Chapter20.Introduction to Data Integration

Chapter 20. Introduction to Data Integration

IN THIS CHAPTER

• Why Dynamic Content?

• The getURL() Method

• The MIME Format

• The loadVariables Method

• The loadVariablesNum() Method

• The LoadVars Object

• The ExternalInterface API

We have discussed dynamic content in Chapter 18, "External ActionScript," and Chapter 19, "Loading Visual Content," but this chapter is different. All we have brought into Flash externally are the ActionScript classes we have built, which can be brought in only during compiling of the .swf file. And we have brought in other .swf files as well as a few image formats, which can be brought in during runtime. But that does not do the concept of dynamic content justice.

In this chapter, we talk about the basics of bringing data into Flash and sending data out from Flash, as well as the format the data needs to be in to be successfully interpreted. Then we will go over a new way to communicate to JavaScript and have it communicate back.

Before we go through some of the fundamental ways Flash handles data transfer, it is important to fully understand the benefits of dynamic content.