Flash local Shared Object not detecting changes by other SWF's - actionscript-3

I'm using a local shared object as means to transfer data between two swf's running at the same time.
so = getLocal("mySO");
// set the value from a user input, and set it to 'connected'
so.setProperty(txtName.text, "connected")
// every few seconds check if the other SWF started and modified value
onTimer
{
var data:Object = so.data
// breakpoint and inspect the data with debugger
}
The last commented line is where the problem is. In debugger, no changes to data are detected, but when inspecting .sol file with .minerva, I see the changes from both SWF's. So, although shared object is modified by SWF 2, the SWF 1 does not see these changes. Is this how's it supposed to be?
ps: I know I could use LocalConnection for communicating between two running SWF's but still want to know about the SO if there's some kind of a limitation.
UPDATE:
Run the compiled Flex app from disk twice, put the "swf2" into textfield of the second one. Press start on both. The first one that is started never detects that the second one was connected.
<s:Application xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx"
minWidth="955"
minHeight="600"
creationComplete="application1_creationCompleteHandler(event)"
>
<fx:Script>
<![CDATA[
import mx.events.FlexEvent;
private var timer:Timer;
private var so:SharedObject;
protected function application1_creationCompleteHandler(event:FlexEvent):void
{
so = SharedObject.getLocal("mySO");
timer = new Timer(1000);
timer.addEventListener(TimerEvent.TIMER, onTimer);
}
protected function button1_clickHandler(event:MouseEvent):void
{
so.setProperty(txtSwf.text, 'connected');
so.flush();
timer.start();
}
protected function onTimer(event:TimerEvent):void
{
so = SharedObject.getLocal("mySO");
txtLog.text += so.data["swf1"] + "\n";
txtLog.text += so.data["swf2"] + "\n";
txtLog.text += "------------ \n";
}
]]>
</fx:Script>
<fx:Declarations>
<!-- Place non-visual elements (e.g., services, value objects) here -->
</fx:Declarations>
<s:TextInput id="txtSwf" x="10" y="50" text="swf1"/>
<s:Button x="170" y="50" label="Start" click="button1_clickHandler(event)"/>
<s:TextArea id="txtLog" x="10" y="154" width="279" height="112" />
</s:Application>

You need to force the reading of the file, but not of the data which client already has :/
so = getLocal("mySO");
// set the value from a user input, and set it to 'connected'
so.setProperty(txtName.text, "connected")
// every few seconds check if the other SWF started and modified value
onTimer
{
so = getLocal("mySO"); // read the so file.
var data:Object = so.data
}

Phew, found an answer. Jevgeenij gave me a lead to forcing the re-read of the shared object, but his code didn't work exactly. what I needed to add was this.
so = getLocal("mySO");
// set the value from a user input, and set it to 'connected'
so.setProperty(txtName.text, "connected")
// every few seconds check if the other SWF started and modified value
onTimer
{
so = getLocal("mySO"); // read the so file.
var data:Object = so.data;
so = null // MAKE IT NULL AND HOPE IT'S GC'D BEFORE NEXT TIMER
}
The trick was to set it to null after use, only then it is forcefully re-read and values written from other SWF instance picked up.

