Large XML file and Flash 8

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broloxx - 16 Mar 2006 09:36 GMT

I'm parsing a XML file with the xmlPopDsJEA() function into a DataSet (this
sample posted on many sites).

It all works fine, until I got the final XML file from the client which is is
7.46Mb big, contains 240,129 lines and 4,850 products (item nodes).

Flash 8 cannot handle this big file. Any suggestions? If I split the file into
10 different files, for example, do I parse it into 10 separate DataSets or
into one? What is the maximum size limit of XML files for Flash?

Thanks,

Leon

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Motion Maker - 17 Mar 2006 05:22 GMT

Did anyone look at the data requirements before software development?

240,129 lines times the number of bytes is high bandwidth network
requirement for sure. Are there speed issues there that need to be measured?

I do not think there are limits in Flash, but there are limits on the
resources Flash will need to harness to get its work done.

The number of objects with instance values especially in canned components
like the dataGrid is sure to explode the memory requirements and internal
loops to those components (something Flash is slow to process). Splitting
the same data between more component instances is not likely to make a
worthwhile difference.

Personally I would not bother to waste my time looking how to stuff all of
that data into a Flash movie.

I think you really need to look at the access requirements of the user and
do more filtering and sorting on the server side. Provide only the minimum
of data to the UI side.

Signature

Lon Hosford
www.lonhosford.com
May many happy bits flow your way!

I'm parsing a XML file with the xmlPopDsJEA() function into a DataSet (this
sample posted on many sites).

It all works fine, until I got the final XML file from the client which is
is
7.46Mb big, contains 240,129 lines and 4,850 products (item nodes).

Flash 8 cannot handle this big file. Any suggestions? If I split the file
into
10 different files, for example, do I parse it into 10 separate DataSets or
into one? What is the maximum size limit of XML files for Flash?

Thanks,

Leon

Reply to this Message

broloxx - 17 Mar 2006 10:15 GMT

Sorry, I neglected to say that the Flash movie will be an e-Catalogue, running
on a CD. It will not be web integrated. The user should insert the CD, it
should auto-run, and retrieve the data from the XML file, after which he can
page through the catalogue. Thus, XML seems to be the only logical way to store
the data on the CD with the Flash movie.

Leon

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Motion Maker - 17 Mar 2006 16:13 GMT

XML would be a way I would go for a CD app in which case it is not likely
the load speed but I would still try to verify that.
You can look at monitoring with XML.onData to see the progress. The point is
trying to isolate the issue of Flash loading the XML file versus

As for the maximum size of XML in Flash, I have not come across any know
limitations, but there may be undocumented limits as we all know.

I might try a binary split of the XML file until it loads. That is divide by
1/2 and then by 1/2 again and so on until life appears. Then I would add
increments of the file to that base until I see the problem occur. Or just
use some gut splits.

As for AS being bogged down in parsing loops, you are not getting the Flash
player warning you that the scripts are running too slowly.

Finally make sure that the XML file is not malformed.

You can display the XML.status property in the XML.onLoad method or just
open it in FireFox or IE and look to see they can parse it.

XML.status - http://livedocs.macromedia.com/flash/8/main/00002880.html

Signature

Lon Hosford
www.lonhosford.com
May many happy bits flow your way!

Sorry, I neglected to say that the Flash movie will be an e-Catalogue,
running
on a CD. It will not be web integrated. The user should insert the CD, it
should auto-run, and retrieve the data from the XML file, after which he can
page through the catalogue. Thus, XML seems to be the only logical way to
store
the data on the CD with the Flash movie.

Leon

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broloxx - 22 Mar 2006 10:36 GMT

I do get the error "A script in this movie is causing Flash Player to run
slowly.... Do you want to abort the script?".

After MOTION MAKER'S suggestion of opening it in IE, I discovered that not
even IE can parse/open the file - it took more than 5 minutes before I killed
the process.

My conclusion is, the file is far too big and it should be split in the source
- meaning, I should have several smaller files, perhaps one for each category,
and not try to split one file with ActionScript.

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Motion Maker - 23 Mar 2006 18:04 GMT

Yes client needs data analysis consulting. Their plan of downloading huge
quantities of data hints of that analysis being overlooked.

Love it when we can stick it to the client. :-)

Signature

Lon Hosford
www.lonhosford.com
May many happy bits flow your way!

I do get the error "A script in this movie is causing Flash Player to run
slowly.... Do you want to abort the script?".

After MOTION MAKER'S suggestion of opening it in IE, I discovered that not
even IE can parse/open the file - it took more than 5 minutes before I
killed
the process.

My conclusion is, the file is far too big and it should be split in the
source
- meaning, I should have several smaller files, perhaps one for each
category,
and not try to split one file with ActionScript.

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JayCharles - 21 Mar 2006 07:54 GMT

I havne't found anything in the docs about limits to XML file size, but I seem to remember reading something about the time limit for parsing the XML to be 10 seconds.

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Webmaster Forum / Flash / Data Integration / March 2006

Large XML file and Flash 8