Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[John Barton]

I think that part of the confusion here is the lack of distinction between
the gateway and the server-side scripts it is communicating with.  The
gateway is a server-side application that translates AMF binary messages
from a Flash client.  The gateway provides the ability to call scripts in
various languages, depending upon what kind of gateway it is (AMFPHP,
FlashOrb, etc. support different languages).  It is important to note that
the gateway is entirely separate from the scripts that it is calling.

For example, I routinely use the same AMFPHP gateway to make calls to
various other servers running a diverse set of languages like Java, PHP,
Perl and Python (it supports .NET also).  Not being a .NET guy either, I do
(hopefully) know something about programming.

The beauty of Remoting is that it allows for passing of complex data types,
not simply name/value pairs, as it with LoadVars.  For example, using
Remoting you can call scripts on a server that can return objects, arrays
and even entire record sets.  This has the added advantage that there is no
need to serialize/deserialize the data for complex types.  That process,
which you would normally have to write in AS, is handled directly by the
Flash Player, saving you additional code and increasing performance.

Therefore, there is no need to continue wasting time thinking in terms of
how do I get my data which is native to X server-side language into Flash
using url-encoded name/value pairs and spend that time creating flexible
object-oriented server-side code that can power your HTML and Flash
applications.  So, to really answer your question about what specific type
of script need to be used to transfer data to Flash using Remoting, it
depends on how your code is structured.  If you write your server-side code
in a manner in which the data is separate from the presentation, then you
should be able to call any script that returns data of a type that Flash can
interpret.

-jb


On 11/16/05 7:32 PM, "hank williams" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> unfortunately I am not a .NET guy, so I dont know anything about asp pages.
> 
> But the answer to your question really relates to the remoting
> gateway. Different remoting gateways allow you to connect to different
> types of languages. I think I mentioned flashOrb in a prior email
> because they advertise supporting .NET. If you go to their website you
> can find out what languages they support.
> 
> Regards
> Hank
> 
> On 11/16/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>> Hank,
>> 
>> Sorry, I should have been a little more specific.
>> 
>> After you create the "Remoting" connection. On the server side, what
>> kinds of scripts can be run? Can any script run to return variables to
>> flash?
>> 
>> My reason for asking is as follows:
>> 
>> If I have a program that is an address book. I create the remoting link
>> to the server. If on the server I have a database of variables I need to
>> get to the flash application. What kind of script can/should be used to
>> transfer the data. I was not looking for specifics, more just a general
>> idea. I have several ASP scripts I have used to transfer data to html
>> applications. Can they be used or is there a specific type of script
>> that needs to be used to transfer the data.
>> 
>> Al
>> 
>> hank williams wrote:
>> 
>>> When you ask "what kind of script" do you mean on the server side or
>>> within flash?
>>> 
>>> Within flash, you just use the remoting classes and its really just
>>> like calling a function that is actually on the server.
>>> 
>>> On the server side you just create functions that take parameters and
>>> return values. These functions are called by the flash client and the
>>> results are returned to the flash client. The functions can be written
>>> in a myriad of languages.
>>> 
>>> If I am not getting to what you are asking let me know and I will give
>>> it another shot.
>>> 
>>> Regards
>>> Hank
>>> 
>>> On 11/16/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
 Hey Hank,
 
 I have a question for you. After the connection in Remoting is created,
 what type of script do I use to transfer variables to and from flash? Do
 I just use any type of standard communication script? Or must to be
 something specialized?
 
 Al
 
 hank williams wrote:
 
 
 
> On 11/14/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> Hi Guys,
>> 
>> The site will be hosted on a Windows server, and will quite heavily us
>> .NET components, so putting it onto a linux server isn't really an
>> option.
>> 
>> The problem I am quite simply having is that I find flash remoting
>> confusing. I have been working with actionscript for about 3 years now,
>> and understand it fully. I just don't understand how to form packets and
>> transfer them between flash and the remoting software. The only
>> programming I have ever done is in actionscript so I real

Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[Muzak]

>From the docs:
http://livedocs.macromedia.com/flashremoting/mx2004/index.html
http://livedocs.macromedia.com/flashremoting/mx2004/using_flash_remoting/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/html/wwhelp.htm

.NET:
Macromedia Flash Remoting for Microsoft .NET is an ASP.NET web application that 
enables Flash applications to access and invoke 
ASP.NET pages, ADO.NET data, web services, and assemblies from ActionScript.

