Nate, You'll also need a Flex front end to interact with the user - so they can choose appropriate options and specify assets that will be used, then upload assets, etc. The front end would then instruct the server side to build the swf from the assets and configuration that the user has selected in the Flex front-end. Effectively the Flex front end would be responsible for assembling stage 3 of your pipeline and would initiate stage 4.
Paul ----- Original Message ----- From: Nate Beck To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 5:19 PM Subject: Re: [flexcoders] Re: Want to build a SWF on the fly when someone requests it I agree with Paul here. Debugging would be a pain, however, I wouldn't count this out as impossible. Here's what I would do it: 1.. Install mxmlc on my webserver (or offload to another server for scalability) 2.. Write template MXML & AS documents. 3.. Have a set of configuration files, xml, assets etc. 4.. Use Ruby or Perl, or maybe even PHP to take the configuration files, assets etc... and generate the code that needs to be compiled from the templates. 5.. Run the generated files through mxmlc 6.. Now you'd have a swf that you could prompt the user to download or something else. Now that I think about this. It seems a lot like what Animoto does, except they're generating video instead on a swf, but it's essentially the same type of system. hope this helps, Nate On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 8:49 AM, Paul Andrews <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: If you are going the single swf route, here are some of the likely pitfalls: Debugging is going to be a PIA. Not only are you debugging a generated swf, you are debugging the process of generating that swf and trying to build an architecture for all eventualities. If there's a failure in any part of the chain - corrupt uploaded file, fault in the code generated for compiling into the swf, stalled server process, etc. then you will come unstuck in the generation of the swf. The swf generation pipeline is going to involve co-ordination of a number of process - the compiler, loading of assets and use of filespace on the server assembling the swf. There's a lot to go wrong. It's not an easy route. As Daniel says, you may be forced to do this swf generation. I really wonder how many people on the list have attempted such a thing and how they got on. I bet it's a really small number, perhaps even zero. Paul ----- Original Message ----- From: Daniel Freiman To: [email protected] Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 3:27 PM Subject: Re: [flexcoders] Re: Want to build a SWF on the fly when someone requests it I agree with Paul from a technological basis, but there is a strong business case for doing compilation on the fly and having the deliverable be a single file. People with lower technology aptitude/interest would consider a single file better/simpler and may use that as a significant factor on what to purchase. This is why a lot of these types of products do deliver only one file. A lot also deliver multiple files, so it's by no means a cut and dry case. So if the product marketing allows for a multi-file deliverable/output, then I would agree with Paul. But sometimes your stuck with what the market(ers) want. - Daniel Freiman On Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 9:56 AM, Paul Andrews <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: ----- Original Message ----- From: "kuntamayu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, September 03, 2008 2:42 PM Subject: [flexcoders] Re: Want to build a SWF on the fly when someone requests it > Hi Folks, > > There is nothing to hide about it. > > See, the thing is : I like to make a web application with Flex as well > as its counter part desktop version in AIR. > > The application will be of like Flex Flip Book and it also offering > some other features like slideshow, calender view, zoom In zoom Out > etc features. > > I want my end user come to online version and can make his own stuff - > - My system will provide him some layout of > - client will choose any layout and provide data for that particular > layout > - clients input data will be like image / video etc. > - system will save that page(layout) by page > - at the end client will get a swf file to use at his conveniences. > > Same way I want to offer same functionality with AIR version, too. > > ~ Paul, is it information ok to understand you what the application ? Yes, BUT you haven't explained why you cannot package the swf with other files. > Folks, can you guide me the proper way now ? Avoid building a swf file 'on the fly'. It's going to be very hard to do and prone to all kinds of problems. My instinct is this: If you knew how to do it you would avoid doing it. If you don't know how to do it and have to ask