Related

Item Renderer not Working correctly in Spark List

I used flex sdk 4.5 for creating Adobe Air application. My application download files one by one. I show the currently downloading, pending and completed files in spark list. I used item Renderer that show the progress of the file and other states.
It works fine if selected files fit in current view. But as number of downloads increase, the Spark list shows vertical scroll. here I have the problem. Here file downloading functionality works fine, but if I try to scroll the list, File titles mix up or displayed out of order.
item renderer code:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<s:ItemRenderer xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx"
creationComplete="onInit()"
>
<fx:Script><![CDATA[
import com.streamingnetworks.hdvrwin.vo.DownloadInfo;
import mx.events.CloseEvent;
[Bindable]private var downloadInfo:DownloadInfo;
private var url:String = "";
private var fileName:String = "";
private function onInit():void
{
downloadInfo = data as DownloadInfo;
downloadInfo.addEventListener("Progress", onProgress);
downloadInfo.addEventListener("DownloadComplete", onComplete);
prog.label = "Downloading %3%%";
lblPath.text = " - " + downloadInfo.getPathIp();
trace("Downloading: " + downloadInfo.name);
}
private function onProgress(e:Event):void
{
prog.setProgress(downloadInfo.downloadedBytes, downloadInfo.totalBytes);
lblState.text = downloadInfo.getDownState();
}
private function onComplete(e:Event):void
{
prog.label = "Download Complete";
}
protected function onClose(event:CloseEvent):void
{
downloadInfo.state = "deleted"
}
]]></fx:Script>
<s:TitleWindow top="0" left="0" right="0" bottom="0" dropShadowVisible="false"
title="{'Downloading ' + downloadInfo.name}" close="onClose(event)">
<mx:ProgressBar id="prog" label="" mode="manual"
trackHeight="20" labelPlacement="center" width="100%"/>
<s:HGroup top="25">
<s:Label id="lblState" text="Downloading 0 Bytes of 0 Bytes."/>
<s:Label id="lblPath"/>
</s:HGroup>
</s:TitleWindow>
</s:ItemRenderer>
here the list control where I am using that renderer
<s:List id="lstControls" dataProvider="{urlArr}"
itemRenderer="ItemRenderer"
left="5" right="5" bottom="5" top="40"/>
urlArr is an arrayList that contains only url in string form.
How can I solve this problem? Any Help will be appreciated. Thanks
Your renderers are not updating correctly because you are setting your data when the renderer is created - but you should be overriding the set data method, eg:
override public function set data(value:Object):void
{
super.data = value;
downloadInfo = data as DownloadInfo;
downloadInfo.addEventListener("Progress", onProgress);
downloadInfo.addEventListener("DownloadComplete", onComplete);
prog.label = "Downloading %3%%";
lblPath.text = " - " + downloadInfo.getPathIp();
trace("Downloading: " + downloadInfo.name);
}
And remove the creationComplete listener.
As a better practice. Have all the data your progress bars will need all ready in the data provider and have them react ONLY to changes in the data. Adding and removing listeners and binding internally will only cause you grief. Renderers do not live forever and are re-used inside of list components. Manage everything through overriding set data().
In this example I would create a model object with a name like FileDownloadInfo and properties such as .downloadProgress .fileName and .ipAddress then have the renderer update on property change events of .downloadProgress

