Serialize Object like a form in as3 - actionscript-3

Question

I am looking to transmit a post request through HTTP, the body needs to contain information from a ValueObject I've already created. Essentially I need to serialize the object (which has multiple dimensions). The problem I'm running into is that I don't want to transmit the data as JSON or XML but as a multidimensional array. It works in HTML forms like:
data:
Array
(
[a] => Array
(
[a] => Array
(
[1] => abcd
)
[b] => defg
)
[d] => ghij
)
request body (decoded):
a[a][1]=abcd&a[b]=defg&d=ghij
Is there any library out there that does this kind of serialization already? I'm using as3httpclientlib, so I don't have the convenience of the mx.rpc family. I've spent the past several hours trying to roll my own solution, but I'm pretty sure I'd be better off with a solution someone has put more time and thought into.

Answer 1

You can try AMF to solve your problem (you have different library according to your programming language).
The main advantage is that you can do mapping object to object (using Value Object) and preserve the data type (like arrays).
I'm using the plugin amf with Symfony and here is an example of data returned :
SabreAMF_TypedObject Object
(
[amfClassName:private] => Product
[amfData:private] => Array
(
[code] => 1970A007
[designation] => 1970 PELL A007 BLANC
[description] => Vernis extra souple extra brillant
[sommeil] =>
[name] => 1970
[base] => A Stretch Enduit
[composition] => 43% PL 57% PU
[laize] => 137-140 cm
[weight] => 588 g/ml
[dechirure] => 10 daN/9 daN
[abrasion] => 5000
[xenotest] => 4/5
[non_feu] => Non
[Color] => SabreAMF_TypedObject Object
(
[amfClassName:private] => Color
[amfData:private] => Array
(
[id] => 124
[name] => BLANC
)
)
Some explanation :
[amfClassName:private] => Product
My Object is typed. As3 side i have a Product Value Object too wich contains array properties like "code", "designation", "description",... and Color (another typed Array with Value Object Color)
So you can easily have a multidimensional structure arrays...

Answer 2

Ok,
so here is something more simple using URLVariables :
package {
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.events.Event;
import flash.net.URLLoader;
import flash.net.URLRequest;
import flash.net.URLRequestMethod;
import flash.net.URLVariables;
public class URLVariableExample extends Sprite {
private static const URL_SERVER:String = "http://localhost/testURL.php";
private var loader:URLLoader;
public function URLVariableExample() {
init();
}
private function init() : void {
var request:URLRequest = new URLRequest(URL_SERVER);
var urlVar:URLVariables = new URLVariables();
var a : Array = ["toto", "titi", "loulou"];
urlVar["urlTest[a][a]"] = a.toString();
urlVar["urlTest[a][b]"] = "desc";
urlVar["urlTest[d]"] = "defg";
request.data = urlVar;
request.method = URLRequestMethod.POST;
loader = new URLLoader();
loader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, loaderComplete);
loader.load(request);
}
private function loaderComplete(event : Event) : void {
loader.removeEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, loaderComplete);
trace(URLLoader(event.currentTarget).data);
}
}
}
I requested a php file and just put a simple var_dump function.
Trace return :
array(2) {["d"]=>string(4) "defg"["a"]=> array(2) {["a"]=>string(16) "toto,titi,loulou["b"]=>string(4) "desc"}}

Answer 3

var url:String = 'http://localhost/dump.php';
var params:Object = {
test: 'ok',
nested_1: {
nested_2: {
nested_3: {
nested_4: {
hello: 'mf',
str: '~!##$%^&*()_+'
}
}
}
},
};
var request:URLRequest = new URLRequest(url);
var variables:URLVariables = new URLVariables();
parameters = fixParameters(parameters || {});
for (var key:String in parameters) {
variables[key] = parameters[key];
}
request.data = variables;
var loader:URLLoader = new URLLoader();
loader.load(request);
and here is fixParameters method
private function fixParameters(data:Object, parameters:Object = null, prefixes:Array = null):Object {
var setPrefix:Array;
var prefixKey:String;
if (!parameters) {
parameters = {};
}
if (!prefixes) {
prefixes = [];
}
for (var key:String in data) {
setPrefix = prefixes.concat([key]);
if (typeof(data[key]) == 'object') {
parameters = fixParameters(data[key], parameters, setPrefix);
} else {
prefixKey = '';
for (var i:Number = 0; i < setPrefix.length; i++) {
prefixKey += i == 0 ? setPrefix[i] : '[' + setPrefix[i] + ']';
}
parameters[prefixKey] = data[key];
}
}
return parameters;
}