Java:
You can use Flash Remoting from ActionScript in a Flash application to call 
public methods on Java objects running in Java 
application servers. Flash Remoting supports the following types of Java 
objects:
- JavaBeans (stateful)
- Java classes (stateless)
- Enterprise JavaBeans (stateless session, stateful session, and entity beans)
- Java servlets and Java Server Pages (JSPs)
- Java Management Extensions (JMX) MBeans; available in Macromedia JRun 4 only
Macromedia JRun 4 also lets you call functions on server-side ActionScript, 
which can in turn call methods on server-side Java 
objects.

ColdFusion:
To use Macromedia Flash Remoting for Flash MX 2004 ActionScript 2.0 with 
Macromedia ColdFusion MX, you build ColdFusion pages or 
ColdFusion components (CFCs). In ColdFusion pages, you use the Flash variable 
scope to interact with Flash applications. ColdFusion 
components provide native support for Flash interactions. In addition, you can 
use ColdFusion's server-side ActionScript 
functionality, which lets you query databases and perform HTTP operations in 
ActionScript files on the server.

regards,
Muzak

- Original Message - 
From: "hank williams" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Flashcoders mailing list" 
Sent: Thursday, November 17, 2005 4:32 AM
Subject: Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question


unfortunately I am not a .NET guy, so I dont know anything about asp pages.

But the answer to your question really relates to the remoting
gateway. Different remoting gateways allow you to connect to different
types of languages. I think I mentioned flashOrb in a prior email
because they advertise supporting .NET. If you go to their website you
can find out what languages they support.

Regards
Hank

On 11/16/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Hank,
>
> Sorry, I should have been a little more specific.
>
> After you create the "Remoting" connection. On the server side, what
> kinds of scripts can be run? Can any script run to return variables to
> flash?
>
> My reason for asking is as follows:
>
> If I have a program that is an address book. I create the remoting link
> to the server. If on the server I have a database of variables I need to
> get to the flash application. What kind of script can/should be used to
> transfer the data. I was not looking for specifics, more just a general
> idea. I have several ASP scripts I have used to transfer data to html
> applications. Can they be used or is there a specific type of script
> that needs to be used to transfer the data.
>
> Al
>
> hank williams wrote:
>
> >When you ask "what kind of script" do you mean on the server side or
> >within flash?
> >
> >Within flash, you just use the remoting classes and its really just
> >like calling a function that is actually on the server.
> >
> >On the server side you just create functions that take parameters and
> >return values. These functions are called by the flash client and the
> >results are returned to the flash client. The functions can be written
> >in a myriad of languages.
> >
> >If I am not getting to what you are asking let me know and I will give
> >it another shot.
> >
> >Regards
> >Hank
> >
> >On 11/16/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Hey Hank,
> >>
> >>I have a question for you. After the connection in Remoting is created,
> >>what type of script do I use to transfer variables to and from flash? Do
> >>I just use any type of standard communication script? Or must to be
> >>something specialized?
> >>
> >>Al
> >>
> >>hank williams wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>>On 11/14/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>Hi Guys,
> >>>>
> >>>>The site will be hosted on a Windows server, and will quite heavily us
> >>>>.NET components, so putting it onto a linux server isn't really an option.
> >>>>
> >>>>The problem I am quite simply having is that I find flash remoting
> >>>>confusing. I have been working with actionscript for about 3 years now,
> >>>>and understand it fully. 

Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[hank williams]

unfortunately I am not a .NET guy, so I dont know anything about asp pages.

But the answer to your question really relates to the remoting
gateway. Different remoting gateways allow you to connect to different
types of languages. I think I mentioned flashOrb in a prior email
because they advertise supporting .NET. If you go to their website you
can find out what languages they support.

