How to specify the location of a remote machine's file in the URLRequest parameter? - Edited

Question

Hi now I have found how to give a relative path in URLRequest paramate and download that file. I found it from this particular stack overflow post . Thanks to Christian Nunciato and heri0n.

so now if If give my machine's relative path, C:/sample/DefectList.xls it works. Now I have to access an xls file kept in the server machine or any other machine,say my team mate's machine. The ip address is 172.17.196.124 and the location is C:/sample/test.xls.

I tried
var request:URLRequest = new URLRequest"file://172.17.196.124/c:/sample/test.xls"); But it throws the Error#2032.

How to mention a remote location as a relative path?

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?> 
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" layout="absolute" creationComplete="loadFile()"> 

<mx:Script> 
    <![CDATA[ 

            private var loadedFile:ByteArray; 

            private function loadFile():void 
            { 
                    //var request:URLRequest = new URLRequest("C:/sample/DefectList.xls"); 
                    var request:URLRequest = new URLRequest("file://172.17.196.124/c:/sample/test.xls"); 

                    var urlLoader:URLLoader = new URLLoader(request); 

                    urlLoader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, onURLLoaderComplete); 
                    urlLoader.dataFormat = URLLoaderDataFormat.BINARY; 
                    urlLoader.load(request); 
            } 

            private function onURLLoaderComplete(event:Event):void 
            { 
                    loadedFile = event.target.data; 
            } 

            private function saveLoadedFile():void 
            { 
                    var file:FileReference = new FileReference(); 
                    file.save(loadedFile);  
            } 

    ]]> 
  </mx:Script> 

  <mx:Button label="Save File" horizontalCenter="0" verticalCenter="0" click="saveLoadedFile()" /> 

</mx:Application>

Answer 1

You cannot download something directly from flex onto the user's desktop. You have to do it from the server. To initiate downloading a file from the server, use FileReference.download() method. The downloading will happen only with the user's consent - if the user clicks cancel on the download prompt window, it will be canceled.

downloadURL = new URLRequest();
downloadURL.url = filename_relative_to_swf_location;
file = new FileReference();
file.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, completeHandler);
file.addEventListener(IOErrorEvent.IO_ERROR, ioErrorHandler);
file.download(downloadURL, fileName);
private function completeHandler(event:Event):void 
{
  trace("completeHandler: " + event);
}
private function ioErrorHandler(event:IOErrorEvent):void 
{
  trace("ioErrorHandler: " + event);
}

Answer 2

This is more of a comment than answer:

Has anyone seen the photo editing app at www.picnik.com? Tell it to upload an image for editing (from your local machine) and notice how quickly it loads the image. Also keep an eye on task manager's network traffic tab. On my machine it loads the image almost instantaneously with no network traffic.

Based on these observations, it seems to me that picnik has figured out a way to do what Angeline is trying to do.

Anyone know how they do it?

Answer 3

If you're trying to create an application that will work with local files you should probably create an AIR project rather than a web Flex one, as it gives you tools to work with files. The local files will only work if you open the compiled swf from your hard-drive. The security policy will forbid any flex swf from easily accessing your local files if the swf is loaded from a web server.

A few videos that might come in handy:

* Comparing Flash, Flex, Flash Player and Adobe AIR (5:30)
* Exercise 13: Creating and deploying an AIR application

on Flex in a Week