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Java Forum / General / January 2006Java Flash Application Communication
I am trying to have a web-based flash application communicate with my Java program. The basic architecture is a pre-existing web-based flash application and the Java application that I have created (I can edit and change these files). What I need to do is have the Flash application send a single String that it gets from web input to my Java application, and then wait for the String that the Java application sends back after completing its program. Does anyone know how to do this? I do not have access to change much about the Flash files, but I can edit the Java files and also employ ColdFusion or any other languages that might be required as a go between. Any help is greatly appreciated. >I am trying to have a web-based flash application communicate with my > Java program. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Any help is greatly appreciated. Where does the Java application run? On the HTTP server from which the Flash is being served? On a different server? As an application on the client machine viewing the Flash? As an applet embedded in the same HTML page that the flash is presented in? As an applet in a different HTML page? - Oliver The Java application will run on the same HTTP server as the Flash application. I would be able to convert the Java code to an applet (on either the same page as the Flash or a different page), if that would solve the communication issue, although that would not be best since the Java code will need to eventually access a database. > The Java application will run on the same HTTP server as the Flash > application. [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > communication issue, although that would not be best since the Java > code will need to eventually access a database. So is the Java program running as a server listening on a specifc port that the Flash could connect to? - Oliver Currently it is a stand-alone Java application, and not on the web at all. I wrote it, however, and could transform it into a Servlet, or another type of web-based application if that is what is required. I'm not sure how to connect Flash and Java on a specific port. > Currently it is a stand-alone Java application, and not on the web at > all. I wrote it, however, and could transform it into a Servlet, or > another type of web-based application if that is what is required. > > I'm not sure how to connect Flash and Java on a specific port. I'm not too familiar with Servlets, but my understanding is that Servlets are run by a web server (perhaps running on port 80, for example), and responds to HTTP requests. It looks like the standard way to get Flash to communicate over a socket is to use the XMLSocket object. See http://www.macromedia.com/support/flash/action_scripts/actionscript_dictionary/a ctionscript_dictionary860.html I would convert the Java application into a server that listens on some port (e.g. 4000), let the Flash program connect to that socket, and they could communicate freely. In your case, you just need a String send from Flash to Java, and then one from Java to Flash, after which you could disconnect. As a first step, you should probably write a Java server that just dumps whatever it receives in a file or to the console, and have your Flash application connect to it, to see what protocol XMLSocket uses. Based on its name, it sounds like it'll send an XML message, e.g something like: <XMLSocketData> <StringData>Hello world!</StringData> </XMLSocketData> And it probably expects a responce in XML as well. See if you can just get your "dummy" Java server program to talk to the Flash program. Once you've got the protocol figured out, look into converting your "real" Java program into a server using the protocol XMLSocket expects. - Oliver > It looks like the standard way to get Flash to communicate over a > socket > is to use the XMLSocket object. My current project is a Java server that communicates with Flash clients. If you want a continuous connection for asynchronous messaging, XML Sockets is probably the way to go. Flash's support for web-services is also worth looking into if you just have a request/response model. I don't know the details though because I am only involved on the Java side. > As a first step, you should probably write a Java server that just > dumps [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > <StringData>Hello world!</StringData> > </XMLSocketData> You can use pretty much any well-formed XML, it's not a particular Macromedia XML format that you have to use. You just send XML documents down the socket, separated by a single null byte ('\u0000' in Java). Dan.  SignatureDaniel Dyer http://www.dandyer.co.uk > I am trying to have a web-based flash application communicate with my > Java program. [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Any help is greatly appreciated. If you could change the Flash movie, you would have the option of using a web service or XML sockets. A less invasive approach would be to have the Flash movie call a Javascript function and then have that do the communication with the server. But if the movie doesn't already have some kind of hook for you to get the data you are going to have problems solving your problem without editing the movie. Dan. SignatureDaniel Dyer http://www.dandyer.co.uk I will have the ability to change the movie slightly, basically add only whatever actionscript code (I am not a flash programmer) is required to send off the String and get the new String back. How would I call a Javascript function from the Flash movie? And then I'm not sure how you call a Java application from Javascript? I think that using Javascript might somehow be the solution, but I'm just not sure how to implement the details. > I will have the ability to change the movie slightly, basically add > only whatever actionscript code (I am not a flash programmer) is [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > I think that using Javascript might somehow be the solution, but I'm > just not sure how to implement the details. I don't know how to invoke JavaScript from ActionScript, but it is definitely possible. Try a Google search or a Flash newsgroup. What kind of Java app do you have? If you have an applet you can invoke a method on it from JavaScript. It used to be done via what Netscape called LiveConnect. I don't know if that's still the way to do it. If your app is a servlet or other web-app you can probably just access it through an HTTP request from JavaScript. Ask for advice on this on comp.lang.javascript. Dan. SignatureDaniel Dyer http://www.dandyer.co.uk Free MagazinesGet these publications absolutely FREE for up to 12 months. There are no hidden fees and no obligation. Simply choose a title, complete the application form and submit it. Read more ...
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