Loading external XML files with Flash CS3

[Flep]

With Actionscript 3.0 the XML Class seems to have deeply changed.
The XML class has been moved to the package flash.xml and its name has been changed to XMLDocument to avoid the conflict with the new XML Class, which has been enriched with the ECMAScript for XML.
I?ll begin with saying that the load() and onLoad() methods of AS 2.0 have been removed, therefore we now use the URLLoader and URLRequest classes to load an external XML file.
You add a listener to the instance of URLLoader and at the COMPLETE event, the XML parsing begins, hence you pass the data of the URLLoader?s instance to a new instance of the XML class, then you create a new instance of the XMLDocument class, which helps parsing the XML instance.
It?s easier done than said, so let?s see the juice:

This is the XML file ( very simple just to understand the example ):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<setting>
	<parameters color="0xFFFFFF" name="Filippo" gen="male" age="34" picturePath="filippo.jpg">
	</parameters>
</setting>

And this is the class I?ve built:

package
{
	import flash.display.Loader;
	import flash.display.MovieClip;
	import flash.events.*;
	import flash.net.URLLoader;
	import flash.net.URLRequest;
	import flash.xml.*;
	
	public class LoadingXML extends MovieClip
	{
		public function LoadingXML()
		{
			this.loadXML();
		}
		private function loadXML():void
		{
			var loader:URLLoader=new URLLoader();
			loader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE,completeHandler);
		
			var request:URLRequest=new URLRequest('setting.xml');
			try 
			{
				loader.load(request);
			} 
			catch(error:Error) 
			{
				trace('Unable to load requested document.');
			}
		}
		private function completeHandler(event:Event):void
		{
			var loader:URLLoader=URLLoader(event.target);
			var result:XML=new XML(loader.data);
			var myXML:XMLDocument=new XMLDocument();
			myXML.ignoreWhite=true;
			myXML.parseXML(result.toXMLString());
			var node:XMLNode=myXML.firstChild;
			trace('Colore= '+node.firstChild.attributes['color']);
			trace('Nome= '+node.firstChild.attributes['name']);
			trace('Genere= '+node.firstChild.attributes['gen']);
			trace('Età= '+node.firstChild.attributes['age']);
			trace('Path immagine= '+node.firstChild.attributes['picturePath']);
		}
	}
}

And this is the resulting output:

Colore= 0xFFFFFF
Nome= Filippo
Genere= male
Età= 34
Path immagine= filippo.jpg

See you next !

[gwulfwud]

hey flep. im trying to use this tut to implement xml with my audio player. im having problems though, after i was able to insert the xml im having this error on my buttons..its a 1120: Access of undefined property ...

here's my code btw

package com.externalFiles
{
        
    import flash.display.MovieClip;
    import flash.media.Sound;
    import flash.media.SoundChannel;
    import flash.events.Event;
    import flash.events.MouseEvent;
    import flash.events.TimerEvent;
    import flash.net.URLRequest;
    import flash.net.URLLoader;
    import flash.xml.*;
    
    public class gwPlayer extends MovieClip
    {        
        public var url:Array;
        
        private var _channel:SoundChannel;
        private var _sound:Sound;
        private var _playing:Boolean=false;
        //initialize position of the sound (kung sang segundo na ung tugtog)
        private var _sposition:int=0;
        
        public function gwPlayer()
        {
            initVar();
            initButtons();
            initSound();
        }
        
        //simulan ang variables for multiple songs
        public function initVar():void
        {
            url=new Array();
            this.loadXML();
        }
        
        //iload ang xml document
        public function loadXML():void
        {
            var loader:URLLoader=new URLLoader();
            loader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE,loadComplete);
            
            var requestXML:URLRequest=new URLRequest('gwXML.xml');
            try
            {
                loader.load(requestXML);
            }
            catch(error:Error)
            {
                trace('Cannot find the xml file. Please contact the system administrator.');
            }
        }
        
        public function loadComplete():void
        {
            var loader:URLLoader=URLLoader(event.target);
            var result:XML=new XML(loader.data);
            var myXML:XMLDocument=new XMLDocument();
            myXML.ignoreWhite=true;
            myXML.parseXML(result.toXMLString());
            var node:XMLNode=myXML.firstChild;
            trace('title is '+node.firstChild.attributes['title']);
        }
                
        //initialize buttons
        public function initButtons():void
        {
            playSound.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER,chPlayImage);
            pauseSound.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER,chPauseImage);
            stopSound.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER,chStopImage);
            
            playSound.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP,playSong);
            pauseSound.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP,pauseSong);
            stopSound.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP,stopSong);
        }
        
        //change button's images
        public function chPlayImage(event:Event):void
        {
            trace('Mouse Over PLAY');
        }
        
        public function chPauseImage(event:Event):void
        {
            trace('Mouse Over PAUSE');
        }
        
        public function chStopImage(event:Event):void
        {
            trace('Mouse Over STOP');
        }
        
        //initialize song function
        public function initSound():void
        {
            _sound=new Sound(new URLRequest(url));
            //_sound=new Sound(new URLRequest(url[n]));
            
            _channel=_sound.play();
            _playing=true;
        }
        //play song function. pag napindot ung play button
        public function playSong(event:MouseEvent):void
        {
            if(_playing)
            {
                //do nothing since it's already playing
            }
            else
            {
                //_channel.stop();
                _channel=_sound.play(_sposition);
                _playing=true;    
            }
        }
        //pause song function
        public function pauseSong(event:MouseEvent):void
        {
            if(_playing)
            {
                _sposition=_channel.position;
                _channel.stop();
                
            }
            else
            {
                _channel=_sound.play(_sposition);
            }
            _playing=!_playing;
        }
        //stop song
        public function stopSong(event:MouseEvent):void
        {
            _channel.stop();
            _sposition=0;
            _playing=false;
        }
    }
}

[Flep]

Hi,
let's see the XML

[gwulfwud]

Here you go flep.
thanks!!

"1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

		
music>

[gwulfwud]

<***?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<***music>
<***song title='AmericanJunk.mp3'>
<***/music>



just remove the * , as it won't show up without it

[Flep]

The XML and the parse seems ok, paste here the entire error you get please

[gwulfwud]

1120: Access of undefined property playSound
1120: Access of undefined property pauseSound
1120: Access of undefined property stopSound
and there's another one i just forgot, ill post it after i get home..

btw, quick question, i notice on your multi audio player that you used another external file for loading the xml, i know it's good practice but will it affect the way my movie clips will behave? coz that error only happened after i added the load xml which i placed inside my main as file..

[Flep]

It does not find playSound, pauseSound and stopSound buttons...

[gwulfwud]

yeah i know. but before i put in the xml the buttons are working. i don't what i need to add for flash to see those buttons.

[Flep]

Call initButtons() and initSound() from the end of loadComplete() method