If you are bored of using XML to transfer data from PHP to Flex, then here is a end for your boredom. Using AMFPHP, you can convert data object in PHP to dataobject in action script so that you can use that in your flex project.

Download Source:

Here are the steps to install and integrate AMFPHP with Flex.

1. First of all download AMFPHP, depending upon the platform and os you are using. Then unzip the downloaded file,rename it to amfphp and place it in the root folder of your web server.
2. To make sure amfphp is working correctly, go to http:/localhost/{amfphp}/gateway.php if you are working in local or use your server name instead of localhost.
3. If you get the success message, then go ahead or look into the documentation for additional configurations.
4. Then create a new flex project, with server type as PHP. Enter your valid web root and base url.
5. Create a file called service-config.xml and save in the src folder. You can get the content of this xml file from the download source package.
6. In the main mxml file, the data object from php is received through RemoteObject class in flex as
   

   
   < mx:remoteobject id="amf" source="AMFPHPConnect.Connect" destination="amfphp" > < mx:method name="testConnection" result="onConnect(event)" > </mx:method > </mx:remoteobject >

7. Don't forget the give the same name for remote object destination and service-config.xml destination id.
8. Give the correct path for the gateway.php file in the channels tag.
   
   

   <channels>
   <channel-definition id="my-amfphp" class="mx.messaging.channels.AMFChannel">
   <endpoint uri="http://{webroot}/amfphp/gateway.php" class="flex.messaging.endpoints.AMFEndpoint"/>
   </channel-definition>
   </channels>

9. Create a simple php file and place it inside the 'services' folder inside amfphp installation. Under the a folder 'AMFPHPConnect' and name the php file 'Connect.php'.
10. So that you can give the source for the RemoteObject class as 'AMFPHPConnect.Connect'.
11. To call a method in the php file use <method> tag as
    

    <mx:method name="testConnection" result="onConnect(event)" />

12. Before compiling the project, you must intimate the compiler that you are using amfphp, by specifying the compiler argument as shown.
    
    
13. Then the output will be something like this:
    
    
    

Google Supports developers by providing lots of API for each and every service they provide. By using those APIs, developers can communicate with Google and get feeds from any of thier services by developing a web based application or a installable client application. Before starting to get feeds and post feeds to Google accounts from the application, the developers must get the user's Google account authenticated. To do that user credentials such as email id with password must be send to Google and if the credentials are correct then Google will send back a authorizing token using which developers can start getting feeds and process them.


To authenticate a user, use Google account API, that allow third party application to get limited access to a user's Google accounts for certain types of activities. The Google Authorization Service manages authentication, authorization, and access control to user accounts, subject to approval from the account holder. Google offers several account authorization APIs to accomodate different types of access. Google provides three types of access authorization methods. They are

• AuthSub for web applications
• OAuth for both web and installed applications
• ClientLogin for installed applications

Now let me explain authenticating with ClientLogin for installed desktop application and will explain others in the future post. I have used action script with flex SDK, but u can try with other technologies with minor changes in the code.

Download the Full Code
First send a http request to Google using HTTPService class with the user name and password by POST.

<mx:HTTPService id="Google"
url="https://www.google.com/accounts/ClientLogin"
method="POST"
contentType="application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
result="handleLoginPlain(event);"
fault="handleLoginFault(event);" >
<mx:request xmlns="">
<accountType>HOSTED_OR_GOOGLE</accountType>
<Email>UrEmail@gmail.com</Email>
<Passwd>UrPassword</Passwd>
<source>OrganizationName-AppName-Version</source>
<service>ServiceUrgoing2use</service>
</mx:request>
</mx:HTTPService>Then scripts must be written to handle the result and failure.

<mx:Script>
<![CDATA[
import mx.rpc.events.FaultEvent;
import mx.rpc.events.ResultEvent;
import mx.controls.Alert;

[Bindable]
private var authString:String;

public function init():void {
Google.send();
}

private function handleLoginPlain(event:ResultEvent):void
{
var textindex:int;

trace("Event result "+event.result.toString());
authString = event.result.toString();
textindex = authString.search("Auth");
authString = authString.substring(textindex);
authString = authString.replace("Auth=","");
textindex = authString.length;
textindex = textindex - 1;
authString = authString.substring(0,textindex);

trace("Auth String "+authString);
}

public function handleLoginFault(event:FaultEvent):void
{
Alert.show("Login Error");
trace("Client Login Error Message"+event.message);
}
]]>
</mx:Script>
Explanation of the code:
First all the neccessary information for making a request are set in the HTTPService method. Dont forget to give a valid email and password in the class, otherwise you cannot get authorization. Then the request is send only in the scripting part in the init() function with will be called when application load completes by setting the tag "applicationComplete="init()"". The handlers are already set in the mx tag to handle the result event and failure event. A success response contains the authorization token, labeled "Auth", in the body of the response. Your application must reference this token in each request to the Google service for this user. Additional cookies, labeled "SID" and "LSID", are not currently active and should not be used. A failure response contains an error code and a URL to an error page that can be displayed to the user.

Check this links to get still more information from Google:

• Getting Started with Account Authorization
• CleineLogin For Installed Applications
  

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