& loading problems on external text files

[danjames]

I have a flash files that loads an external text file - a very simple news system. My problem is that it blocks on the & (ampersand) symbol - and own't read any further. I'm saving the text with BBedit, I've zapped gremlins, I've tried writing it simply & or & - no luck. Anybody got any ideas??

[Sualdam]

The '&' has a meaning to Flash in a text file.

You can put many variables in a text file, and you do it like:

var1=something&var2=something else&var3=something more... etc.

When Flash finds a '&' it expects an '=' followed by the value. If it doesn't get them, it just doesn't read anything in after that point.

To use the '&' and other characters in the text file you need to use url encoding.

All explained here (with codes list):

http://www.macromedia.com/support/fl...l_encoding.htm

Golden rule: if a text file is truncating, even though you would swear an affadavit that you haven't put an '&' in place of 'and', you probably have

[danjames]

Thanks, thanks thanks - i should have noticed - the file i was editing before was all linked by '&'s - doh!

all running smoothly now.

D