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 Introduction to XML in Flash
by senocular
Conclusion
It wasn't my intent to cover XML and database
interaction here (nor XML Sockets); I just wanted
to hit the bases of normal XML usage. So if
you were expecting more out of this introductory
tutorial, I apologize. I will say a few
things about databases before wrapping up, however.
First off, yes, you can store XML in a database
like a MySQL database. Nothing surprising there.
But you don't need a database to use
XML. You can just as easily save it as a simply
text file on your server with something like
PHP or ASP... or even manually your own darn
self using a FTP client (if you have no plans
of letting users edit it dynamically). After
all, XML is just text. You just can't be using
the FTP client via Flash as you can with PHP
and server-side scripting of the likes.
Now there are XML-based databases in existence.
For the most part, however, XML is not a formidable
replacement for other forms of databases (like
MySQL). Often is the case that the XML content,
especially when dealing with a lot of it, would
be preserved much more efficiently in another
database system rather than an XML "database"
or as an XML file. This doesn't mean XML is
out the window at this point. It just means
that there are more efficient means of handling
(a lot of) content compared to that provided
by XML.
For more XML's roll on the server-side/database
side of things, see the following discussion
from xml.org
(not directly Flash related).
You can also find a little more about XML and
server-side interaction from the Flash
XML Faq.
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There are a lot of possibilities with XML in
Flash as we've seen with the many examples presented
throughout this tutorial. But still, it really
all boils down to the interaction of external
data with a running Flash movie. Even the more
complicated examples deal more with data management
and simply dealing with the complex nature of
the XML object. Once mastered, however, you'll
be able to take full advantage whatever content
you need and do with that content anything your
imagination and creativity can unleash.
Hopefully this tutorial and the examples within
have provided you with a better understanding
of it all. Some parts may have been long-winded
while others may have been a little brief in
the ways of description, but all in all I hope
you've come out of it learning at least a little
something.
cheers
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XML on xml.org
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