| Introduction to the Text |
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Flash and XML define this book - they do not
confine it. We need to know both Flash and XML. But that’s not enough. We must learn how network connections are made and maintained. We must expect to build our own server apps. This will require us to master server, network and database technology.. We will want to undertake socket programming, to open up a world of live datastreams.
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| Chapters 1,2,3 |
| These chapters bring
the novice up to speed on Flash and its interior architecture. The
emphasis shifts from Flash multimedia to Flash programming and its
system of object-oriented event handlers. These chapters barely mention
XML.
We begin to create the displays and buttons for the quiz game which is the central project of this book. |
| Chapters 4,5,6 |
| This section begins
with the ancestry of XML. Forty years ago, SGML introduced ideals about
knowledge sharing which it never fully realized. Today, these ideals are
more relevant than ever, and XML aims to reclaim them.
We examine minutely the specifications for XML and support technology - both in the context of XML theory and in the practical world of the Flash developer.
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| Chapters 7,8,9,10 |
| Developers who use
XML must develop a good feel for the transactions between client and
server. They must master the details of HTTP request and response.
Parsing and generating XML require us to become proficient in two completely distinct software models and select wisely from a variety of approaches. And now we need to go beyond ActionScript. To create a meaningful system . we’ll need to write code on both sides of the network connection. We commit to PHP, and learn how to use it to write solid server scripts.
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| Chapters 11,12,13 |
| We learn the basic
ideas behind relational databases. Then we move on to use MySQL syntax
to create databases. We learn to integrate our MySQL database into our
PHP code. We make our PHP script connect to our MySQL database, retrieve
questions, and send the result out.
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| Chapters 14,15,16,17 |
| We will build a
classic three-tier system using ActionScript, PHP and MySQL. We will use
XML to connect us to the world. And we will use PHP and MySQL to make
sure that the world we connect to is interesting.
We learn to send information from MySQL all the way to Flash. We learn how to take input from Flash and store it in MySQL.
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| Chapters 18, 19, 20 |
| Full scale socket
programming is an advanced topic for skillful developers.A solid
connection between server and client lowers network latency and reduces
traffic overhead. Performance will exceed make-and-break HTTP
connections. Most noticeable will be the improved responsiveness of the
system.
But that’s just the beginning. XML Sockets are enabling technology for exciting web experiences that are new to Flash users. The features include newsfeeds, push technology and streaming XML - great content sources. Best of all is live contact between humans. With multiplexed sockets, two or more people can log onto the same server at the same time and meet one another in a Flash world !
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|
Dov &
Jesse Jacobson |