Regards
Hank

On 11/16/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Hank,
>
> Sorry, I should have been a little more specific.
>
> After you create the "Remoting" connection. On the server side, what
> kinds of scripts can be run? Can any script run to return variables to
> flash?
>
> My reason for asking is as follows:
>
> If I have a program that is an address book. I create the remoting link
> to the server. If on the server I have a database of variables I need to
> get to the flash application. What kind of script can/should be used to
> transfer the data. I was not looking for specifics, more just a general
> idea. I have several ASP scripts I have used to transfer data to html
> applications. Can they be used or is there a specific type of script
> that needs to be used to transfer the data.
>
> Al
>
> hank williams wrote:
>
> >When you ask "what kind of script" do you mean on the server side or
> >within flash?
> >
> >Within flash, you just use the remoting classes and its really just
> >like calling a function that is actually on the server.
> >
> >On the server side you just create functions that take parameters and
> >return values. These functions are called by the flash client and the
> >results are returned to the flash client. The functions can be written
> >in a myriad of languages.
> >
> >If I am not getting to what you are asking let me know and I will give
> >it another shot.
> >
> >Regards
> >Hank
> >
> >On 11/16/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Hey Hank,
> >>
> >>I have a question for you. After the connection in Remoting is created,
> >>what type of script do I use to transfer variables to and from flash? Do
> >>I just use any type of standard communication script? Or must to be
> >>something specialized?
> >>
> >>Al
> >>
> >>hank williams wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>>On 11/14/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> Hi Guys,
> 
> The site will be hosted on a Windows server, and will quite heavily us
> .NET components, so putting it onto a linux server isn't really an option.
> 
> The problem I am quite simply having is that I find flash remoting
> confusing. I have been working with actionscript for about 3 years now,
> and understand it fully. I just don't understand how to form packets and
> transfer them between flash and the remoting software. The only
> programming I have ever done is in actionscript so I really don't know
> any other language which I guess makes it more difficult.
> 
> I have looked at OpenAMF however it doesn't run on Windows.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> >>>Yes it does. OpenAMF is a java technology which will run wherever java
> >>>does - which is everywhere. The problem is that it is for *java* not
> >>>.NET. You seem to need .NET so OpenAMF is out.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> I didn't understand the purpose of FlashOrb.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> >>>It sounds more like you dont understand the purpose of remoting. So
> >>>let me try to explain.
> >>>
> >>>Remoting is just a way to make calls to "remote procedures" on servers
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>from the flash client. Different remoting technologies support
> >>
> >>
> >>>different server side systems. In order to do remoting, you need a
> >>>gateway that sits between your server side system, and the internet.
> >>>This gateway recieves function calls from flash, and returns the
> >>>result of the function call to flash. So in order to use remoting, you
> >>>must have code written on the server side which queries the database
> >>>or does whatever you need to get done. So you must have code you wish
> >>>to access in some .NET compatible language such as C#. All remoting
> >>>does is let you access that code.
> >>>
> >>>Server side systems include:
> >>>
> >>>Java
> >>>.NET
> >>>PHP
> >>>
> >>>If you were using php I would suggest AMFPHP. This would allow you to
> >>>call php functions on your server from within flash.
> >>>
> >>>Since you are using .NET, I would suggest flashORB, which is just like
> >>>all the other remoting gateways, but the standard edition is free, and
> >>>it supports .NET. On their home page it says:
> >>>--
> >>>Free Standard Edition for .NET includes support for Flash Remoting
> >>>10.20.05
> >>>The release of Beta 3 marks an important milestone in the history of
> >>>Flash Remoting for .NET. The free Standard Edition of the product
> >>>provides Flash Remoting support.
> >>>--
> >>>

Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[Al Veldhuis]

Hank,

Sorry, I should have been a little more specific.

After you create the "Remoting" connection. On the server side, what 
kinds of scripts can be run? Can any script run to return variables to 
flash?


My reason for asking is as follows:

If I have a program that is an address book. I create the remoting link 
to the server. If on the server I have a database of variables I need to 
get to the flash application. What kind of script can/should be used to 
transfer the data. I was not looking for specifics, more just a general 
idea. I have several ASP scripts I have used to transfer data to html 
applications. Can they be used or is there a specific type of script 
that needs to be used to transfer the data.


Al

hank williams wrote:


When you ask "what kind of script" do you mean on the server side or
within flash?

Within flash, you just use the remoting classes and its really just
like calling a function that is actually on the server.

On the server side you just create functions that take parameters and
return values. These functions are called by the flash client and the
results are returned to the flash client. The functions can be written
in a myriad of languages.

If I am not getting to what you are asking let me know and I will give
it another shot.

Regards
Hank

On 11/16/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
 


Hey Hank,

I have a question for you. After the connection in Remoting is created,
what type of script do I use to transfer variables to and from flash? Do
I just use any type of standard communication script? Or must to be
something specialized?

