Jozef Chúťka's blog » FlexIFrame

TextInput wmode opaque/tranpsarent workaround

Jozef Chúťka — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:27:56 +0000

Many of you have come accross the horrendous bug that happens with text input in flash when the swf is embedded with wmode=transparent/opaque. It has been much discussed (Firefox Bugzilla entry for this bug, Adobe Forum discussion, etc.), but it seems that in all the years that this bug has existed nothing much has been done. A lot of workarounds have been published, many of them based on custom key mapping etc… My workaround uses html element that is placed right over flex . Html element is styled transparent (no design) so user will not notice.

Following application uses wmode “opaque”, try inserting characters (čšň) into first text input (mx:TextInput) and than into second (uses html over flash)

Main application

FakeInputsWindow

lines:

15: javascript-to-flash callback definition fakeTextInputChange (from javascript) sends value into actionscript fakeTextChange()
18: fakeTextInput is IFrame class, that controls position and size of html input, lets correct position on TitleWindow move…
35-39: I placed IFrame over TextInput. IFrame is in fact transparent html input, so what user see is just flex TextInput graphics

Html template file




    FakeTextInput
    ...

Notice lines:

07: import flexiframe.js used for positioning html input on correct place
13: allowscriptaccess must be enabled
14: wmode opaque/transparent is what the source of all evil
22: javascript-to-flash communication
35-42: remove all html input text design and makes it transparent
53: input text definition, you may want to define your own handlers (submit, paste, focus…)

Elegant Facebook Login For Desktop Application

Jozef Chúťka — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:24:29 +0000

Default facebook login page is usualy opened in new browser window or popup window, so user lose focus from your page. This application opens facebook login page within your flash application, so user will not lose your page. In fact little iframe trick is used.

This post connects my 3 previous posts: Flex IFrame – Web browser in flash, FacebookLogger and Facebook Extended Permissions With Authorization by Overriding Class in swc in order to create elegant solution for facebook connect with your desktop application (means outside facebook iframe or fbml). I recomend to read all previous mentioned posts before trying to run this app.

Final application (view source enabled)

FB class. Read more about FacebookLogger class here.

package
{
    import flash.net.URLRequest;
    import flash.net.URLVariables;

    import mx.core.Application;

    import sk.yoz.events.FacebookLoggerEvent;
    import sk.yoz.net.FacebookLogger;

    public class FB extends FacebookLogger
    {
        private static const SINGLETON_LOCK:Object = {};
        private static const _instence:FB = new FB(SINGLETON_LOCK);

        protected var API_KEY:String = "bc55511efba53af7a3529ea9e7d1989b";
        protected var APP_SECRET:String = "727616ab7a9acb969e7cec3c7de04d79";

        private var initCallback:Function;

        public function FB(lock:Object)
        {
            super();

            if(lock != SINGLETON_LOCK)
                throw new Error("Use FB.instance!");

            addEventListener(FacebookLoggerEvent.CONNECTED, loggerConnectedHandler)
        }

        public static function get instance():FB
        {
            return _instence;
        }

        public function init2(application:Application):void
        {
            if(public::connected)
                return;
            init(API_KEY, APP_SECRET, application.loaderInfo);
        }

        public function initWithCallback(application:Application, callback:Function):void
        {
            initCallback = callback;
            init2(application);
        }

        private function loggerConnectedHandler(event:FacebookLoggerEvent):void
        {
            if(initCallback != null)
                initCallback();
            initCallback = null;
            // now we are connected, your code may go here
        }

        public function openPopup(login_url:String, auth_token:String):void
        {
            var request:URLRequest = new URLRequest(login_url);
            var variables:URLVariables = new URLVariables();

            variables.req_perms = 'publish_stream';
            variables.api_key = facebook.api_key;
            variables.v = facebook.api_version;
            variables.auth_token = auth_token;
            variables.fbconnect = "true";
            variables.connect_display = "popup";

            request.data = variables;

            FacebookPopup.open(request);
        }
    }
}

DesktopSession class. Read more about Overriding Class in swc.

... some code ...

protected function onLogin(p_event:FacebookEvent):void {
	p_event.target.removeEventListener(FacebookEvent.COMPLETE, onLogin);

	if (p_event.success) {
		_auth_token = (p_event.data as StringResultData).value;

		FB.instance.openPopup(login_url, _auth_token);

		_waiting_for_login = true;
		dispatchEvent(new FacebookEvent(FacebookEvent.WAITING_FOR_LOGIN));
	} else {
		onConnectionError(p_event.error);
	}
}

... some code ...

FacebookPopup class. Read more about Flex IFrame.

Application (do not forget to add facebook flex .swc, version 3.4 used in example)

Application html template. More about flexiframe.js here.

... some code ...

... some code ...

