[Xerte] Having trouble reading XML from an external script

[Paul Swanson]

Thanks Julian.
 
I'm getting close (I think) to sorting this out. I am able to retreive
data sent from an external PHP script, but I'm having trouble figuring
out how to read what is sent to the PHP script. According to an
ActionScript 1.0 reference I found, sendAndLoad uses the POST method for
sending data, but I haven't been able to access any POST variables
coming in. Interestingly, I have a block of code in my PHP script that
indicates the $_POST array is not empty , but print_r $_POST prints
nothing.
 
Is there something different in Xerte's implementation of sendAndLoad?
The reference I have indicates the URL is the first argument for the
method, with the reply object 2nd, yet your example code has the reply
object first and the url second.
 
Also, is there an implementation of LoadVars that could be used? I'm
more used to name/value pairs and that might be easier than using XML
format.
 
My Xerte sending script:
 
myId = 5;
myReq = new XML();
myReq.query = "<query>SELECT * FROM tablename WHERE id = " + myId + "
ORDER BY fname</query>";
xmlPage.sendAndLoad(myReq, 'http://localhost/test/test_xerte.php');
 
My PHP script:
 
<?php  # test_xerte.php
 
// this script is a test of whether I can connect to a php script
through Xerte.
 
ob_start();
 
if (!empty ($_POST)) {
  
    echo "<reply>";
    echo "There is something coming in:<br />";
    print_r ($_POST);
    echo "</reply>";
} else {
    echo '<reply>The $_POST array was empty.</reply>';
}
 
ob_end_flush();
?> 
 
My Xerte receiving script:
 
xmlResponse = xmlPage.templateData.reply;
replyPage.myText = '<p><b>Response from script: </b>';
replyPage.myText += '<i>' + xmlResponse + '</i></p>';
replyPage.myText += "<br /><p>That's all folks!</p><br /><p>Another
paragraph.</p>";
 
This prints:
Response from script: There is something coming in:
 
That's all folks!
 
Another paragraph.
 
I think I just need that last bit of knowledge that allows me to parse
the string that Xerte sends to PHP.
 
- Paul


________________________________

	From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of
xerte at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
	Sent: Tuesday, August 28, 2007 1:38 AM
	To: xerte at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
	Subject: RE: [Xerte] Having trouble reading XML from an external
script
	
	
	Close. Loading XML is asynchronous, so the call to load it isn't
returned straight away. You need to wait for it. I've put a simple
example at 
	 
	www.nottingham.ac.uk/xerte/examples/loadXML.zip
	 
	- Create a new file
	- Give the first page the id 'xmlPage'
	- add a script to it:
	 
	myReq = new XML('<request/>');
	xmlPage.sendAndLoad(myReq, FileLocation + 'data.xml');
	 
	- Add an interaction ot the page
	- Add an event response to the interaction: eventName:
'onSendAndLoad', icon: 'xmlPage'
	- Add a script icon to the event response:
	 
	debug(xmlPage.serverXML);
	debug(xmlPage.templateData.data);
	 
	The first object you can use is the raw xml. Do what you lkike
with it. To save a lot of processing the xml, it is also available as an
object. This object follows the structure of the xml file, but you can
drill down through the hierarchy using dot notation. So, if you have an
xml file like this:
	 
	<question>
	  <prompt>Here is a prompt</prompt>
	  <option>
	    <text>True</text>
	    <feedback>You clicked option true</feedback>
	  </option>
	
	  <option>
	    <text>false</text>
	    <feedback>You clicked option false</feedback>
	  </option>
	</question>
	 
	You access the values of the nodes and attributes using
	 
	iconID.templateData.question[0].prompt[0]; //returns 'here is a
prompt'
	 
	or 
	 
	iconID.templateData.option[1].text[0]; //returns 'true'
	 
	You can also construct the flowline based on the contents of the
xml file using the iconID.duplicate function. This means you can easily
create dynamic templates that build themselves at runtime using the
contents of the xml. This is a powerful approach and I use it all the
time. I'm going to document this more fully / write a manual, as it is
fairly advanced, both conceptually and technically.
	 
	Julian
	 
	 
	 
	 
	 
	 
	 


________________________________

		From: xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
[mailto:xerte-bounces at lists.nottingham.ac.uk] On Behalf Of
xerte at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
		Sent: 24 August 2007 17:41
		To: xerte at lists.nottingham.ac.uk
		Subject: [Xerte] Having trouble reading XML from an
external script
		
		

		Using Xerte 1.7 

		I am attempting to display some XML returned from an
external PHP script, and not having any success. Here is my script icon
contents:

		======== 
		var xml_msg:String = "<params fname=\"Fred\"
lname=\"Smith\" />"; 
		var my_xml:XML = new XML(xml_msg); 
		var myReply:XML = new XML(); 
		//reply.myText = "Supposed to be the reply from my PHP
script"; 
		//myReply.ignorewhite = true; 

	
my_xml.sendAndLoad('http://localhost/test/test_xerte.php', myReply); 

		reply.myText = myReply.firstChild.attributes.value; 
		========= 

		My PHP script isn't doing anything with the data sent to
it, it just returns some XML: 

		========= 
		<?php  # test_xerte.php 

		// this script is a test of whether I can connect to a
php script through Xerte. 

		echo '<?xml version="1.0" ?> 
		    <reply value="Hello, World!" />'; 
		?> 
		========= 

		I've also tried it without the '<?xml version="1.0" ?>'
declaration in my PHP script. In Xerte, I have a Text Display icon
(id=reply) with {myText} embedded. It displays "undefined" with the
above code. If I comment out the last two lines in the Xerte script
icon, and uncomment the reply.myText = "Supposed to be the reply from my
PHP script" that is what prints in Xerte.

		I also get "undefined" if I paste '<reply value="Hello,
World!" />' into var myReply:XML = new XML('<reply value="Hello, World!"
/>') and comment out the sendAndLoad line, so I have a feeling this
problem has nothing to do with the PHP script.

		Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. 



		_____________________________ 

		 Paul Swanson 
		 Instructional Designer 
		 Harland Financial Solutions 
		_____________________________ 

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