Al

hank williams wrote:

   


On 11/14/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:


 


Hi Guys,

The site will be hosted on a Windows server, and will quite heavily us
.NET components, so putting it onto a linux server isn't really an option.

The problem I am quite simply having is that I find flash remoting
confusing. I have been working with actionscript for about 3 years now,
and understand it fully. I just don't understand how to form packets and
transfer them between flash and the remoting software. The only
programming I have ever done is in actionscript so I really don't know
any other language which I guess makes it more difficult.

I have looked at OpenAMF however it doesn't run on Windows.


   


Yes it does. OpenAMF is a java technology which will run wherever java
does - which is everywhere. The problem is that it is for *java* not
.NET. You seem to need .NET so OpenAMF is out.




 


I didn't understand the purpose of FlashOrb.


   


It sounds more like you dont understand the purpose of remoting. So
let me try to explain.

Remoting is just a way to make calls to "remote procedures" on servers
 


from the flash client. Different remoting technologies support
   


different server side systems. In order to do remoting, you need a
gateway that sits between your server side system, and the internet.
This gateway recieves function calls from flash, and returns the
result of the function call to flash. So in order to use remoting, you
must have code written on the server side which queries the database
or does whatever you need to get done. So you must have code you wish
to access in some .NET compatible language such as C#. All remoting
does is let you access that code.

Server side systems include:

Java
.NET
PHP

If you were using php I would suggest AMFPHP. This would allow you to
call php functions on your server from within flash.

Since you are using .NET, I would suggest flashORB, which is just like
all the other remoting gateways, but the standard edition is free, and
it supports .NET. On their home page it says:
--
Free Standard Edition for .NET includes support for Flash Remoting
10.20.05
The release of Beta 3 marks an important milestone in the history of
Flash Remoting for .NET. The free Standard Edition of the product
provides Flash Remoting support.
--

Once you get remoting set up it is exceedingly simple and powerful.
Any function which you wish to access from flash can be accessed via a
function call.

I have never heard of the company and the product you referenced, but
I did go to their website. I cant say it wont work for you, but the
remoting mechanism is much more mainstream and therefore, I think, a
safer bet.

Regards
Hank
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Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[hank williams]

When you ask "what kind of script" do you mean on the server side or
within flash?

Within flash, you just use the remoting classes and its really just
like calling a function that is actually on the server.

On the server side you just create functions that take parameters and
return values. These functions are called by the flash client and the
results are returned to the flash client. The functions can be written
in a myriad of languages.

If I am not getting to what you are asking let me know and I will give
it another shot.

Regards
Hank

On 11/16/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Hey Hank,
>
> I have a question for you. After the connection in Remoting is created,
> what type of script do I use to transfer variables to and from flash? Do
> I just use any type of standard communication script? Or must to be
> something specialized?
>
> Al
>
> hank williams wrote:
>
> >On 11/14/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Hi Guys,
> >>
> >>The site will be hosted on a Windows server, and will quite heavily us
> >>.NET components, so putting it onto a linux server isn't really an option.
> >>
> >>The problem I am quite simply having is that I find flash remoting
> >>confusing. I have been working with actionscript for about 3 years now,
> >>and understand it fully. I just don't understand how to form packets and
> >>transfer them between flash and the remoting software. The only
> >>programming I have ever done is in actionscript so I really don't know
> >>any other language which I guess makes it more difficult.
> >>
> >>I have looked at OpenAMF however it doesn't run on Windows.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >Yes it does. OpenAMF is a java technology which will run wherever java
> >does - which is everywhere. The problem is that it is for *java* not
> >.NET. You seem to need .NET so OpenAMF is out.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >>I didn't understand the purpose of FlashOrb.
> >>
> >>
> >
> >It sounds more like you dont understand the purpose of remoting. So
> >let me try to explain.
> >
> >Remoting is just a way to make calls to "remote procedures" on servers
> >from the flash client. Different remoting technologies support
> >different server side systems. In order to do remoting, you need a
> >gateway that sits between your server side system, and the internet.
> >This gateway recieves function calls from flash, and returns the
> >result of the function call to flash. So in order to use remoting, you
> >must have code written on the server side which queries the database
> >or does whatever you need to get done. So you must have code you wish
> >to access in some .NET compatible language such as C#. All remoting
> >does is let you access that code.
> >
> >Server side systems include:
> >
> >Java
> >.NET
> >PHP
> >
> >If you were using php I would suggest AMFPHP. This would allow you to
> >call php functions on your server from within flash.
> >
> >Since you are using .NET, I would suggest flashORB, which is just like
> >all the other remoting gateways, but the standard edition is free, and
> >it supports .NET. On their home page it says:
> >--
> >Free Standard Edition for .NET includes support for Flash Remoting
> >10.20.05
> >The release of Beta 3 marks an important milestone in the history of
> >Flash Remoting for .NET. The free Standard Edition of the product
> >provides Flash Remoting support.
> >--
> >
> >Once you get remoting set up it is exceedingly simple and powerful.
> >Any function which you wish to access from flash can be accessed via a
> >function call.
> >
> >I have never heard of the company and the product you referenced, but
> >I did go to their website. I cant say it wont work for you, but the
> >remoting mechanism is much more mainstream and therefore, I think, a
> >safer bet.
> >
> >Regards
> >Hank
> >___
> >Flashcoders mailing list
> >Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com
> >http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders
> >
> >
> >
>
>
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Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[Al Veldhuis]

