Java and BlazeDS by Example

The interaction between Java and Flash

(part 3 - BlazeDS)

BlazeDS - Introduction

Let's see how to make a simple example in order to get in communication a java server side(with blazeDS) and action script 3 client side inside Flash CS3 (No Flex!!)

Example

Server Side:

Download the BlazeDS binary distribuition

http://opensource.adobe.com/wiki/display/blazeds/BlazeDS/

The BlazeDS binary distribuition is a war, so it is a web application.

Decompress it in a directory.

Make a new java webproject and update the web-inf directory in the empty project with the files contained in decompressed war into web-inf.

Try to deploy it into the server and be sure that it is deployed correctly.

Note:

I'm take the example step by reading - RPC service example

(from http://livedocs.adobe.com/blazeds/1/blazeds_devguide/help.html?content=lcoverview_4.html)

Now in the project make the class EchoService like the example in the link:

package remoting; 

public class EchoService 

{ 

    public String echo(String text) 

    { return "Server says: I received '" + text + "' from you"; } 

} 

If you build the project, then you see that inside WEB-INF/classes/remoting there is the EchoService.class file!

Now you have to define a destination and reference one or more channels for data transport.

So make EchoService.class the remoting destination by editing WEB-INF/flex/remoting-config.xml and adding the following code:

<destination id="echoServiceDestination" channels="my-amf">

<properties> 

<source>remoting.EchoService</source> 

</properties> 

</destination>

With the latest xml you reference my-amf channel, but it isn't setup yet.

So add the following code to WEB-INF/flex/services-config.xml

<channel-definition id="my-amf" class="mx.messaging.channels.AMFChannel"> 

<endpoint url="http://{server.name}:{server.port}/{context.root}/messagebroker/amf" class="flex.messaging.endpoints.AMFEndpoint"/> 

<properties> 

<polling-enabled>false</polling-enabled>

</properties> 

</channel-definition>

This code specifes also that client uses a non-pooling AMFChannel.

Note that you must replace server.name, server.port, context.root with the correct values

Client Side:

Make An ActionScript file and inside the actions put this source code:

import flash.net.NetConnection;

import flash.net.Responder;

//replace with you server ip or servername

var url:String = "http://89.96.213.148/blazeDS/messagebroker/amf";

var nc:NetConnection;

var responder:Responder;                   

     

nc = new NetConnection();

nc.connect(url);

nc.call("echoServiceDestination.echo", new Responder( onResult, onError ), "TEST!");

function onResult( text:String ):void 

{

     trace("Result: " + text);

}

                    

function onError( error:* ):void 

{

        trace("CALL ERROR:");               

        for(var i:String in error)

        trace(i + " :: " + error[i]);

}

Conclusion:

BlazeDS seems to be a powerful solution, this example show only a simple RPC example.