PHP &amp; Flash

PHP & Flash

Blob

Apparently you can use PHP in Flash or something...

So, before finding out how it's done, I went ahead and created some games lol...

And now... I need to know how to check the username of the logged in user (only the users can play games). That would get sent to the Flash game, and then after the game, it would write the score from the game to the database (using the username to find where to enter the data)...

Is that possible?
Does anyone here know how to do it?

Thanks in advance.

jstarkey

Check out loadVariables:

http://www.macromedia.com/support/flash/action_scripts/objects/moviecliploadvariables.html

You'll need to write your PHP script and then use that to talk to it.

Blob

Thanks.

So this is Action Script? So will this let me take variables from a php page? What about to a php page or database? 😕

dioneo_net

you can use sessions, flash can then retreive the username directly from the session, through php.

in flash you can send data to the database with a little actionscript.

loadVariablesNum("highscore.php?username=" add username add "&score=" add score, 1);

If you need detailed answer, mail me. I use flash and sql on a daily basis.

Mortimer_Jazz

Just to elaborate a little:

To send variables from flash to php you can use either
1)loadVariables (loadVariablesNum is a slight variation of this) or
2) LoadVars (which is a more object oriented approach, available in Flash MX)

loadVariables is the easiest to grasp, and will automatically send any variables that have been declared on the same timeline as it*, to the specified php script. The entire thing could look like this:

var myName = "Mortimer Jazz";
loadVariables("myphpscript.php",this,"POST");

If successful, the variable "myName" can now be accessed in php as $myName. Nothing more complicated than that.

//--------------------------------------------------------------

To send variables from php to flash you have to url-encode them. For example, if I had a textfield in flash with the variable name myTextBox and I wanted to display the contents of a php variable called 'bob' in that textbox I would be able to do this from php:

$bob="I've got a lovely bunch of coconuts";
print "&myTextBox=" . urlencode($bob);

note: Textboxes in flash MX are now objects, and you should really target the 'text' property of that object, rather than use the method described above, but technically there is nothing wrong with targetting the textbox's variable name, and will be the easiest option to get to grips with.

*the same timeline as the loadVariables function declaration

Mortimer_Jazz

Forgive me, I'm sure you're more proficient at php than myself, but as it's relevant to the thread (and what I posted yesterday), and may help other people who are searching this forum for the keywords "PHP + FLASH" I thought I should post this up...

I've just been reading a thread about php4.3, in which global variables are turned off by default (for security reasons). Therefore, if you send a variable from Flash to php, you should now access it in php using either the $POST, $GET or $_REQUEST array.

Therefore in my above example:
var myName = "Mortimer Jazz";
loadVariables("myphpscript.php",this,"POST");

...as far as I understand it, you should now access that variable in php using $REQUEST['myName']; (or in this case you can also use $POST['myName']; )

I'm pretty new to php, and I've only just read about this, so if I've got it wrong, please could someone let me know :]

jstarkey

How could anyone doubt a man with a fro like that?

Great avatar Mortimer 😃

Mortimer_Jazz

Heheh, thanks :]
I have a particlar fondness for this av. It always makes me smile. He looks like a pimp from some 70's Blaxploitation film. Kind of 'Huggy-bear meets captain-caveman'. 😃