Flex: preventDefault on spark:ListBase not working

The proposed UX I am trying to achieve is this:
user clicks menu item (via a listBase subclass: e.g. ButtonBar or TabBar)
prevent initial selection
validate if user needs to address issues (e.g. unsaved data on a form, etc.)
if valid, take selection and set the listBase to that selectedIndex, otherwise present warnings to user and cancel out the selection process altogether
This does not work as you'd expect. Utilizing the IndexChangeEvent.CHANGING type and the preventDefault works to kill the selection, but at step 4, when I am programmatically setting the selectedIndex of the listBase, it then tries to redispatch the CHANGING event (this despite what the API docs claim).
Here is a sample application src code if you'd like to try this for yourself. I look forward to your comments & solutions.
Thanks.
J
http://snipt.org/vUji3#expand
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<s:Application minWidth="955" minHeight="600"
xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009" xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx"
xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark">
<fx:Script>
<![CDATA[
import flash.utils.setTimeout;
import mx.core.mx_internal;
import spark.events.IndexChangeEvent;
use namespace mx_internal;
[Bindable]
private var doPreventDefault:Boolean;
[Bindable]
private var delayMS:uint = 500;
private function buttonbar_changingHandler( event:IndexChangeEvent ):void
{
// TODO Auto-generated method stub
if ( doPreventDefault )
{
event.preventDefault();
setTimeout( delayedLogic, delayMS, event.newIndex );
}
}
private function delayedLogic( index:int ):void
{
//disabling this results in an endless loop of trying to set the selected index
// doPreventDefault = false;
//this should NOT be hitting the changing handler since we're supposed to be dispatching a value commit event instead.
bb.setSelectedIndex( index, false );
}
]]>
</fx:Script>
<fx:Declarations>
<!-- Place non-visual elements (e.g., services, value objects) here -->
</fx:Declarations>
<s:layout>
<s:VerticalLayout horizontalAlign="center"/>
</s:layout>
<s:ButtonBar id="bb"
changing="buttonbar_changingHandler(event)">
<s:dataProvider>
<s:ArrayList>
<fx:String>btn 0</fx:String>
<fx:String>btn 1</fx:String>
<fx:String>btn 2</fx:String>
</s:ArrayList>
</s:dataProvider>
</s:ButtonBar>
<s:CheckBox label="preventDefault?"
selected="#{ doPreventDefault }"/>
<s:NumericStepper maximum="5000" minimum="500"
stepSize="500" value="#{ delayMS }"/>
</s:Application>
Looking at the SDK, the IndexChangeEvent.CHANGING event is actually preventable - despite the documentation here says that cancelable is false, so my bad on that (although ASDoc went a little sideways), however things get a little interesting from here.
In ListBase #1296 this is only ever dispatched from the commitSelection(dispatchEvents:Boolean = true) method. In ButtonBarBase:dataProvider_changeHandler() is the only place that specifically calls to not dispatch the event, but in ListBase, it's called in commitProperties #939 when there is a proposedSelectionIndex.
So from your code above, if you are trying to set the selection - this is going to call the commitSelection, which I believe is causing the call stack issue. The Timer delay is just going to exacerbate the issue, since at 500ms the UI will have gone through its invalidation cycle at least once, meaning the commitSelection will be executed again because of an invalidateProperties flag is being set from the proprosedSelectionIndex eventually stemming from setSelectedIndex #729
So how to fix this.
I would look at only doing the prevent if the validation fails, otherwise allow it to proceed as normal. If it does fail, call the prevent, set an errorString or equivalent, but don't attempt to change the selection.
[edit] Read RiaStar's comment, and I just concurred with the same 'solution'.

Weird crash in AIR application

I have a crash that only happens with the installed application I can't make it cvrash in the IDE(Flash Builder debug or run option)
After a long time of commenting and uncomenting code I found the problem and I am posting the code below
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<s:WindowedApplication xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx"
xmlns:ns="generic_components.*"
creationComplete="windowedapplication1_creationCompleteHandler(event)">
<fx:Script>
<![CDATA[
//import core.Logger;
import mx.controls.Alert;
import mx.events.FlexEvent;
import spark.events.TextOperationEvent;
protected function windowedapplication1_creationCompleteHandler(event:FlexEvent):void
{
//Logger.init();
}
public static function humanFromCamelCase(txt:String):String{
var res:String=txt.charAt(0);
//Logger.write("camel case for "+txt);
for (var i:int=1;i<txt.length;i++)
{
// Logger.write("camel iter "+i);
var c:String=txt.charAt(i);
//Logger.write("camel char is "+c);
if(c==c.toUpperCase())
{
res=res+" "+c;
}
else
res=res+c;
}
return res;
}
protected function test_clickHandler(event:Event):void
{
Alert.show(humanFromCamelCase("CompanyId"));
}
]]>
</fx:Script>
<fx:Declarations>
<!-- Place non-visual elements (e.g., services, value objects) here -->
</fx:Declarations>
<s:layout>
<s:VerticalLayout />
</s:layout>
<s:Button id="test" label="TEST" click="test_clickHandler(event)"/>
</s:WindowedApplication>
Also see a web sample here http://ploscariu.com/crash/TestWeb.html (may be not there in the future)
What is weird about this crash:
1 I have no idea what happens
2 The usual crash handler in the player does not show up
3 is not crashing in the development enviroment IDE
4 if i uncomment those Logger.write then the code works on my machine fine(it could not work on all machines), the Logger.write writes the sting in a file and is placed in another project swf (I did not included the logger code)
I a, assuming that the call to Logger.write can cause a delay or something similar
It is something wrong in my code or the player is buggy? or the compiler??
Any ideas?
Edit:
-is not the logger i use since the error happens when I am not using it like in the sample code or page, no logger the app it crashes
-i get no dialog from Flash with a crash report
This is so incredibly odd!!!! I have NO idea why this happening (yet)... but I have a workaround:
Instead of res=res+c, use res+=c:
public static function humanFromCamelCase(txt:String):String{
var res:String=txt.charAt(0);
for (var i:int=1;i<txt.length;i++)
{
var c:String=txt.charAt(i);
if(c === c.toUpperCase())
{
res += " " + c;
}
else
res += c;
}
return res;
}
I have no idea why you're having an error, however, I would replace the function with this instead:
public static function humanFromCamelCase(txt:String):String{
return txt.replace(/([A-Z])/g, ' $1').replace(/^ /, "");
}
Haven't tested it, but you get the idea. This is a much simpler and faster approach.
I also thought of another way:
public static function humanFromCamelCase(txt:String):String{
return txt.split(/(?=[A-Z])/).join(' ');
}

