amfphp & Data Connection Kit

[nermin]

hi,
Does anybod know is it possible to use
Data Connection Kit over remoting-plugin with amfphp?

[Jorge Solis]

I don't have test the Data Connection Kit for the same reason most of the developpers in the amfphp team doesn't: is not neccesary if you know how to handle data. Anyway, I forward some words of Justin Watkins, one of the amfphp developpers about Firefly components, posted in the amfphp developper list (you can join the list in http://www.amfphp.org/)

just don't get the firefly components.  Is remoting that difficult
that you need an abstraction kit to make it easier?  Does it really
make dev time faster?  When thinking about dev time from xml days to
remoting it's easily 1/2 the time for transaction intensive
applications.  What could firefly shave off, 5%, 10%?  It's quite an
expensive package and I honestly don't know the advantage of using it.

One thing that has become blatantly obvious is that even with the
enhancements in the Flash 6 plugin, MM still has a decent way to go to
get the performance to a high enough level to support a truly robust
interface.  For example, have you seen a really good app with the
DataGrid?  Maybe a few, but it just runs too damn slow in the player.  
It's compounded dramatically if you try to use other components at the
same time.

To try to answer your question though, I would guess that the firefly
components are merely wrappers for the existing flash remoting classes.
amfphp probably works fine with firefly.  Please let us know if it
does not.

Justin

If you can test components trough the amfphp packet, please share your results

Jorge

[si]

Wow, i'd disagree with a lot of what was written in these posts

Jorge:

-=> is not neccesary if you know how to handle data

If you know Delphi, think of Firefly as a subset of the VCL data
components available (both visual and non-visual).

In Delphi, sure you can handle data by hand, but after 5+ years
of using Delphi, i've never seen an application which does!

The problem is that Flash (both the player and IDE) is still maturing,
so things have room for improvement.   Each to their own I guess...

But I'm not even sure DCK/Firefly will make it a version 2 though,
as it looks like Macromedia may have other things are in store for us...

Justin:

-=> To try to answer your question though, I would guess that the firefly
-=> components are merely wrappers for the existing flash remoting classes.

Would suggest that further reading of the Firefly API is required,
perhaps some of the Remoting components are wrappers, but
I challenge anyone to show me how remoting handles resolver
updates (ie. changes to a dataset) like the Firefly Resolver does!

Don't know what I mean?  Run this live demo:
http://flashpash.sshnug.com/documentation.php?menu=TimeTraxExample

One call to method "doSaveUpdates" on the client builds all changes
to a dataset (not just the last change) and sends to server, and there's
only a couple of lines of code on the server which handles all INSERT/
UPDATE/DELETE SQL queries.  (see the tute for code example)

Okay, so i've written a lot of code to enable the framework for this to
happen, but sorry, IMHO AMFPHP and Remoting alone doesn't touch this!

Whilst i'd agree that native AMF will always be faster than XML,
using a proprietary format will limit you for some things (eg. if you
need to change your client-side technology but want leave the server
alone), and I think using an XMLsocket connection will offer a similar
performance level  to AMF (my goal for next version of flashPash

Anyway, i'm not having a go at you guys, I just have a different opinion,
each to their own!

peace
si

[nermin]

hi guys,  // guys not "gays"
firstly thanks a lot for u're input,
but i have much more querstions now.

i viewed this mm-ondemand video on DCK, and if i understud it right, this connector-resolver plugins are(shuld)be easyly modified for different datasources like xml, remoting ...
so, if this connector and resolver can handel remoting amf-binary format that should be quicker then lassic xml exchange? again they say that they handel this with this delta packets
wich generate and track changes in xml format? so that sound preatty paradox and confusing to me?

i look for u're example "si", and im aware of what can it do, but the question is HOW?
i mean which ist the best way to go? and i sow that dck ist preaty tied to cold fusion services
but how it fits in amfphp?

i mean is there anybody outthere with some expirience in amfphp +dck?
or does anybody know some comperhensive tutorial on that topic?

thanks gay's
sorry about my english

[nermin]

hi Gays,

after i just posted last post, i surfed away and found this "http://flashpash.sshnug.com" site.
well i still dont know is this flashpash is a solution i have been looking for but i thought other people with simular questions may fide it intrestin. ist sound like some kind of inbeetwen- solution, so giv it a go,
i will

[si]

Hi Nermin,

The amount of options you have available makes things confusing.

The DCK (a rather unfortunate acronym) isn't really tied to cold fusion, but you're correct in saying using remoting will be faster than using XML.

There is a layer between the Firefly dataset and how your data is retrieved from and sent to the server.   This layer is handled by XML connector and resolver or the Remoting connector and resolver or the M$ SQL connector and resolver.

This is designed to allow you to swap between different technologies without having to change your visual components (grids, combo boxes, etc) or dataset fields (field types, input masks, default values, etc).

As far as performance goes, perhaps test yourself and make up your own mind?   AMFPHP will be quick, but you will have to handle all updates to database yourself.   flashPash has been designed to build SQL queries for you (for retrieving and updating data)

If you find flashPash useful and want to use AMF instead of XML to send and receive data between flash client and server, you're more than welcome to modify it, it's open source software so go your hardest     It's on my to-do list, but other work needs to be done first.

later
si