How can i send a String from AS3 to a PHP file so it can be use to do a database query

Question

Im building this AIR app on Flash CS5, and i have this TileList that loads its data (images and names) from a database.

I want to do a query with the name any item of the Tilelist when its clicked, so i need to send the name of that item to a PHP file that will execute the query.

Im thinking of a function that loads the item name to a variable when the item is clicked.

How can i send it to the PHP file and how would i load it to the query?

Many thanks to anyone that helps.

Update

The query i want on the php file goes something like this: SELECT lat, lon FROM mapdata WHERE name= theVariable ;

Answer 1

You can send it via $_GET or $_POST to a php file. Get would look like:

... query.php?string={ INSERT ENCODED STRING }

Answer 2

You can use URLLoader to send and receive data to/from a web service. Simply add the data you wish (probably as URLVariables ). I would avoid sending whole queries like this obviously, for security reasons.

Don't forget to clean your input before putting it in a query!

I can't help much with the PHP part - it was years since I worked in PHP. You would use $_POST or $_GET, and I suspect there are ready-made functions for cleaning up data so it's safe to send it to the database (some form of escape or encode ).

Answer 3

As Jonatan Hedborg said:

var url:String = "http://www.[yourDomain].com/application.php";
var request:URLRequest = new URLRequest(url);
var variables:URLVariables = new URLVariables();
variables.exampleSessionId = new Date().getTime();
variables.exampleUserLabel = "guest";
request.data = variables;
var loader:URLLoader = new URLLoader();
loader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, onLoadData);
loader.addEventListener(IOErrorEvent.IO_ERROR, onDataFiledToLoad);
loader.addEventListener(IOErrorEvent.NETWORK_ERROR, onDataFiledToLoad);
loader.addEventListener(IOErrorEvent.VERIFY_ERROR, onDataFiledToLoad);
loader.addEventListener(IOErrorEvent.DISK_ERROR, onDataFiledToLoad);
loader.load(request);

function onLoadData(e:Event):void {
    trace("onLoadData result=" + e.target.data);
}
function onDataFiledToLoad(e:IOErrorEvent):void {
    trace("onDataFiledToLoad error=" + e.text);
}

Don't forgot to add crossdomain.xml on your server, in case for example if you are making the request from another domain.