Webmaster Forum / Flash / Data Integration / March 2006

You would need to call the Flash movie functions from JavaScript and
VBScript in the HTML container. This is likely to lead to considering the
issue of various plugins and browsers.

Here is the general discussion on this in Flash doc:
http://livedocs.macromedia.com/flash/8/main/00001595.html There is a link on
that page that covers the "traditional" ways to do this
http://www.macromedia.com/support/flash/publishexport/scriptingwithflash/

For Flash 8 the AS ExternalInterface class is being promoted as the newer
way to go on this. Still there are some browser version considerations to be
sure you know.

Here are some doc links on  that
About the External API -
http://livedocs.macromedia.com/flash/8/main/00001599.html
Creating interaction with the External API -
http://livedocs.macromedia.com/flash/8/main/00001600.html

Personally I would want to avoid all of that except if I were communicating
with an inhouse application. Rather I would display the data in Flash in the
first place and you might find the DataGrid component as a possible way to
go that would be an interactive improvement of anything you could do in a
HTML doc.

You might have more responses for details if you post this in the Flash
forum.

Hi!
OK, I know that I can set up a Flash movie to bring in ASP variables using
the
LoadVar command. But this appears to be an active method of obtaining these
variables -- in other words, Flash contains AS that tells it "Hey, go out
and
get those variables right now". Is it possible to set up a Flash movie that
is
passive, reacting to ASP code that is posted from an HTML page containing
the
Flash movie? It doesn't appear so, but does anyone know for sure? What I am
trying to do is set up an HTML page that displays database content and when
a
link is clicked, displays that content in an existing Flash movie without
having to load a new Flash file or web page.

If Flash has to actively seek out variables from ASP, perhaps I could set
up a
loop that constantly tries to load the variables so that as soon as they
change, Flash reacts?

I'd appreciate some insights if anyone has some. This aspect of Flash
programming is still fairly new to me.