How do I create a database on the computer in flash?

Question

I want to create a a application in actionscipt 3.0 that allows the user to listen to music and read descriptions of the music. For this to happen i suppose there should be a database where the textbits and music is located and then flash fetch the info when the correct buttons are pushed. The database will contain up to 100 tracks and textbits.

The application will function on a stand that won't have a connection to the internet.

What is the easiest way to do this in actionscript 3.0?

If any of you are familiar with UML and thinks this might help in understanding the problem, then here is use-case and flow-chart:

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

The easiest way to do what you're asking is probably to store the files in a directory on the machine the application is going to be running on, and then design an XML structure for storing your data. The XML is easily loaded in to Flash at runtime and is easily edittable.

Your other option would be running a database server on the machine, creating web services that run locally and push/pull the data from the database, and then call those services from your Flash application.

The first option is most definitely the easiest and should be able to provide exactly what you need. The second would be more geared towards a distributed Flash application where you needed a central data repository for the clients.

Answer 2

If you're building an AIR application, you can use the integrated SQLITE database. But, i agree with Justin, the easiest way is to use a XML file.

Answer 3

You can probably consider using "Local Shared Objects" which is a kind of cookie, with bigger capacity (100Kb by default, but you can change it). Compared to other solutions already proposed, it has then advantage of not requiring any web server.