Flex IFrame – Web browser in flash (update)

Jozef Chúťka — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:45:21 +0000

You can not have a web browser inside your web flash applications right? Well, you can! This solution uses html iframe to generate fake build in browser. So the behaviour of the browser in flash is the same as the one you are previewing this flash in (it is the same one). The best part of it is, you can manipulate with the position and size of this browser directly from flash. sk.yoz.html.IFrame solution was inspired by Alistair Rutherford, www.netthreads.co.uk.

sk.yoz.html.IFrame
FlexIFrame.js
Application
Application html

Flex Iframe application

Core of this thing is sk.yoz.html.IFrame class. It extends Canvas that is used to inherit properties and methods for positioning and sizing. There is one in order to make it work – every IFrame element must have id!

package sk.yoz.html
{
    import flash.events.Event;
    import flash.external.ExternalInterface;
    import flash.geom.Point;

    import mx.containers.Canvas;

    public class IFrame extends Canvas
    {
        public var methodResize:String = "FlexIFrame.resize";
        public var methodMove:String = "FlexIFrame.move";
        public var methodNavigate:String = "FlexIFrame.navigate";
        public var methodVisibility:String = "FlexIFrame.visibility";

        public var positionChanged:Boolean = false;
        public var sizeChanged:Boolean = false;

        private var _autoResize:Boolean = false;
        private var _url:String = '';

        public function IFrame()
        {
            super();
            addEventListener(Event.ADDED_TO_STAGE, addedToStageHandler)
        }

        override public function set id(value:String):void
        {
            super.id = value;
        }

        protected function addedToStageHandler(event:Event):void
        {
            positionChanged = true;
            sizeChanged = true;
            invalidateProperties();
        }

        public function set autoResize(value:Boolean):void
        {
            _autoResize = value;
            if(value)
                addEventListener(Event.RESIZE, autoResizeHandler);
            else
                removeEventListener(Event.RESIZE, autoResizeHandler);
        }

        public function get autoResize():Boolean
        {
            return _autoResize;
        }

        protected function autoResizeHandler(event:Event):void
        {
            positionChanged = true;
            sizeChanged = true;
            invalidateProperties();
        }

        override protected function commitProperties():void
        {
            super.commitProperties();

            if(positionChanged)
            {
                var point:Point = localToGlobal(new Point(0, 0));
                callJS(methodMove, point.x, point.y);
                positionChanged = false;
            }

            if(sizeChanged)
            {
                callJS(methodResize, width, height);
                sizeChanged = false;
            }
        }

        public function set url(value:String):void
        {
            _url = value;
            callJS(methodNavigate, value)
        }

        public function get url():String
        {
            return _url;
        }

        protected function callJS(method:String, ... values):void
        {
            if(!id)
                throw new Error("IFrame id is not defined");
            var args:Array = [method, id];
            try
            {
                ExternalInterface.call.apply(ExternalInterface, args.concat(values));
            }
            catch(error:Error)
            {
                trace(error.message);
            }
        }

        override public function set visible(value:Boolean):void
        {
            super.visible = value;
            callJS(methodVisibility, value);
        }

        override public function set width(value:Number):void
        {
            super.width = value;
            callJS(methodResize, value, height);
        }

        override public function set height(value:Number):void
        {
            super.height = value;
            callJS(methodResize, width, value);
        }

        override public function set x(value:Number):void
        {
            super.x = value;
            var point:Point = localToGlobal(new Point(0, 0));
            callJS(methodMove, point.x, point.y);
        }

        override public function set y(value:Number):void
        {
            super.y = value;
            var point:Point = localToGlobal(new Point(0, 0));
            callJS(methodMove, point.x, point.y);
        }
    }
}

FlexIFrame.js is JavaScript file. It uses your flex IFrame id from to create (html iframe) or use html element (any element) with the same id (id in flash = id in html). So you can use your prefabricated html elements (banners etc).

var FlexIFrame = {
    get: function(id)
    {
        var iframe = document.getElementById(id);
        if(!iframe)
            return FlexIFrame.create(id);
        return iframe;
    },

    create: function(id)
    {
        var iframe = document.createElement('iframe');
        iframe.id = id;
        iframe.frameborder = 0;
        iframe.style.position = "absolute";
        iframe.style.zIndex = 1;
        iframe.style.border = "none";
        document.body.insertBefore(iframe, document.body.firstChild);
        return iframe;
    },

    resize: function(id, width, height)
    {
        var iframe = FlexIFrame.get(id);
        iframe.style.width = width + "px";
        iframe.style.height = height + "px";
    },

    move: function(id, x, y)
    {
        var iframe = FlexIFrame.get(id);
        iframe.style.left = x + "px";
        iframe.style.top = y + "px";
    },

    navigate: function(id, url)
    {
        var iframe = FlexIFrame.get(id);
        iframe.src = url;
    },

    visibility: function(id, visible)
    {
        var iframe = FlexIFrame.get(id);
        iframe.style.display = visible ? "block" : "none";
    }
}

This is simple applicationion presenting draggable TitleWindow with “web browser” inside:

Finally do not forget to add flexiframe.js into your .html file:

...

Update (Feb 8, 2010): flexiframe.js resize() method uses style property for width and height (instead of original html element width, height)