Director to Flash Pain

Okay, so I want to send datagrid data from Director to Flash. I create an array with:

myPeoples = myFlashSprite.createObject(“Array”)

I then fill my recordset with row (objects) for my datagrid. remember I’m still in Director

myPerson = myFlashSprite.createObject(“Object”)
myPerson.firstName = “Iggy”
myPerson.lastName = “Pop”
myPerson.personId = “123″
myPeoples.push(myPerson)

myPerson = myFlashSprite.createObject(“Object”) — maybe this isn’t necesary
myPerson.firstName = “Philip”
myPerson.lasttName = “Lynott”
myPerson.personId = “456″
myPeoples.push(myPerson)

put myPeoples[1].firstName

– send my array to flash
myFlashSprite.setRecordset(myPeoples) — this might be pseudo-code since I’m too lazy to check, but actual code is correct

In Director I get “Philip”

When I get to Flash and do a trace, I get “undefined.”

I change my properties, firstName, lastName, personId, to FirstName, LastName, personId, and the values arrive on “the other side.”

Other strange things related to this has happened, but has anyone else had this problem?

DataGrid Clarification for Newbies (with Questions)

I’m working on my first “serious” implementation of the DataGrid component and I’ve spent a bit of time banging my head on a wall due to personal concepts (C#, ADO.NET) and the Flash documentation.

Yesterday I dropped a DataGrid on the stage, and set it’s dataProvider to an array of arrays. I get the data from right to left with column headers starting with 0 and counting up to the left.

          2                1       0
myEmail@darbymedia.com   Brent   Bonet
darbmail@darbymedia.com  Darby   Bonet

In examining the docs (finally!) I see that each record in the dataProvider is an object, not an array! The object properties must correspond to the field names that you want to use in the grid. Fine then. Works perfectly.

To confuse things the documentation uses the list command addItem() to add items to the dataProvider array! push() works as well, but in a technically strange(in my opinion) way the docs say:

“Any array that is in the same frame or screen as a data grid automatically has all the methods (addItem(), getItemAt(), and so on) needed for it to be the data model of a data grid, and can be used to broadcast data model changes to multiple components.”

Wow. This is strange. Automatic inheritance of the DataProvider API?

This raises two questions for me:

Is the array of objects the main method that people are using to get data into the DataGrid, or are there other forms of data that will work?

If I create a class that needs to be a DataProvider, I’m guessing I can just extend the DataProvider class, or would an implementation be better?

Director Makes the Grade!

I just completed a small task for Leif and Michael at Roundbox Media. I figured out how to integrate Apperson Education’s Advantage 1200 test sheet scanner data into Director via the DirectCommunication Xtra. I really think this sort of thing is pretty darn neato, especially since Apperson was so cooperative in sharing their data format.

Arr!

It International Talk Like a Pirate Day, land lubbers, so get out yer hornpipe and drink some grog!

The Devastation in Orange Beach

I would say that Orange Beach, Alabama is one of our favorite places. I like it because it has beautiful white sand beaches and it never gets that crowded. I always say it’s a good secret because it’s the first town west of the border with Florida and no one thinks about going to the beach in Alabama. We’ve been there several times and Joyce has seriously (even recently) considered buying a beach house there. What a nightmare it could have been. Check out these pictures from AJC.com.

Photo credit: New York Times / Jim Wilson.

Johnny, I'm So Sorry

Johnny’s dead. Why the hell do these things happen?

Your Flash IDE Loves Comic Sans

As a sarcastic response to Stacey-BWC’s post on banning Comic Sans, I made my SE|PY editor use Comic Sans. Guess what? I really like it. No, really.

Gmail Invitations

I’ve got a bunch of Gmail invitations. Let me know if you’re interested. Gmail is pretty cool, especially for managing high volume mail lists such as the chattyfig flash lists.

With the chattyfig lists I can separate them into their own groups and browse and search messages and “star” the ones that I think might help me in the future.

UPDATE: I’m not giving them away anymore…sorry.

Banshees vs Creatures

We saw the “Evening with Siouxsie Sioux” show last night at the Variety Playhouse. This was a great opportunity to see Siouxsie and Budgie in a very intimate venue, not suprisingly Severin was not included, so basically we were seeing The Creatures doing the odd Siouxsie and the Banshees tune. In fact, during the two hour show they only played six Banshees songs, Christine, Dear Prudence, Kiss Them for Me, Happy House, Face to Face, and Arabian Knights. In general (other than Kiss Them for Me) they weren’t performed terribly well. Imagine Christine without the signature acoustic guitar strum…. Siouxsie also couldn’t quite hit the notes from those Banshees songs. Maybe it was the recent sinus problems that had her sidelined for several months, but in general, though I was less familiar with the material, The Creatures tunes suited her current vocal range much better and sounded, well, just more modern.

Then there’s Siouxsie’s presence. Her moves harness the music and add an incredible momentum to the feeling of the songs. She really enjoyed the attention from the crowd and they did not let her down. She is truly an original. Her music is not and never has been “Rock” music. Her career has been completely homespun and unique. She’s a pioneer, and any chance to see her perform is well worth the effort.

That being said, what pretty much killed the experience for me was the lack of air conditioning at the Variety Playhouse. I surely hope there was something wrong, because I can never attend a performance at that venue if it’s going to be 100% humidity and in the mid-90 degrees. It was miserable.

If you’re a Siouxsie fan, by all means go see thie show if it comes to your town. And if you get a chance, check out the excellent Creatures site at http://www.thecreatures.com/.

What is it about removeMovieClip()?

Yeah, I suppose it’s probably one for ChattyFig, but what the heck. How is that mc.removeMovieClip() won’t work, and removeMovieClip(mc) does?

private function showHome(target:MovieClip) {
var home_mc:MovieClip = target.attachMovie(“HomeScreen”,”home_mc”,_global.nextLevel++);
home_mc.addEventListener(“onPlayClicked”, this);
}

public function onPlayClicked(e:Object):Void {
e.target.removeEventListener(“onPlayClicked”, this)
e.target.removeMovieClip();
delete e.target;
}

The e.target.removeMovieClip() call doesn’t work. I change it removeMovieClip(e.target) and it works fine. I’m sure there’s some kind of referencing going on, but inquiring minds want to know why it won’t work!