Hey Hank,

I have a question for you. After the connection in Remoting is created, 
what type of script do I use to transfer variables to and from flash? Do 
I just use any type of standard communication script? Or must to be 
something specialized?


Al

hank williams wrote:


On 11/14/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
 


Hi Guys,

The site will be hosted on a Windows server, and will quite heavily us
.NET components, so putting it onto a linux server isn't really an option.

The problem I am quite simply having is that I find flash remoting
confusing. I have been working with actionscript for about 3 years now,
and understand it fully. I just don't understand how to form packets and
transfer them between flash and the remoting software. The only
programming I have ever done is in actionscript so I really don't know
any other language which I guess makes it more difficult.

I have looked at OpenAMF however it doesn't run on Windows.
   



Yes it does. OpenAMF is a java technology which will run wherever java
does - which is everywhere. The problem is that it is for *java* not
.NET. You seem to need .NET so OpenAMF is out.


 


I didn't understand the purpose of FlashOrb.
   



It sounds more like you dont understand the purpose of remoting. So
let me try to explain.

Remoting is just a way to make calls to "remote procedures" on servers
from the flash client. Different remoting technologies support
different server side systems. In order to do remoting, you need a
gateway that sits between your server side system, and the internet.
This gateway recieves function calls from flash, and returns the
result of the function call to flash. So in order to use remoting, you
must have code written on the server side which queries the database
or does whatever you need to get done. So you must have code you wish
to access in some .NET compatible language such as C#. All remoting
does is let you access that code.

Server side systems include:

Java
.NET
PHP

If you were using php I would suggest AMFPHP. This would allow you to
call php functions on your server from within flash.

Since you are using .NET, I would suggest flashORB, which is just like
all the other remoting gateways, but the standard edition is free, and
it supports .NET. On their home page it says:
--
Free Standard Edition for .NET includes support for Flash Remoting
10.20.05
The release of Beta 3 marks an important milestone in the history of
Flash Remoting for .NET. The free Standard Edition of the product
provides Flash Remoting support.
--

Once you get remoting set up it is exceedingly simple and powerful.
Any function which you wish to access from flash can be accessed via a
function call.

I have never heard of the company and the product you referenced, but
I did go to their website. I cant say it wont work for you, but the
remoting mechanism is much more mainstream and therefore, I think, a
safer bet.

Regards
Hank
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Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[hank williams]

 Is flashOrb the only remoting for .NET?

I believe the official macromedia remoting gateway supports .NET, but
it is something like $1000. Coldfusion might support .NET also. I am
not sure.

But FlashOrb might be the only free way to do it. My knowledge about
this is a little thin since I am a Java guy, not a .NET guy.

Regards
Hank
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Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[Al Veldhuis]

Hey Martin,

Actually Hank explained remoting quite well and I understand it a little 
better now. Still a bit confusing, but now that I know how it works a 
little better, I should be able to give it another try with renewed 
vigor. (grin)


Al

Martin Wood wrote:



The problem I am quite simply having is that I find flash remoting 
confusing. I have been working with actionscript for about 3 years 
now, and understand it fully. I just don't understand how to form 
packets and transfer them between flash and the remoting software. 
The only programming I have ever done is in actionscript so I really 
don't know any other language which I guess makes it more difficult.



