Extending the XML Object

Amidst the concern about lacking support for methods in the XML object outside of what is natively available in Flash 5 (Core DOM I think), I was wondering if anyone has worked on creating an extended set of methods that would include things like getElementsByName(), getAttributes(), or others.

I've been working on writing a getElementsByName() method but haven't quite hooked it up to the XML object yet... so far, it just acts as a function.

I'm also NOT a seasoned XML veteran by any means, so even if I did get one written, I don't know that it would be the correct implementation, per se.

Looking into writing a getElementsByName() method for XML trees, I realized that it would have to be added to the prototype of the ELEMENT class for XML within ActionScript and not just the XML class.

Internally, if I am correct, Flash should be handling elements and data for XML trees separately from the the top-level XML object that is exposed in the documentation of the language.

Is there any information that anyone might have about how to get at the classes of nodes, elements, etc. in ActionScript -- or information that might set me along a straighter path? I may be completely wrong on most of this.

There are two objects in flash 5 that control xml, there is obviously the XML object which controls the input/output and parsing of xml data and then there is the undocumented XMLnode object which describes XMLnodes. So you can extend this object and your function will work for all xmlnodes:

Code:

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XMLnode.prototype.yourfunction=function(args){
    //your code
}

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and you can call it using for example:

Code:

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myxml.firstChild.yourfunction()

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Thanks.

I was looking at this object tonight. I literally stumbled onto it because I figured it had to be there. Using a couple of "typeof" statements followed by keywords like "Element", "XMLElement", "Node", and "XMLNode", I finally came across the one that was listed as a function. I also tested a lot of others thinking that there might be a more robust structure going on behind the scenes.

Here is what I came up with for properties of XML vs. XMLNode (granted, these are empty -- no XML loaded):


XML type is function
Property : status has the value 0
Property : docTypeDecl has the value
Property : xmlDecl has the value
Property : nodeValue has the value null
Property : nodeName has the value null
Property : attributes has the value [object Object]
Property : childNodes has the value
Property : lastChild has the value null
Property : firstChild has the value null
Property : parentNode has the value null
Property : previousSibling has the value null
Property : nextSibling has the value null
Property : nodeType has the value 1

XMLNode type is function
Property : nodeValue has the value
Property : nodeName has the value null
Property : attributes has the value [object Object]
Property : childNodes has the value
Property : lastChild has the value null
Property : firstChild has the value null
Property : parentNode has the value null
Property : previousSibling has the value null
Property : nextSibling has the value null
Property : nodeType has the value


So XMLNode handles everything else? I couldn't find any other similar objects (Attr, Element, CharacterData, Text, etc.).

How do you come up with this object? Did someone from Macromedia announce it, or did you also just stumble on it? I couldn't find anything on the Internet describing this object.

As i said before this object is *undocumented* meaning that there isnt any official text on the subject from macromedia, it was Branden Hall who let it leak!

Quote:

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Originally posted by FlashGuru
As i said before this object is *undocumented* meaning that there isnt any official text on the subject from macromedia, it was Branden Hall who let it leak!

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Is there any resource you know of that provides "unofficial" information about undocumented structures built into ActionScript? Or, do you have a list of items that you know of and would be willing to share?

Thanks --