[RESOLVED] I need Help and Direction with a xml Store Locator with a link to google maps

[karenkane]

I need help and direction with a XML Store Locator with a link to google maps. Basically, I was asked by my company to make a store locator for our website but I only have basic knowledge of Actionscript and XML. What I would like to do is have an Input text box with a search button and an dynamic text box to display the results. Whatever is typed into the input box is what I want to search the XML file for.

I would like to have 6 variables to search for (StoreName, Address, City, StateShort, StateLong , ZipCode).

Now For example if someone typed "CA" or "California" all entries that have CA as its StateShort or California as it's StateLong atribute would be displayed, something for the rest as well.

In addition to displaying the info in the text box I would like the output to be links so that I can link the location to a popup of the location in google maps.

Here is how I think the XML file should look:

<StoreLocations>
    <StoreEntry StoreName="Joes Hardware" Address="1234 Main Street" City="Somewhere USA" StateShort="CA" StateLong="California" ZipCode="99999">
    Joes Hardware    1234 Main Street    Somewhere USA    CA    99999
        <link>http://maps.google.com/maps?q=1600+Amphitheatre+Pkwy,+Mountain+View,+CA+94043,+USA&sa=X&oi=map&ct=title</link>
    </StoreEntry>
</StoreLocations>

The google maps link I used is google's HQ

The Problem is I really don’t know how to do this, Can anyone help or point me in the right direction? I have read and tried tutorials, however I still cant figure out how to go about this.

Either way when I complete this project I will submit a working copy to the flash community because I have seen other people looking to do something similar to what I am trying to do.

[karenkane]

Here is my Actionscript so far, Please note I didn't write this code I copied and modified it to my needs. I'm not this knowledgeable about AS.

myXML = new XML(); 
myXML.ignoreWhite = true; 
myXML.load("test.xml"); 

myXML.onLoad = function(success) 
{ 
    if (success) parseXML(this); 
}; 

function parseXML(xml) 
{ 
    _global.Data = new Array(); 
    aNode = xml.childNodes; 
    len = aNode.length; 

	for (var n=0;n!=len;n++) 
	{ 
		obj = {}; 


		obj.StoreName = aNode[n].attributes.StoreName; 
		obj.Address = aNode[n].attributes.Address; 
		obj.City = aNode[n].attributes.City;
		obj.StateShort = aNode[n].attributes.StateShort; 
        obj.StateLong = aNode[n].attributes.StateLong; 
		obj.ZipCode = aNode[n].attributes.ZipCode; 

		Data[n] = obj; 
		
		Data[x] = Data[n];
		
		tracer();  
	} 
	  
} 



function tracer()
{ 
	trace(Data[x].StoreName + " " +Data[x].Address + " " + Data[x].City + " " + Data[x].StateShort + " " + Data[x].StateLong + " " + Data[x].ZipCode ); // vehicles 

};

And here is the "new" version of my XML file, I made a revision.

<StoreEntry StoreName="Joes Hardware" Address="1234 Main Street" City="Somewhere USA" StateShort="CA" StateLong="California" ZipCode="99999" />
<StoreEntry StoreName="Jims Bakery" Address="4321 Muffin Street" City="Elsewhere USA" StateShort="MA" StateLong="Massachusetts " ZipCode="99991" />
<StoreEntry StoreName="Jacks Bate and Tackle" Address="98762 Fishhook Ave." City="A Place USA" StateShort="FL" StateLong="Florida " ZipCode="11111" />
</StoreEntry>

What I need to figure out now is how to create an array and place all of the attributes into it so that I can put them into a dynamic text box.

I also need to figure out how to create the url link in the XML file so that when an entry is clicked on it will popup with a google map to the location.

On top of that I need to figure out how to Parse / Search the XML file so that only the entries that match the criteria inputted by the user are displayed.

Any advice any one could give me would be very helpful. Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction.

[karenkane]

Ok Almost Completely New AS and 100% new XML, Now however I can display an entry in the XML in flash. However it keeps displaying only the last one. I think I am going to need assistance fixing this.

