Example: Accessing a service from Flash 8

Accessing exposed services from Flash8 Professional is easy, but some basic setup is required. Below the setup is sample code scraped right out of a thread in the Services group with one minor modification: I added a bit more to getData_Result to dump the retrieved node.title and node.body as well as peppered with comments for the less-adventurous.

1. Install and configure Services in Drupal. Note: I found that I had to enable Access Services to anonymous users in Admin>>UserMgmt>>Access Control. In Services config, I also turned off API key and Session Key.
2. Download and install the required Flash Remoting components:
   http://www.adobe.com/products/flashremoting/downloads/components/
3. Launch Flash 8, create a new movie, open the newly installed libraries: Click Window>>CommonLibraries>>Remoting. Drag both components onto the stage (which adds them to the movie's library) and delete from the stage.
4. Put the following actionscript code in frame 1 of your flash movie:
   

   // Picking up a Drupal node with flash remoting
   // Drupal must be set up with Services module enabled
   import mx.remoting.Service;
   import mx.remoting.PendingCall;
   import mx.rpc.RelayResponder;
   import mx.rpc.FaultEvent;
   import mx.rpc.ResultEvent;
   import mx.remoting.debug.NetDebug;
   
   // expose debugging info to clientside "NetConnection debugger" utility
   mx.remoting.debug.NetDebug.initialize();
   
   // create, position, and set params on three dynamic text fields: status, node-title, and node-body
   var tf:TextField = this.createTextField("status", 10, 0, 0, 200, 200);
   var ntitle:TextField = this.createTextField("nodetitle", 11, 0, 50, 200, 200);
   var nbody:TextField = this.createTextField("nodebody", 12, 0, 100, 200, 400);
   ntitle.html = true;
   ntitle.multiline = true;
   nbody.html = true;
   nbody.multiline = true;
   nbody.wordWrap = true;
   
   // establish connection with remote service gateway in Drupal and specify service
   // - /services/amfphp is AMFPHP in Services gateway
   // - node is one of the two default, exposed services in Services module.  The other is view.
   var node:Service = new Service("http://sitedomain/services/amfphp", new Log(), "node", null, null);
   // call service method
   // - load is one of three methods on the default node service
   // - pass in which node to load (hard coded "1" here for node 1)
   // - optional additonal param to node.load is what fields to return (like in a view?).
   // -- array of field names: node.load(1, ['title', 'body']);
   // -- default is to send the entire node.  This example does that.
   var pc:PendingCall = node.load(1);
   // set up response handler functions
   pc.responder = new RelayResponder(this, "getData_Result", "getData_Fault");
   
   // set default status text
   tf.text = "no response from server yet.";
   
   // success result handler
   function getData_Result( re:ResultEvent ):Void {
   	// re is the object containing the response
   	// two properties you can count on being populated for any node are re.result.title and re.result.body
   	tf.text = "response:";
   	ntitle.htmlText = "<b>Node Title:</b><br/>" + re.result.title;
   	nbody.htmlText = "<b>Node Body:</b><br/>" + re.result.body;
   }
   
   // failure result handler
   function getData_Fault( fe:FaultEvent ):Void {
   	tf.text = "error";
   }
   

5. CTRL+ENTER to test the movie

The above sample calls the "load" method on the service "node" with a hard-coded parameter of "1" for "node/1". The node service and its methods (load, save, delete) are exposed by the installation of the Services module. Any other methods you wish to call need to be written a Services hook (see the Services handbook).

In a real setting, you would of course consider managing sessions and logins more restrictively.

Troubleshooting this simple example of services in Flash

• If you are receiving a 403 error on your remoting calls, or if it just does not work, be sure you allow access to the service for that user (Anonymous in this example) under Administration >> User management >> Access control. (step 1 above)
• Note that for simplicity, Access and Session Keys have been disabled in Services module settings (step 1 above)