Counting xml file elements

programming flash
1

I’m trying to generate a random background and css file using an xml document. My xml structure is as such:


<?xml version="1.0" encoding="iso-8859-1"?>
<backgrounds> 
			  <pic>
			  	<image>http://www.21bluefish.com/images/21bluefish_logo5.jpg</image>
				<name>Logo 5</name>
				<location>My Computer</location>
			  </pic>
			   <pic>
					<image>http://www.21bluefish.com/images/Me_coat_small.jpg</image>
					<name>Me coat small</name>
					<location>Calumet City, IL</location>
			   </pic>
</backgrounds>

It’s pretty standard.

What I’ve got so far as far as code is this:


backgrounds = new Array("0.jpg", "1.jpg", "2.jpg", "3.jpg");
function randomBackground(){
	randomNumber = random (backgrounds.length);
	loadMovie (backgrounds[randomNumber], "_root.background");
}
randomBackground();
var format = new TextField.StyleSheet();
var path = "http://www.21bluefish.com/" + randomNumber + ".css";
format.load(path);
format.onLoad = function(loaded) {
	if (loaded) {
		output.styleSheet = format;
		myLoadVar = new LoadVars ();
		myLoadVar.load("john.txt")
		myLoadVar.onLoad = function (success){
			if (success == true) {
				output.variable = "john"
				output.htmlText=myLoadVar.kirupa;
				}
			}

	} else {
		output.text = "Error loading CSS file!";
	}
};

The problem is, I don’t want to use an array like I have it right now, because then updating it is a pain. What I want to do is retrieve the xml file, count the pic element and take that number and put it into a variable to multiply it by random. I then want to display the background file in an empty mc, as well as retrieve the name and location elements and display them in a text box. D**n this sounds complicated now. Well, I’m stumped so any help or a kick or push in the right position would be wonderful. Thanks.

2

Anyone? Is this impossible or what?

3

Get rid of the backgrounds element, you don’t need it.

Then use xml.childNodes.length to retrieve the number of pics.

You should now know how to do the rest. :slight_smile:

4

Thank you very much [m] I’ll test it out here in a second and let you know how that goes. Can I specify the node I want to retrieve or should I just divide the number by 3, since I’m using 3 seperate childNodes?

5

So this is what I tried…but it doesn’t work. What am I doing wrong?


function loadXML(loaded) {
	if (loaded){
		_root.image = this.firstChild.childNodes[0].childNodes[0].firstChild.nodeValue;
		_root.name = this.firstChild.childNodes[0].childNodes[1].firstChild.nodeValue;
		_root.location = this.firstChild.childNodes[0].childNodes[2].firstChild.nodeValue;
		image_mc.loadMovie =_root.background;
		name_txt.text = _root.name;
		location_txt.text = _root.location;
	} else {
		trace("File not loaded!");
	}
}

xmlData = new XML();
xmlData.ignoreWhite = true;
xmlData.onLoad = loadXML;
xmlData.load("backgrounds.xml");


function randomBackground(){
	randomNumber = random (xml.childNodes.length);
	loadMovie (backgrounds[randomNumber], "_root.background");
}
randomBackground();
var format = new TextField.StyleSheet();
var path = "http://www.21bluefish.com/" + randomNumber + ".css";

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

6

It is alomst a year since I’ve last worked with xml in flash. I know it has problems with retrieving the data, from like childNodes[1].nodeValue and shizzle.

So try to trace the values first (like this.firstChild.childNodes[0] , this.firstChild.childNodes[0].firstChild.nodeValue , etc just experiment) and see how to get those values out of the xml.