to control access just as you would with other scripted pages (i.e.: allow access only to for instance logged in users). Have a look at "GetURL" and "loadVariables" actionscript commands; these are the commands you will use for calling your PHP. You will need to do extensive actionscripting inside your Flash movie, and actionscript is not that friendly for importing arrays (you will have to pass a long string and break it up rather than being able to pass an array) but other than that no big secrets. Also, you can not trust the speed of response of your PHP script (say your flash runs at 12 frames per second. You can not bet on the PHP script to have returned all data say 4 frames after the call, so you will have to make some type of data-aquisition movie clip run independently inside the flash movie. This will test for some variable (say: results_complete to have become true (set it false when requesting data by means of the loadVariables, and then make sure the last thing your script does is send '&results_complete=true&' back to the flash movie) and only then allow the Flash movie to continue. Just go playing a bit, it is rather fun to have interactive movies running on a site (and besides: including a flash movie is great for streaming music and playing it inside a site). Marc
