[F8]Dynamic ComboBox Trouble!

[pyramidhead]

A friend and I are working on a script to load news articles into forms so that they can be edited. We are using a drop box to select the title of the news article, and then use variables to display all the other information, using a MySQL database. Here is the code so far:

//populating the combobox "dropDown"

function AddItems(){
	for (i=0; i<NumItems; i++){
		var Name = eval("Name"+i);
		var TextData = eval("TextData"+i);
		var Author = eval("Author"+i);
		var TheDate = eval("TheDate"+i);
		dropDown.addItem(Name, TextData, Author, TheDate);
	}
	dropDown.setChangeHandler("SelectItem");
}
//loading variables into text boxes "newstitle_input" and "newstxt_input"
function SelectItem(){
	text.newstitle_input = dropDown.getSelectedItem().label;
	text.newstxt_input = dropDown.getSelectedItem().data;
	text.date_dyn = dropDown.getSelectedItem().TheDate;
	text.author_dyn = dropDown.getSelectedItem().Author;
}

I believe the trouble is starting in the dropDown.addItem line. We use name for the label, and TextData for the data, but I am not sure how to load more than just these two pieces of information into the combobox. As you can see further down, I try to call up the selected Author and TheDate variables to display them in dynamic text boxes, but I'm sure I have the code wrong, because nothing is working so far, and my pals PHP script is looking pretty good.

So to sum it up how do I get the combobox to display all these variables I have? Any help would be awesome, thanks.

[pyramidhead]

So I answered my initial question thanks to a helpful tutorial but my combobox is still not being populated! Perhaps my script is perfect and maybe it's the PHP that is messed up? I'm just looking for someone to tell me if my code looks alright now.

Functions Code

//populating the combobox "dropDown"

function AddItems(){
	for (i=0; i<NumItems; i++){
		var Name = eval("Name"+i);
		var TextData = eval("TextData"+i);
		var Author = eval("Author"+i);
		var TheDate = eval("TheDate"+i);
		var ListBoxData = {Name: Name, TextData: TextData, Author: Author, TheDate: TheDate}
		dropDown.addItem(Name, ListBoxData);
	}
	dropDown.setChangeHandler("SelectItem");
}
//loading variables into text boxes "newstitle_input" and "newstxt_input"
function SelectItem(){
	text.newstitle_input = dropDown.getSelectedItem().label;
	text.newstxt_input = dropDown.getSelectedItem().data["TextData"]
	text.date_dyn = dropDown.getSelectedItem().data["TheDate"]
	text.author_dyn = dropDown.getSelectedItem().data["Author"]
}

Loader Actions code

_root.Go = "";

_root.Thinking.gotoAndPlay(2);

loadVariables("newsprocess.php", this);

The Thinker, once told to go to frame 2, will begin playing and check if variable "Go" is set to "Yes" by PHP. Once it is, Thinker will execute the AddItems function.

Thanks for any replies.

[joran420]

var myVar:LoadVars = new LoadVars
myVar.onLoad = function(){
//deal with your PHP return here try using traces to make sure your getting back what you should be
}
myVar.sendAndLoad("newsprocess.php", myVar);

if i had to guess theres nothing comming back from the PHP or at least not what you want.

(you could probably just do myVar.load("url") )

[edit] where are you setting go to true or whatever?

[pyramidhead]

The value of Go is sent by the PHP script once it has finished executing, letting Thinking know it can run the AddItems function. What is so different about using LoadVars like that as opposed to my loadVariables script? I will try to figure out a way to trace though.

[joran420]

function AddItems(){
for (i=0; i<NumItems; i++){
trace(eval("Name"+i));
var Name = eval("Name"+i);
var TextData = eval("TextData"+i);
var Author = eval("Author"+i);
var TheDate = eval("TheDate"+i);
var ListBoxData = {Name: Name, TextData: TextData, Author: Author, TheDate: TheDate}
dropDown.addItem(Name, ListBoxData);
}
dropDown.setChangeHandler("SelectItem");
}

[pyramidhead]

Alright looks easy enough, the problem is, the script needs to communicate with the database, so it has to be on the net, and when I view the .swf on the net, I don't think the traces have anywhere to show up.
[edit]
May I also add that the name of one of the news articles is now showing up in the drop box, but when it is selected none of the variables are loaded.

[joran420]

the SWF doesnt have to be on the net I dont think...just the PHP
loadVariables("http://somesite/somePHP.php")

tbh I dunno ive never used the loadVariables command just the load Vars Command
but I do know PHP cant pass back objects or arrays.

[pyramidhead]

Oh duh... I'm an idiot.

However now it isn't even loading the variables. I don't think it's even connecting to the database when I try to test it via flash.
[edit]
I doubt that the PhP script can send the variables back to the .swf when it is not online as well... seems to be some trouble communicating here.

[pyramidhead]

Well we decided it is most likely an error in the PHP script because the variables were being exported incorrectly. However, it is difficult to tell because we both may have errors in our scripts making it impossible to know who's at fault! However, if you think my script looks good than hopefully we can get the PHP worked out, thanks a lot for the replies.

[joran420]

try stepping through it one piece at a time

try using loadVars instead of loadVariables or whatever(that may or maynot make a difference)

in the loadVars.onLoad handler do a trace for everything being returned like

for(key in this){
     trace(key+ "  =   "+this[key]
}

maybe just go to the php page in a webrowser and see what the output is.

[pyramidhead]

Yeah we seem to have the PHP output fine now but I will have to try some of your suggestions now, cause it seems that the problem is on my end.