You dont form packets, you send objects. Thats the beauty of it, with 
the remoting connector installed on the server you dont have to 
convert data into packets, or strings or xml.


its like xml-rpc without the xml. :)

martin
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Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[Al Veldhuis]

Hi Hank,

Thank-you for the explanation of Remoting. I think I understand it a 
little better now. I believe that may be the reason I was having so many 
difficulties. I was thinking it was a way to connect to a database using 
commands from flash. Now it turns out it was actually opposite than what 
I thought. That makes some of the work I have done make a little more 
sense. I always thought that remoting was just a gateway and flash did 
all the work. That would probably be why everything I have tried hasn't 
worked. Now that I understand it a little better, I am going to give it 
a whirl again.


My primary goal is to take a access database (Now a MS SQL database) and 
make it accessible to our sales reps online. It is just for data entry 
more than anything else. It will let the sales guys enter their sales 
orders in the field.


Just for the record. I went through the training that was available on 
the flashlink solutions website. Their product was pretty darn simple to 
use. It was pretty basic actionscript to make it run. My manager made 
the plunge and we purchased a copy to use for the project so I am kinda 
bound to it for this project. But, I am going to take another swing at 
remoting after this project is done. Is flashOrb the only remoting for .NET?


Regards,
Al

hank williams wrote:


On 11/14/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
 


Hi Guys,

The site will be hosted on a Windows server, and will quite heavily us
.NET components, so putting it onto a linux server isn't really an option.

The problem I am quite simply having is that I find flash remoting
confusing. I have been working with actionscript for about 3 years now,
and understand it fully. I just don't understand how to form packets and
transfer them between flash and the remoting software. The only
programming I have ever done is in actionscript so I really don't know
any other language which I guess makes it more difficult.

I have looked at OpenAMF however it doesn't run on Windows.
   



Yes it does. OpenAMF is a java technology which will run wherever java
does - which is everywhere. The problem is that it is for *java* not
.NET. You seem to need .NET so OpenAMF is out.


 


I didn't understand the purpose of FlashOrb.
   



It sounds more like you dont understand the purpose of remoting. So
let me try to explain.

Remoting is just a way to make calls to "remote procedures" on servers
from the flash client. Different remoting technologies support
different server side systems. In order to do remoting, you need a
gateway that sits between your server side system, and the internet.
This gateway recieves function calls from flash, and returns the
result of the function call to flash. So in order to use remoting, you
must have code written on the server side which queries the database
or does whatever you need to get done. So you must have code you wish
to access in some .NET compatible language such as C#. All remoting
does is let you access that code.

Server side systems include:

Java
.NET
PHP

If you were using php I would suggest AMFPHP. This would allow you to
call php functions on your server from within flash.

Since you are using .NET, I would suggest flashORB, which is just like
all the other remoting gateways, but the standard edition is free, and
it supports .NET. On their home page it says:
--
Free Standard Edition for .NET includes support for Flash Remoting
10.20.05
The release of Beta 3 marks an important milestone in the history of
Flash Remoting for .NET. The free Standard Edition of the product
provides Flash Remoting support.
--

Once you get remoting set up it is exceedingly simple and powerful.
Any function which you wish to access from flash can be accessed via a
function call.

I have never heard of the company and the product you referenced, but
I did go to their website. I cant say it wont work for you, but the
remoting mechanism is much more mainstream and therefore, I think, a
safer bet.

Regards
Hank
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Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[hank williams]

On 11/14/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Hi Guys,
>
> The site will be hosted on a Windows server, and will quite heavily us
> .NET components, so putting it onto a linux server isn't really an option.
>
> The problem I am quite simply having is that I find flash remoting
> confusing. I have been working with actionscript for about 3 years now,
> and understand it fully. I just don't understand how to form packets and
> transfer them between flash and the remoting software. The only
> programming I have ever done is in actionscript so I really don't know
> any other language which I guess makes it more difficult.
>
> I have looked at OpenAMF however it doesn't run on Windows.

Yes it does. OpenAMF is a java technology which will run wherever java
does - which is everywhere. The problem is that it is for *java* not
.NET. You seem to need .NET so OpenAMF is out.


>I didn't understand the purpose of FlashOrb.

