Flex Blogger

Testing AMFPHP

2009-11-14T07:59:00.000-08:00

1. Create a php class 'HelloWorld.php' with the following code

class HelloWorld
{
   function HelloWorld()
   {
   $this->methodTable = array
   (
   "say" => array
   (
   "access" => "remote",
   "description" => "Pings back a message"
   )
   );
   }

   function say($sMessage)
   {
   $message['message'] = mysql_escape_string( $sMessage );
   return $message;
   }
}
?>

2. Save 'HelloWorld.php' to 'services' folder within your 'amfphp' folder on your webserver ( e.g. '/www/amfphp/services/HelloWorld.php' )

3. Create an Adobe Flex web application with following code and run it

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

creationComplete="{this.init()}"
xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
layout="absolute">

import mx.controls.Alert;
private function init():void
{
var myService:NetConnection = new NetConnection ();
myService.connect("http://elimworks.com/amfphp/gateway.php");
var responder:Responder = new Responder( onDataReturned );
   myService.call("HelloWorld.say", responder , "Hello World" );
}

private function onDataReturned( data:Object ):void
{
Alert.show( data.message , 'Message', Alert.OK );
}
]]>

You should get an Alert pop with the message "Hello World" once you've built and run the application.

Installation Instructions for AMFPHP

2009-11-14T07:43:00.000-08:00

I recently attempted to install AMFPHP on my host site. After a few failed attempts, I succeeded. So I decided to document the entire process. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me.

Prerequisite:

A host site ( e.g. 'http://yourhostsite.com' )
You need a webserver with PHP4 ( > 4.3.0 ) or PHP5 installed on it.
Access permission to the Web Root folder ( e.g. 'public_html/www' ).

Install AMFPHP on your webserver

Download a fresh zip file of AMFPHP into a particular destination on your computer . ( e.g. 'C:\AMFPHP' ) Download
Unzip the file within the destination ( e.g. 'C:\AMFPHP\amfphp-1.2.6')
Copy the 'amfphp' folder located in 'C:\AMFPHP\amfphp-1.2.6' into the root folder of your webserver ( e.g. '/www' )
Now we have /www/amfphp
Open up a browser and navigate to http://yourhostsite.com/amfphp/gateway.php'
If AMFPHP has been successfully installed on your web server, you will get a message 'amfphp and this gateway are installed correctly. You may now connect to this gateway from Flash.'.

Adobe Flex: Expanding Control Box / Hiding-Showing Control Panel

2009-10-26T21:23:00.000-07:00

Adobe Flex: Expanding Control Box / Hiding-Showing Control Panel

Using AlivePDF in an online Flex application

2009-10-14T17:28:00.000-07:00

Using AlivePDF in an online Flex application

Adobe Flex - Sorting an ArrayColleciton by Date

2009-10-13T18:25:00.000-07:00

Adobe Flex - Sorting an ArrayColleciton by Date

/**
* @params data:Array
* @return dataCollection:Array
**/
private function orderByPeriod(data:Array):Array
{
var dataCollection:ArrayCollection = new ArrayCollection(data);//Convert Array to ArrayCollection to perform sort function

var dataSortField:SortField = new SortField();
dataSortField.name = "period"; //Assign the sort field to the field that holds the date string

var numericDataSort:Sort = new Sort();
numericDataSort.fields = [dataSortField];
dataCollection.sort = numericDataSort;
dataCollection.refresh();
return dataCollection.toArray();
}

Bundled Deployment of Adobe AIR applications in Windows using NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) - Single Step Method

2009-10-13T16:34:00.000-07:00

Bundled Deployment of Adobe AIR applications in Windows using NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) - Single Step Method

Using the script, we programmatically launch the bundled runtime installer that we created using Adobe AIR bundled runtime installer

Single Step Method

!define PRODUCT_NAME "SP 2009"

!define PRODUCT_VERSION "2.1.0"

!define PRODUCT_PUBLISHER "SP Group"

Name "${PRODUCT_NAME} ${PRODUCT_VERSION}"

Icon "C:\Inst\SP.ico"

OutFile "SPInstaller.exe"

Section -Prerequisites

SetOutPath "C:\Inst"

SetOverwrite ifnewer

installProgram:

MessageBox MB_YESNO "Install SP 2009?" /SD IDYES IDNO endInstall

File "SP 2009 Installer.exe"

ExecWait 'C:\Inst\SP 2009 Installer.exe'

endInstall:

SectionEnd

Bundled Deployment of Adobe AIR applications in Windows - Using the Adobe AIR bundled runtime installer

2009-10-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

Bundled Deployment of Adobe AIR applications in Windows - Using the Adobe AIR bundled runtime installer

ADOBE® AIR™ 1.5 Runtime Redistribution Instructions -http://help.adobe.com/en_US/AIR/1.5/air_runtime_redist/air_runtime_redist.pdf

Adobe AIR Runtime Redistribution Instructions

Once you have an Adobe® AIR™ Runtime Distribution License Agreement with Adobe® Systems Incorporated, you

may redistribute the Adobe AIR installer and installer files.

