SharpFlash : Extending Flash on the Desktop

 

Last updated : Oct 4, 2003

[ about ] [ change log ] [ download ] [ actionscript api ] [ credits/help ]

 

 

About

SharpFlash is a third-party tool (released under the GNU General Public License) allowing Flash applications to have more power on operating systems supporting the .NET Framework. It exposes (read: in the future, it will expose) an ActionScript API allowing a Flash application to have as much control over the environment as a native desktop application has.  This includes things like allowing file access (both read/write), registry access, internet access, etc. The API is still under heavy development, but the code has stabilized to a pre-alpha state.  Written in C#, SharpFlash takes advantage of a Flash User Interface.  Additionally, SharpFlash was built with SharpFlash, demonstrating the power of the program.

 

Change Log

 

• Oct 4, 2003
  • Added:
    • sfFile.deleteFile(path, callback, scope)
    • sfFile.exists(path, callback, scope)
  • Changed:
    • sfSystem.MessageBox.messageBox callback now only accepts 1 parameter - the string name of the button that was selected. The "success" parameter has been removed.
• Aug 30, 2003
• Initial Release [darron]

 

Download

To download SharpFlash, visit the project page on SourceForge (http://sourceforge.net/projects/sharpflash/) .

 

There is a README.txt file included in the binary/source archive.  Please read the README.txt completely before attempting to use the program.

 

ActionScript API

 

These are the functions currently implemented.  Many more are on their way and will be added as time allows.  I’ll be adding better documentation at some point as well.

 

• sfWindow
• sfWindow.getWindowTitle(callback, scope);
• @param callback : Function, required; - The function to execute when the getWindowTitle is finished processing.
• @param scope : Object, optional; The object that will be “this” in the callback function.
• The callback function receives 1 param:  title.
• Example:

function title_Callback(title) {

      a_txt.text = “The text in the window titlebar is: “ + title;

}

sfWindow.getWindowTitle(title_Callback);

• sfWindow.setWindowTitle(title);
• @param title : String, required;
• Sets the text in the titlebar of the window to be what is contained in the title param. 
• sfWindow.moveTo(x, y);
• @param x : Int, required;  The x location to move the window to.
• @param y : Int, required;  The y location to move the window to.
• sfWindow.hide();
• Hides the window.
• sfWindow.show();
• Shows the window.
• sfWindow.toggleVisibility();
• Toggles the window visibility (if hidden then shows, if visible then hides)
• sfApplication
• sfApplication.exit();
• Exits the application.
• sfFile
  • sfFile.deleteFile(path, callback, scope);
    • Deletes the file in the specified path
    • @param path : string, required
    • @param callback : function optional
    • @param scope :object optional
    • The callback function takes in 2 params, success and message. If success is false, the message will contain the error the occurred.
    • Example:
      function delete_callback(success, message) {
      if (success) {
      // file deleted successfully
      } else {
      _root.error_txt.text = "error deleting file - " + message;
      }
      }
      sfFile.deleteFile("C:\\example.txt", delete_callback);
  • sfFile.exists(path, callback, scope);
    • Determines if the file specified by the path exists
    • @param path : string, required
    • @param callback : function optional
    • @param scope :object optional
    • The callback function takes in 1 param - exists. Exists is a boolean value indicating if the file exists or not.
    • Example:
      function exists_callback(exists) {
      if (exists) {
      // file exists!
      } else {
      // file does not exists
      }
      }
      sfFile.exists("C:\\example.txt", exists_callback);
• sfSystem
  • sfSystem.Dialogs
  • sfSystem.Dialogs.BrowseForFile_Open(fileName, typeFilter, intialPath, caption, callback, scope);
  • // documentation not written yet
  • Example

fileBrowse_Callback = function(success, fileName) {

      if (success) {

                  _root.window_mc.swf_txt.text = fileName;

      }

}

 

sfSystem.Dialogs.BrowseForFile_Open( "", ["SWF (*.swf)", "*.swf"], "", "Browsing for .swf file . . .", fileBrowse_Callback);

• sfSystem.MessageBox
• sfSystem.MessageBox.messageBox(text, caption, buttons, icon, defaultButton, options, callback, scope);
• @param text : String, required;  The text in the message box.
• @param caption : String, required; The text in the title bar of the message box.
• @param buttons : ID, required;  The button set to display.  buttons needs to be one of the following IDs:
• MBB_AbortRetryIgnore
• MBB_OK
• MBB_OKCancel
• MBB_RetryCancel
• MBB_YesNo
• MBB_YesNoCancel
• @param icon : ID, required;  The icon to display.  Icon needs to be one of the following IDs:
• MBI_Asterisk
• MBI_Error
• MBI_Exclamation
• MBI_Hand
• MBI_Information
• MBI_None
• MBI_Question
• MBI_Stop
• MBI_Warning
• @param defaultButton : ID, required; The button that is selected by default.  defaulyButton needs to be one of the following IDs:
• MBD_Button1
• MBD_Button2
• MBD_Button3
• @param options : ID, required;  not implemented yet, just pass “null” (minus the quotes).
• @param callback : Function, required; - The function to execute when the messageBox is finished processing.
• @param scope : Object, optional; The object that will be “this” in the callback function.
• Example:

function mb_callback(whichButton) {

      switch (whichButton) {

                  case “OK”:

                              // ok button pressed

                              break;

                  case “Cancel”:

                              // cancel button pressed

                              break;

}

}

sfSystem.MessageBox.messageBox(“Message Box Text”, “Message Box Title”, MBB_OKCancel, MBI_Information, MBD_Button2, null, mb_callback);

• sfPrivate
• sfPrivate.build(options);
• Internal – used to build an executable file.
• More to come . . .

 

Credits/Help

 

SharpFlash is written and maintained by Darron Schall (www.darronschall.com).  If you would like to help, please let me know.