It sounds more like you dont understand the purpose of remoting. So
let me try to explain.

Remoting is just a way to make calls to "remote procedures" on servers
from the flash client. Different remoting technologies support
different server side systems. In order to do remoting, you need a
gateway that sits between your server side system, and the internet.
This gateway recieves function calls from flash, and returns the
result of the function call to flash. So in order to use remoting, you
must have code written on the server side which queries the database
or does whatever you need to get done. So you must have code you wish
to access in some .NET compatible language such as C#. All remoting
does is let you access that code.

Server side systems include:

Java
.NET
PHP

If you were using php I would suggest AMFPHP. This would allow you to
call php functions on your server from within flash.

Since you are using .NET, I would suggest flashORB, which is just like
all the other remoting gateways, but the standard edition is free, and
it supports .NET. On their home page it says:
--
Free Standard Edition for .NET includes support for Flash Remoting
10.20.05
The release of Beta 3 marks an important milestone in the history of
Flash Remoting for .NET. The free Standard Edition of the product
provides Flash Remoting support.
--

Once you get remoting set up it is exceedingly simple and powerful.
Any function which you wish to access from flash can be accessed via a
function call.

I have never heard of the company and the product you referenced, but
I did go to their website. I cant say it wont work for you, but the
remoting mechanism is much more mainstream and therefore, I think, a
safer bet.

Regards
Hank
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Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[Martin Wood]

The problem I am quite simply having is that I find flash remoting 
confusing. I have been working with actionscript for about 3 years now, 
and understand it fully. I just don't understand how to form packets and 
transfer them between flash and the remoting software. The only 
programming I have ever done is in actionscript so I really don't know 
any other language which I guess makes it more difficult.


You dont form packets, you send objects. Thats the beauty of it, with 
the remoting connector installed on the server you dont have to convert 
data into packets, or strings or xml.


its like xml-rpc without the xml. :)

martin
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[Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[Al Veldhuis]

Hi Guys,

The site will be hosted on a Windows server, and will quite heavily us 
.NET components, so putting it onto a linux server isn't really an option.


The problem I am quite simply having is that I find flash remoting 
confusing. I have been working with actionscript for about 3 years now, 
and understand it fully. I just don't understand how to form packets and 
transfer them between flash and the remoting software. The only 
programming I have ever done is in actionscript so I really don't know 
any other language which I guess makes it more difficult.


I have looked at OpenAMF however it doesn't run on Windows. I didn't 
understand the purpose of FlashOrb. I could potentially have individual 
asp files sent up for the data transfer however that is pretty time 
consuming and I would use company resources. That is why I was looking 
at Flashlink solutions Emissary product. Looks fairly easy, and I tried 
the demo of the product. I was able to get data transferring pretty 
easily. But I kinda hoping for an opinion from an expert on it. I 
doesn't really look like it is mainstream software as I really can't 
find much information about it. Has it been around long? Is it like 
flash remoting?


I may just bite the bullet and purchase a copy to give it a shot. Its 
only $50 but... Well... I am cheap (grin) But if anyone has any 
opinions/ideas, please let me know. I have a couple days before it is 
required.


Regards,
Al

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Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[Dustin Krysak]

What are you using for a serverside language? php? Asp? .net?

I prefer amfphp. I am pretty new to actionscript, and with a little  
tinkering I got the connections working pretty easily. However I am  
having a bit of a hard time dealing with the result sets. But that is  
due to my lack of experience. And that is an entirely different post.


d
On 13-Nov-05, at 6:30 PM, Al Veldhuis wrote:


Hello,

I have a question. I am reasonably experienced in Flash and  
Actionscripting,

and I have recently tried to learn Flash Remoting. I find it extremely
confusing at times to use. I have kinda given up.

So I started searching for an alternative to Flash Remoting, and I  
came

accoss a site that sells software called Emissary. The site is
flashlinksolutions.com . Does  
anyone out
there know anything about this company and their software? It looks  
like it
does what I am looking for, but I am not sure. If anyone has any  
experience
with this product, please let me know as I don't want to drop $50  
and find

out it isn't what I am looking for.

Or does anyone know of any less confusing, (And Cheaper) Flash  
remoting

software?

Al Veldhuis
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Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[Isak Wiström]

Try out AMFPHP -> http://www.amfphp.org it's free and works great.

