XPath4AS2

Description

This AS2.0 XPath Library allows ActionScript developers to use XPath within their Flash projects. You can easily retrieve XML nodes, Strings or Number with the simple XPath syntax.

Versions

Example

Here is a usage example with the following XML, Products.xml: 

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<products>
	<product SKU="7123734">
		<name>Big Metal Pot</name>
		<price>19.95</price>
	</product>
	<product SKU="752585">
		<name>Plate</name>
		<price>12.95</price>
	</product>
	<product SKU="4182476">
		<name>Spoon</name>
		<price>4.95</price>
	</product>
	<product SKU="9909813">
		<name>Coffee Machine</name>
		<price>234.20</price>
		<garantie>3 ans</garantie>
	</product>
	<produit SKU="1309384">
		<nom>Céréales</nom>
		<prix>3.95</prix>
		<validité>12.10.05</validité>
	</produit>
</products>

The following AS2 class easily retrieves all the data and puts it in Arrays: 

import com.dynamicflash.utils.Delegate;
import com.xfactorstudio.xml.xpath.XPath;
 
/**
 * An example of loading and parsing data from an XML file using XPath
 * 
 * @description	The goal of this example is to show how to use a couple
 * <br />of the methods of the XPath4AS2 library.
 * <br /><br />
 * You need to create the com.dynamicflash.utils.Delegate class file 
 * <br />available here: http://dynamicflash.com/classes/Delegate.as
 * 
 * @version 1.1 (Last modified: 2005/08/30)
 */
class ch.interfasys.test.XPath4AS2Tester {
 
	private static var xmlLoader:XPath4AS2Tester;
	
	private var _stage:MovieClip;	/* The stage. Will be _root in this example */
	private var _products:Array;	/* The names holder */
	private var _prices:Array;	/* The prices holder */
	private var _sku:Array;		/* The SKU holder */
	private var _xmlURL:String;	/* The source of the XML feed */
	private var _myXML:XML;		/* The loader */
 
	/**
	 * Constructor
	 */
	private function XPath4AS2Tester(theStage:MovieClip) {
		this._stage = theStage;
		this._products = new Array();
		this._prices = new Array();
		this._sku = new Array();
		this._myXML = new XML();
		this._xmlURL = "Products.xml";
 
		// Assigns this load method to the XML.onLoad method
		this._myXML.onLoad = Delegate.create(this, this.load);
		
		this.createDisplay();
			
		this._myXML.load(this._xmlURL);
	}
 
 	/**
	 * Creates the textfield that will display the results
	 */
	private function createDisplay():Void {
		this._stage.createTextField("_info_tf", 1, 0, 0, 600, 600);
		this._stage._info_tf.selectable = false;
		this._stage._info_tf.text = "Loading XML";
	}
	
 	/**
	 * Deals with the answer from the XML Loader
	 *
	 * @param	success	result of our attempt to load an XML
	 */
	private function load(success:Boolean):Void {
		// Checks if we received something and if it's a valid XML file
		if (success && this._myXML.xmlDecl != undefined) {
			this._stage._info_tf.text = "XML OK";
			this.parser();
		} else {
			this._stage._info_tf.text = "XML Problem "+success+", "+this._myXML.xmlDecl;
		}
	}
	
	/**
	 * Parses the data loaded from the XML
	 */
	private function parser():Void {
		// All products
		this._products = XPath.selectNodesAsString(this._myXML, "//name/text() | //nom/text()");
		// All the SKUs
		this._sku = XPath.selectNodes(this._myXML, "//product/@SKU | //produit/@SKU");
		// All the prices
		this._prices = XPath.selectNodesAsNumber(this._myXML, "//price/ | //prix/");
		
		this.display();
	}
	
	/**
	 * Displays the loaded data on Stage
	 */
	private function display():Void {
		this._stage._info_tf.text += "\nResults\n------";
		for (var i:Number = 0; i < this._products.length; i++) {
			this._stage._info_tf.text += "\nName: "+this._products[i]+"  (SKU:"+this._sku[i]+"), Price: "+this._prices[i];
		}
		/**
		//Alternatives loop if you want to get one type of element
		for (var i:Number = 0; i < this._prices.length; i++) {
			this._stage._info_tf.text += "\n"+this._prices[i];
		}
		for (var i:Number = 0; i < this._sku.length; i++) {
			this._stage._info_tf.text += "\n"+this._sku[i].nodeValue;
			
		}
		*/
		this._stage._info_tf.text += "\n------\nEOF";
	}
		
	/**
	 * Main function that initializes the stage for the application and
	 * <br />loads an instance of the Xpath Testing application.
	 *
	 * @param	stage	the main stage of the application
	 */
	public static function main():Void {
		// Loads the application
		xmlLoader = new XPath4AS2Tester(_root);
	}
}

It’s advised to type the full XPath when dealing with large data or the parsing may be very slow.

Some Paths example

Those paths can replace the existing ones in the parser() method. 

// All english products
this._products = XPath.selectNodesAsString(this._myXML, "//name/text()");
// All the SKUs for english products
this._sku = XPath.selectNodes(this._myXML, "//product/@SKU");
// All the prices for english products
this._prices = XPath.selectNodesAsNumber(this._myXML, "//price/number()");
		
// All english products which have a price higher than 5
this._products = XPath.selectNodesAsString(this._myXML, "//product[./price > 5]/name/text()");
// All english products starting from No3
this._products = XPath.selectNodes(this._myXML, "//product[position()>=3]");
// The last product
this._products = XPath.selectNodesAsString(this._myXML, "//product[last()]/name/text()");
// Select the nodes that have three children
this._products = XPath.selectNodesAsString(this._myXML, "//*[count(*)=3]");
// Some test showing the children
this._products = XPath.selectNodes(this._myXML, "//product/descendant::*");
// Shows all the french products that have a warranty
this._products = XPath.selectNodes(this._myXML, "//garantie/parent::*");
// Select the Nodes named prix
this._products = XPath.selectNodesAsString(this._myXML, "//*[name() = \"prix\"]");
// Select the Nodes that start with a p
this._products = XPath.selectNodesAsString(this._myXML, "//*[starts-with(name(), \"p\")]");
// Select the Nodes that contain the letters pro
this._products = XPath.selectNodesAsString(this._myXML, "//*[contains(name(), \"pro\")]");
// Select the Nodes that contain the letters pro and is case-insensitive
this._prices = XPath.selectNodes(this._myXML, "//*[contains(translate(name(),'ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ','abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz'),'pro')]");
		
//Creates an XMLNode with the ceiling of the prices
this._prices = XPath.selectNodes(this._myXML, "ceiling(//price)");