How to run a function after the canvas has changed in ActionScript 3.0?

Please understand: I am a total beginner at Actionscript and anything like Actionscript, and though I generally have some idea of what I'm doing as a programmer, I'm having some setbacks in self-learning this language and Flex Builder. Right now I'm trying to make a very simple implementation where a label effectively has its text added to multiple times over the first few seconds that the program is run. The problem I'm running into is that I can't just put all that into one function + one call on that function, as changes to the label's text are apparently not seen until that function runs its full course.
So I tried using a viewstack and cloning the canvas a few times, giving each canvas's version of that label a different bit of text. Then I set the initialize function for the viewstack to change the canvases on regular intervals over the first few seconds. But that didn't work either, as the difference isn't seen until the function runs its full course.
So then I tried putting function calls on the individual canvases' initialize attributes, and those functions aren't being called at all apparently.
What the heck? I know this probably isn't even the way that you're supposed to animate something in ActionScript or Flex, but I still would like to know how to approach the problem this way for future reference. What am I missing? Thanks!
As you've noticed, changes to the displayed output of your program can't happen in the middle of executing a function that you've written. ActionScript is single-threaded, which means that none of the framework code that updates the screen can run while your function is running.
If you're interested in learning exactly what happens in order to update the screen, do a search for "flex component lifecycle" and read some of the stuff you find. It's a bit advanced, but it was the thing that really helped me understand how the Flex framework works.
Anyway, on to your real question - how to animate something. There are many ways, but for your case of progressively adding text to a label, I'd probably use the Timer class.
Here is an example:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<s:Application xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx" minWidth="955" minHeight="600">
<fx:Script>
<![CDATA[
import mx.events.FlexEvent;
private var timer:Timer;
private var words:Array = ["The", "quick", "brown", "fox"];
private function startTimer(event:FlexEvent):void
{
timer = new Timer(1000, 1);
timer.addEventListener(TimerEvent.TIMER, updateText);
timer.start();
}
private privatefunction updateText(event:TimerEvent):void
{
theLabel.text += words.shift() + " ";
if (words.length > 0)
{
timer.reset();
timer.start();
}
}
]]>
</fx:Script>
<s:Label id="theLabel" text="" creationComplete="startTimer(event)"/>
</s:Application>
A basic approach would be to use data binding for the label value, and setTimeout() or setInterval() to cause the delay between updates.
Here is an example:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<s:Application xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
initialize="init()"
minWidth="955" minHeight="600">
<fx:Script>
<![CDATA[
[Bindable]
private var displayString:String = "Detonation in ";
private var count:int = 5;
private var timer:uint;
private function init():void {
timer = setInterval(updateDisplay, 1000);
}
private function updateDisplay():void {
displayString += count + ".. ";
if (--count == 0) {
clearInterval(timer);
}
}
]]>
</fx:Script>
<s:Label text="{displayString}"/>
</s:Application>