Chris Velevitch wrote:


On 11/14/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
 


Hello,

I have a question. I am reasonably experienced in Flash and Actionscripting,
and I have recently tried to learn Flash Remoting. I find it extremely
confusing at times to use. I have kinda given up.
   



I use Flash Remoting for AS2 with Coldfusion all the time. It's very
straight forward. What seems to be the problem?


Chris
--
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Manager - Sydney Flash Platform Developers Group
www.flashdev.org.au
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Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[Chris Velevitch]

On 11/14/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I have a question. I am reasonably experienced in Flash and Actionscripting,
> and I have recently tried to learn Flash Remoting. I find it extremely
> confusing at times to use. I have kinda given up.

I use Flash Remoting for AS2 with Coldfusion all the time. It's very
straight forward. What seems to be the problem?


Chris
--
Chris Velevitch
Manager - Sydney Flash Platform Developers Group
www.flashdev.org.au
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Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[hank williams]

Sam
I dont think he said he was using cold fusion. He said he was good at
actionscript, which of course is not related to cold fusion. He also
said he was looking for something cheaper. Of course if he does
already have cold fusion, then that is definitely cheaper than using
something else, and CF is well documented.

Al
I am not sure what you have already tried working with. There are a
variety of solutions for flash remoting from macromedia's product, to
openAMF which is open source and free, to flashorb which is not open
source but some version of which is free.

OpenAMF is not well documented, and it presumes java expertise.
Flashorb seems to be backed by a company that has done more
documentation, but I dont hear many people talking about it. AMFPHP is
another open source project that is excellent for PHP users. It is the
base from which openAMF came but it seems to be better supported.

What language are you using on the server side?

Regards
Hank

On 11/14/05, Sam Shrefler <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> Al:
>  If you are using Coldfusion, I would suggest trying to figure out Flash
> remoting. SInce it's already built in, its free (w/cf) and is an excellent
> product.
>
>  On 11/13/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > I have a question. I am reasonably experienced in Flash and
> > Actionscripting,
> > and I have recently tried to learn Flash Remoting. I find it extremely
> > confusing at times to use. I have kinda given up.
> >
> > So I started searching for an alternative to Flash Remoting, and I came
> > accoss a site that sells software called Emissary. The site is
> > flashlinksolutions.com  <
> > http://flashlinksolutions.com/>. Does anyone out
> > there know anything about this company and their software? It looks like
> > it
> > does what I am looking for, but I am not sure. If anyone has any
> > experience
> > with this product, please let me know as I don't want to drop $50 and find
> > out it isn't what I am looking for.
> >
> > Or does anyone know of any less confusing, (And Cheaper) Flash remoting
> > software?
> >
> > Al Veldhuis
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Re: [Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[Sam Shrefler]

Al:
 If you are using Coldfusion, I would suggest trying to figure out Flash
remoting. SInce it's already built in, its free (w/cf) and is an excellent
product.

 On 11/13/05, Al Veldhuis <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> I have a question. I am reasonably experienced in Flash and
> Actionscripting,
> and I have recently tried to learn Flash Remoting. I find it extremely
> confusing at times to use. I have kinda given up.
>
> So I started searching for an alternative to Flash Remoting, and I came
> accoss a site that sells software called Emissary. The site is
> flashlinksolutions.com  <
> http://flashlinksolutions.com/>. Does anyone out
> there know anything about this company and their software? It looks like
> it
> does what I am looking for, but I am not sure. If anyone has any
> experience
> with this product, please let me know as I don't want to drop $50 and find
> out it isn't what I am looking for.
>
> Or does anyone know of any less confusing, (And Cheaper) Flash remoting
> software?
>
> Al Veldhuis
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[Flashcoders] Flash Remoting Question

[Al Veldhuis]

Hello,

I have a question. I am reasonably experienced in Flash and Actionscripting,
and I have recently tried to learn Flash Remoting. I find it extremely
confusing at times to use. I have kinda given up.

So I started searching for an alternative to Flash Remoting, and I came
accoss a site that sells software called Emissary. The site is
flashlinksolutions.com . Does anyone out
there know anything about this company and their software? It looks like it
does what I am looking for, but I am not sure. If anyone has any experience
with this product, please let me know as I don't want to drop $50 and find
out it isn't what I am looking for.

Or does anyone know of any less confusing, (And Cheaper) Flash remoting
software?

Al Veldhuis
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