Obtaining permission to redistribute the runtime

To obtain permission to redistribute Adobe AIR, read the Adobe AIR Runtime Distribution Agreement and apply for

a license: http://www.adobe.com/products/air/runtime_distribution1.html

Also, be sure to read the Adobe AIR FAQ page, which contains important information on the runtime distribution

and license terms: http://www.adobe.com/products/air/runtime_distribution_faq.html

Important: You may distribute Adobe AIR with your product only if you follow the Adobe AIR Runtime Distribution

License Agreement application proces

We start with the assumption that the Adobe AIR runtime has not been installed on the target machine that we intend on installing our Adobe AIR application.

The AIR application we intend to install is called 'SP.air'

We must therefore create a bundled installation package that must

Install the Adobe AIR runtime on the target machine if not previously installed before proceeding to install the AIR application.

Update the Adobe AIR runtime if the existing installation is an older version.

Update the AIR application if the existing installation is an older version.

Install the AIR application with a prerequisite that the Adobe AIR runtime is installed.

This article shows us three different ways to go about creating a “windows based” bundled installation package for an AIR application.

Using the Adobe AIR bundled runtime installer

“”

Step 1: Download the Adobe AIR bundled runtime installer from the download site.

( Mac: DMG file, Win: ZIP file)

Step 2: Extract the contents of the file to a bundled runtime installer directory

e.g. C:\Installer\

Step 3: Rename the Adobe AIR installer to match the AIR application name.

e.g. Adobe AIR Installer.exe is changed to “SPInstaller.exe”

Step 4: Add the configuration file '.airinstall.cfg' to the bundled runtime installer directory.

e.g. C:\Installer\.airinstall.cfg

Step 5: Edit the airinstall.cfg to include the relative path to the AIR file to be installed

e.g. if the AIR file is located in C:\Installer\AirApp\SP.air,

we include the path “AirApp/SP.air” in the .airinstall.cfg file

The contents of the bundled runtime installer directory can now be deployed on a CD, DVD, USB, or DMG. Double clicking the renamed installer file will launch the bundled runtime installer.

We can only install one application at a time.

Bundled Deployment of Adobe AIR applications in- Windows using NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System) - Two Step Method

2009-10-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

“ Nullsoft Scriptable Install System (NSIS) is a script-driven Windows installation system with minimal overhead backed by Nullsoft, the creators of Winamp. NSIS has risen to popularity as a widely used alternative to commercial and proprietary products like InstallShield.

NSIS is released under a combination of free software licenses, primarily the zlib license, thus making NSIS free software “ - wikipedia.org

There are two approaches that we can take.

Bundled Deployment of Adobe AIR applications in Windows using NSIS (Nullsoft Scriptable Install System)
Two Step Method

1.Using the script, we programmatically detect from the registry whether Adobe AIR runtime has been installed.
2.Installs the Adobe runtime if not previously installed and then install the

!define PRODUCT_NAME "My Application 2009"
!define PRODUCT_VERSION "2.1.0"
!define PRODUCT_PUBLISHER "My Group Pty Ltd"
Name "${PRODUCT_NAME} ${PRODUCT_VERSION}"
Icon "C:\InstallFiles\MyAppIcon.ico"
OutFile "MyAppInstaller.exe"
Section -Prerequisites

SetOutPath "C:\InstallFiles"
SetOverwrite ifnewer
ReadRegStr $0 HKLM "SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\Adobe AIR" "DisplayVersion"
IfErrors notinst
Goto installProgram

notinst:
MessageBox MB_YESNO "Install Adobe AIR Runtime?" /SD IDYES IDNO endInstall
File "AdobeAIRInstaller.exe"
ExecWait "C:\InstallFiles\AdobeAIRInstaller.exe"
Goto installProgram

installProgram:
MessageBox MB_YESNO "Install My Program?" /SD IDYES IDNO endInstall
File "MyApp.air"
ExecWait '$PROGRAMFILES\Common Files\Adobe AIR\Versions\1.0\Resources\airappinstaller.exe /C:\InstallFiles\MyApp.air'
endInstall:
SectionEnd

Explore Deployment and Distribution Options For Adobe AIR Application

2009-10-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

Adobe Flex - Multiple Select ComboBox

2009-10-05T18:26:00.000-07:00

Click here to download MultiselectComboBox.zip

http://elimworks.com/multiSelectComboBox/MultiselectComboBox.html

Adobe Flex - Days duration between two Date Objects

2009-09-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

duration_In_Days = ((today.getTime() - transactionDate.getTime())/(24*60*60*1000)).toFixed(0);

Adobe Flex - Convert String to Date using DateField

2009-09-30T21:28:00.000-07:00

var dateString:String = "1980-09-13"

var myDate:Date= DateField.stringToDate( dateString, 'YYYY-MM-DD');