Question on bindable variables in AS3

I'm probably misusing bindable variables here, so please bear with me here while I try and explain what I'm trying to to.
I have a simple spark list where I allow people to select a background by clicking on one of the items. When a background is selected, I then save it to the SharedObject in order to use it when the user loads the application again later.
This list is populated by an ArrayCollection (binded variable) created as follows:
[Bindable] private var arrBG:ArrayCollection = new ArrayCollection();
This then gets populated the following way:
var objImage:Object;
var strSharedObjImage:String = sharedObj.sharedBackground.data.backgroundIndex;
// Background
objImage = new Object();
objImage.icon = ICONS_PATH + objImage.label;
objImage.label = "Titanium";
objImage.selected = (strSharedObjImage == objImage.fileName) ? true : false;
arrBG.addItem(objImage);
objImage = new Object();
objImage.icon = ICONS_PATH + objImage.fileName;
objImage.label = "Iron";
objImage.selected = (strSharedObjImage == objImage.label) ? true : false;
arrBG.addItem(objImage);
I then use it as the dataProvider on my spark list.
If you notice above, on my object I have a property called selected, which will get set to true, if the value of my shared object is the same as the value on the "label" property.
On the item renderer for my spark list, I have the following:
<s:ItemRenderer name="HorizontalListSkin"
xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
autoDrawBackground="false"
creationComplete="initMenuSkin(event)"
>
<fx:Script>
<![CDATA[
protected function initMenuSkin(event:Event):void
{
iconImage.source = data.icon;
iconText.text = data.label;
// Check to see if the item we're displying is selected. If it is make it stand out
if(data.selected){
iconText.setStyle("color", "Green")
}
}
]]>
</fx:Script>
<s:VGroup x="10" y="10" width="50" height="50" buttonMode="true" horizontalAlign="center">
<s:Image id="iconImage" horizontalCenter="0"/>
<s:Label id="iconText" fontFamily="Verdana" fontSize="11" fontWeight="bold" horizontalCenter="0" showTruncationTip="false"/>
</s:VGroup>
</s:ItemRenderer>
So as you can see, I'm simply changing the colour of the font on my selected item.
When I load it up, I can see that the item I have previously selected is marked in green, and if I select a new item, I would like it to now be marked as green instead.
Obviously there's a big gap in here, since nowhere in my explanation above I mention updating my bindable variable so in theory it wold propagate to my spark list (being it a bindable variable I would of thought it would simultaneously update the item on my list(?)).
Well, I have tried doing it in a few different ways, and the debugger does "say" my array has been updated, however, my list isn't being updated at all, and will only bring another item marked in green if I close the screen and open again (when it all gets reloaded)
The whole logic described above to create a new background is contained within a function, so whenever I select an item from my list of backgrounds I was triggering my "loadBackgrounds" method again, which would apply all the logic to know which is the selected background, and because the variable is binded with my spark list I'd have hoped would update the list. Thing is, it doesn't.
What am I doing wrong here? Am I going totally bonkers and there's a much easier way of doing this but only I can't see it?
Any help here would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance
After you set the data ion the collection you need to refresh it.
arrBG.refresh();
[EDIT]
Ok I re-read your question.
I think I misunderstood what you were asking.
You want to know how to update the list so the item renderer will re-render the new list after you made changes to the data provider?
function newSelection( val:String ):void{
for each( var item:Object in arrBG ){
if( item.label == val ){
item.selected = true;
}else{
item.selected = false;
}
}
arrBG.refresh();
}
// use the commit properties on your renderer not the init
// commit properties will trigger whenever there is a dataprovider update/change
<s:ItemRenderer name="HorizontalListSkin"
xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark"
autoDrawBackground="false"
>
<fx:Script>
<![CDATA[
override protected function commitProperties():void{
super.commitProperties();
iconImage.source = data.icon;
iconText.text = data.label;
// Check to see if the item we're displying is selected. If it is make it stand out
if(data.selected){
iconText.setStyle("color", "Green")
}
}
]]>
</fx:Script>
<s:VGroup x="10" y="10" width="50" height="50" buttonMode="true" horizontalAlign="center">
<s:Image id="iconImage" horizontalCenter="0"/>
<s:Label id="iconText" fontFamily="Verdana" fontSize="11" fontWeight="bold" horizontalCenter="0" showTruncationTip="false"/>
</s:VGroup>
</s:ItemRenderer>