28.5 Using LoadVars and XML

The third way you can modify the scheduler application is to use server-side scripts that read and write to a file. The ColdFusion versions of these scripts are provided here in this example, but if you need to use another technology, it is not too difficult. You need two scripts: one to write data and one to read the data. The write script should take two parameters submitted via HTTP POST: the name of the file to which to write and the data to be written. Here is the ColdFusion example that you should name LoadVarsSharedObjectSave.cfm:

<cffile action="write"     file="#GetDirectoryFromPath(GetBaseTemplatePath(  ))##FORM.name#.so"     output="#FORM.data#" nameconflict="overwrite">

The other script should read the data from the file and return it to Flash. This script should accept a single parameter submitted via HTTP GET: the name of the file from which to read. Here is the ColdFusion example. You should name this file LoadVarsSharedObjectRead.cfm.

<cfsetting enablecfoutputonly="yes"> <cffile action="read"       file="#GetDirectoryFromPath(GetBaseTemplatePath(  ))##URL.name#.so"       variable="data"> <cfoutput>#data#</cfoutput>

Finally, you should make a few changes to the client-side ActionScript code in the Schedule component. The relevant snippet of code from that component is shown here with changes in bold:

#initclip // The serializeObject(  ) and deserializeObject(  ) functions are the exact same code // as the serializeObject(  ) and deserializeObject(  ) methods of the FauxSharedObject  // class from Chapter 27. See Chapter 27 for more information on these functions. _global.serializeObject = function (obj) {   var sb = "<obj>";   if (obj instanceof Array) {     sb = "<obj type=\"array\">";   }   for (var i in obj) {     sb += "<index name=\"" + i + "\"";     if (obj[i] instanceof Object) {       sb += ">";       sb += serializeObject(obj[i]);       sb += "</index>";     } else {       sb += " val=\"" + obj[i] + "\" />";     }   }   sb += "</obj>";    return sb; }; _global.deserializeObject = function (source) {   XML.prototype.ignoreWhite = true;   var sXML = new XML(source);   var cn = sXML.firstChild.childNodes;   var items = new Object(  );   if (sXML.firstChild.attributes.type == "array") {     items = new Array(  );   }   var attribs, childCn;   for (var i = 0; i < cn.length; i++) {     attribs = cn[i].attributes;     childCn = cn[i].childNodes;     if (childCn.length > 0) {       items[attribs.name] = deserializeObject(childCn[0]);     } else {       items[attribs.name] = attribs.val;     }     items[attribs.index] = new Object(  );     for (var j in attribs) {       items[attribs.index][j] = attribs[j];     }   }   return items; }; function Schedule (  ) {   this.items = new Object(  );   this.notifiers = new Object(  );   // Instead of a shared object, simply create an object with a data property.   this.so = new Object(  );   this.so.data = new Object(  );   // Create a flush(  ) method for the object that uses a LoadVars object to send the   // serialized data to the LoadVarsSharedObjectSave.cfm script.   this.so.flush = function (  ) {     serializedStr = serializeObject(this.data);     var sendLV = new LoadVars(  );     sendLV.name = "myScheduleLV";     sendLV.data = serializedStr;     sendLV.sendAndLoad("http://localhost:8500/LoadVarsSharedObjectSave.cfm",                         null, "POST");   };   this.so.parent = this;   // Create a load method for the object that uses an XML object to load the data   // from the LoadVarsSharedObjectRead.cfm script.   this.so.load = function (  ) {     var loadXML = new XML(  );     loadXML.ignoreWhite = true;     loadXML.load(            "http://localhost:8500/LoadVarsSharedObjectRead.cfm?name=myScheduleLV");     loadXML.parent = this;     // When the data loads, deserialize it and then call the setValues(  ) method.     loadXML.onLoad = function (  ) {       this.parent.data = deserializeObject(this);       this.parent.parent.setValues(  );     };   };   this.so.load(  );   this.runNotify(  );   this.interval = setInterval(this, "runNotify", 600000);   this.saveInterval = setInterval(this, "save", 5000); } Schedule.prototype = new MovieClip(  ); // The setValues(  ) method contains code that was previously in the constructor. Schedule.prototype.setValues = function (  ) {   if (this.so.data.schedules != undefined) {     for (var i in this.so.data.schedules) {       var dt = this.so.data.schedules[i].siDate;       this.addItem(dt);       this.items[dt].setValues(this.so.data.schedules[i]);     }     this.notifiers = this.so.data.notifiers;   } }; // The remainder of the code stays the same.