I am still trying to implement the search feature but I still don’t know how yet. And last but not least, making the text clickable.

My guess is that I need to make invisible movie clips and place them over the text box in rows. Then add some sort of generic on (release) function that grabs the link of the line of text beneath it. Anyway here is the new AS:

var myXML:XML = new XML();//creating XML object

var StoreName_arr:Array=new Array()//array objects to hold StoreName data from xml
var Address_arr:Array=new Array()//array objects to hold Address data from xml
var City_arr:Array=new Array()
var StateShort_arr:Array=new Array()
var StateLong_arr:Array=new Array()
var ZipCode_arr:Array=new Array()

var storeName;


myXML.ignoreWhite = true;//white spaces will be discarded


myXML.onLoad = function() 
{//function will be call when xml file data loaded into xml object 

	var full_arr:Array=this.firstChild.childNodes//here we have array of child nodes

	var len:Number=full_arr.length-1//getting the no of child nodes
	for(var i:Number=0;i<=len;i++)//looping trough the values
	{
		StoreName_arr[i]=full_arr[i].childNodes[0].firstChild//storing StoreName values in array
		Address_arr[i]=full_arr[i].childNodes[1].firstChild //storing Address details in array 
		City_arr[i]=full_arr[i].childNodes[2].firstChild
		StateShort_arr[i]=full_arr[i].childNodes[3].firstChild
		StateLong_arr[i]=full_arr[i].childNodes[4].firstChild
		ZipCode_arr[i]=full_arr[i].childNodes[5].firstChild
	
		trace([StoreName_arr[i],Address_arr[i],City_arr[i],StateLong_arr[i],ZipCode_arr[i],newline]);

		displaytxt.text = StoreName_arr[i] + "          " + Address_arr[i]  + "          " + City_arr[i]  + "          " + StateLong_arr[i] + "          " + ZipCode_arr[i];
	}
	

}


myXML.load("sample.xml");//loading the xml file data into xml object

And here is the new XML:

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<root>
	<StoreEntry>
		<StoreName>Joes Hardware</StoreName>
		<Address>1234 Main Street</Address>
		<City>Somewhere USA</City>
		<StateShort>CA</StateShort>
		<StateLong>California</StateLong>
		<ZipCode>99999</ZipCode>
		<Link>http://maps.google.com</Link>
	</StoreEntry>
	<StoreEntry>
		<StoreName>Jims Bakery</StoreName>
		<Address>4321 Muffin Street</Address>
		<City>Elsewhere USA</City>
		<StateShort>MA</StateShort>
		<StateLong>Massachusetts</StateLong>
		<ZipCode>99991</ZipCode>
		<Link>http://maps.google.com</Link>
	</StoreEntry>
	<StoreEntry>
		<StoreName>Jacks Bate and Tackle</StoreName>
		<Address>498762 Fishhook Ave.</Address>
		<City>A Place USA</City>
		<StateShort>FL</StateShort>
		<StateLong>Florida</StateLong>
		<ZipCode>11111</ZipCode>
		<Link>http://maps.google.com</Link>
	</StoreEntry>
</root>

As before, seeing that I am in uncharted territory (for me), any help will be really appreciated

[a_modified_dog]

i have attached a simple Flash 8 file that addresses one of
your criteria - clickable links

also, in a recent thread, there is a file dealing with
an xml search, can you make use of that method ??

http://board.flashkit.com/board/showthread.php?t=755418

[karenkane]

Wow! Thank you so much! This definitely helps, and I am looking at the xml search engine. It is in many ways what I am trying to do. However I think it will take me a while to really understand how it works completely before I can try implement something like it. But it is definitely a step in the right direction. I really appreciate your assistance.

I will leave this thread open for a while just in case I have more questions, and when I am done I will post a finnished and working copy.

[karenkane]

Ok well to be honest, I kind of understand how the posted example works. However the example posted serves my purposes without modification so I cant post a working xml search engine since it has been done and I cant do better. Thank you a_modified_dog and shaunfreeman.