Fetching URL-Encoded Variables

PHP can output standard key-value pairs, which ActionScript 3 parses directly using the URLVariables class.

<?php
$operationStatus = "Initialized";
$responseMsg = "Success";
echo "status=" . $operationStatus . "&message=" . $responseMsg;
?>

submitBtn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, fetchTextData);
outputTxt.text = "Fetching...";

function fetchTextData(evt:MouseEvent):void {
    var dataLoader:URLLoader = new URLLoader();
    dataLoader.dataFormat = URLLoaderDataFormat.VARIABLES;
    dataLoader.load(new URLRequest("http://localhost/backend/text_endpoint.php"));
    dataLoader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, handleTextResult);
}

function handleTextResult(evt:Event):void {
    var parsedVars:URLVariables = URLVariables(URLLoader(evt.currentTarget).data);
    outputTxt.text = "Current Status: " + parsedVars.status + "\n";
    outputTxt.text += "Response: " + parsedVars.message;
}

Parsing XML Output

When PHP generates an XML structure, AS3 can map the loaded string into an XML object for easy traversal.

<?php
header("Content-Type: text/xml");
echo '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>';
echo '<gallery>';
echo '<image>photo_alpha.jpg</image>';
echo '<image>photo_beta.jpg</image>';
echo '</gallery>';
?>

submitBtn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, fetchXmlData);

function fetchXmlData(evt:MouseEvent):void {
    var xmlLoader:URLLoader = new URLLoader();
    xmlLoader.load(new URLRequest("http://localhost/backend/xml_endpoint.php"));
    xmlLoader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, handleXmlResult);
}

function handleXmlResult(evt:Event):void {
    var responseXml:XML = XML(URLLoader(evt.currentTarget).data);
    outputTxt.text = responseXml.toXMLString();
}

Transmitting Data via GET

Appending parameters to the query string allows AS3 to send data to a PHP script using the HTTP GET method.

System.useCodePage = true;
submitBtn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, sendGetRequest);

function sendGetRequest(evt:MouseEvent):void {
    var getRequest:URLRequest = new URLRequest("http://example.com/api/process.php");
    getRequest.method = URLRequestMethod.GET;
    getRequest.data = "itemId=42";

    var getLoader:URLLoader = new URLLoader();
    getLoader.load(getRequest);
    getLoader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, handleGetResult);
}

function handleGetResult(evt:Event):void {
    outputTxt.text = URLLoader(evt.currentTarget).data;
}

Transmitting Data via POST

For larger payloads or secure transmissions, assign a URLVariables object to the URLRequest.data property and set the method to POST.

System.useCodePage = true;
submitBtn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, sendPostRequest);

function sendPostRequest(evt:MouseEvent):void {
    var postVars:URLVariables = new URLVariables();
    postVars.username = "admin";
    postVars.token = "x83jkd";

    var postRequest:URLRequest = new URLRequest("http://example.com/api/process.php");
    postRequest.method = URLRequestMethod.POST;
    postRequest.data = postVars;

    var postLoader:URLLoader = new URLLoader();
    postLoader.load(postRequest);
    postLoader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, handlePostResult);
}

function handlePostResult(evt:Event):void {
    outputTxt.text = URLLoader(evt.currentTarget).data;
}