Flash Remoting: The Definitive Guide

Extending Server-Side ActionScript with Java

Server-Side ActionScript is written entirely in Java, and one of the tremendous advantages of SSAS is that you can extend it in Java as well. If your workplace consists of ActionScript programmers who will be assembling server-side methods using SSAS, a few custom Java functions can provide any functionality that SSAS is missing. For example, the JRun 4 implementation of SSAS is missing the CF object, which is required for database queries. The functionality of the CF object can be mimicked in Java and used from within SSAS. Similarly, the file and directory manipulation techniques of ColdFusion, Java, and ASP.NET are missing from SSAS; these too can be added using Java. I’ll show a few simple examples of possible extensions to SSAS and then show a simple CF object with a query( ) method that can be used from within JRun 4.

The Principles of Extending SSAS

Server-Side ActionScript uses the Rhino JavaScript parser, which allows you to call Java methods as follows. To invoke a method of a Java class contained within the java package, first use the new operator to create an instance of the Java class:

var myVar = new java.packagename.classname;

Then call methods on the instance of the class as usual:

myVar.methodname(params);

You can also reference classes that are not in the java package by using the Packages prefix:

var myVar = new Packages.myPackagename.myClassname;

As an example of using a class that is not in the java package, consider the ...