you shouldn't do it. My suggestion for 'the proper way' is not to try and build a single swf. - it's just my opinion, maybe others (and you) disagree. I'll be interested to see how you get on. Paul > Awaiting response > --- In [email protected], "Paul Andrews" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "kuntamayu" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: <[email protected]> >> Sent: Tuesday, September 02, 2008 12:46 PM >> Subject: [flexcoders] Re: Want to build a SWF on the fly when someone >> requests it >> >> >> > Hi Daniel Freiman, Paul and Toby Ashley >> > >> > Thanks for your reply. >> > >> > But for this same product we have to crate an AIR (desktop) version >> > too. That's why also, as an end product from my application, I have to >> > give an swf to end client. >> >> I think the main mystery is why it has only to be a single swf > rather than >> swf + customistaion data in various files. You are effectively > trying to >> include all that customistation inside the swf. Air doesn't preclude >> supplying the application + customisation files. >> >> Can you not say what this application is? >> >> Paul >> >> > Folks, do you have any other suggestions . . . !!! >> >> > --- In [email protected], "Paul Andrews" <paul@> wrote: >> >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> >> From: "kuntamayu" <kuntamayu@> >> >> To: <[email protected]> >> >> Sent: Monday, September 01, 2008 2:51 PM >> >> Subject: [flexcoders] Re: Want to build a SWF on the fly when someone >> >> requests it >> >> >> >> >> >> > Hi... >> >> > >> >> > I am working on a project like " Flex Flip Book ", so in that > project >> >> > as a end product from my application, I need to give an swf file to >> >> > end user so he / she can use that swf file directly without any >> >> > modification. >> >> >> >> End users aren't normally given swfs - they are generally either >> > provided >> >> with an application that they install, or they go to a web page. >> > Just what >> >> is your plan? >> >> >> >> If they use a web page there's no need to have everything in a >> > single swf, >> >> if they have an application an installer can install an application >> > file >> >> plus any other files required for customisation. >> >> >> >> Your proposed solution is fraught with difficullty as an automated >> > process. >> >> >> >> Paul >> >> >> >> > --- In [email protected], "Toby Ashley" <lowpitch@> wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> You'd most likely be better off storing your users' data / choices >> >> > as XML or >> >> >> something, then build a SWF which can read in that XML and load / >> >> > display >> >> >> the relevant text / video / audio / links / whatever. Rather than >> >> > creating >> >> >> one SWF for each user, just create one SWF and pass it different >> > XML for >> >> >> each instance to populate the template. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> On Sat, Aug 30, 2008 at 12:10 PM, kuntamayu <kuntamayu@> wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> > From my flex project, I want to create a swf file on fly - > to save >> >> >> > clients' data . >> >> >> > >> >> >> > Clients' data may contains Image, Text, Video, Audio and web > link. >> >> >> > >> >> >> > How to save this data in a swf file at server side. >> >> >> > >> >> >> > ( We are using java for server side code ) >> >> >> > >> >> >> > Waiting for reply. >> >> >> > >> >> >> > >> >> >> > ------------------------------------ >> >> >> > >> >> >> > -- >> >> >> > Flexcoders Mailing List >> >> >> > FAQ: >> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/files/flexcodersFAQ.txt >> >> >> > Search Archives: >> >> >> > http://www.mail-archive.com/flexcoders%40yahoogroups.comYahoo! >> > Groups >> >> >> > Links >> >> >> > >> >> >> > >> >> >> > >> >> >> > >> >> >> >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > ------------------------------------ >> >> > >> >> > -- >> >> > Flexcoders Mailing List >> >> > FAQ: > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/files/flexcodersFAQ.txt >> >> > Search Archives: >> >> > http://www.mail-archive.com/flexcoders%40yahoogroups.comYahoo! > Groups >> >> > Links >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> > >> >> >> > >> > >> > >> > ------------------------------------ >> > >> > -- >> > Flexcoders Mailing List >> > FAQ: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/files/flexcodersFAQ.txt >> > Search Archives: >> > http://www.mail-archive.com/flexcoders%40yahoogroups.comYahoo! Groups >> > Links >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > > > ------------------------------------ > > -- > Flexcoders Mailing List > FAQ: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/files/flexcodersFAQ.txt > Search Archives: > http://www.mail-archive.com/flexcoders%40yahoogroups.comYahoo! Groups > Links > > > >
