internet

flex accordion navigation xml updated for 3.0

Jesse 0 Comments

Since it seems I get much traffic from the accordion navigation, I decided to come up with a new example updated for flex 3.0.

I left the flexlib out in this version, so the mxml should compile by itself. Also, to make this example even more dynamic, I use some php along with a flash variable to ready the url of the httpService at page load. This makes it possible to load different XML documents, and therefore create different navs based on…well whatever you want. For this example I use rand(1,2) to pick randomly between 2 different properties files.

Here is the example

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<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" xmlns="*"
layout="vertical" viewSourceURL="srcview/index.html" backgroundColor="#ffffff"
creationComplete="init();">
<mx:Script>
<![CDATA[
 
import mx.collections.ArrayCollection;
import mx.utils.ArrayUtil;
import mx.rpc.events.ResultEvent;
//[Bindable]
//public var navData:ArrayCollection;
 
[Bindable]public var str:String;
 
[Bindable] public var httpServiceURL:String;
[Bindable] public var appHeight:Number;
[Bindable] public var appWidth:Number;
 
[Bindable]public var xmlData:Object = new Object();
[Bindable]public var headingData:Object = new Object();
[Bindable]public var linkData:Object = new Object();
 
private function init():void{
httpServiceURL=Application.application.parameters.httpServiceURL;
appHeight=Application.application.parameters.appHeight
appWidth=Application.application.parameters.appHeight
srv.send();
}
 
private function getHeadings(evt:ResultEvent):void{
xmlData = evt.result;
headingData = xmlData.a_nav;
}
 
private function getLinkObject(a:Number):Object{
linkData = headingData.heading[a];
return linkData;
}
 
]]>
</mx:Script>
 
<mx:Style>
Application {
backgroundGradientColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
backgroundGradientAlphas: 1, 1;
vertical-align: top;
horizontal-align: center;
padding-top: 0px;
padding-left: 5px;
padding-right: 0px;
}
 
Accordion {
textRollOverColor: #FFFFFF;
textSelectedColor: #FFFFFF;
color: #FFFFFF;
headerHeight: 35;
vertical-gap: 5;
background-alpha:0;
open-duration:500;
border-style:none;
 
}
 
.gradientHeaderSquare {
font-family: Verdana;
borderColors: #AAB1CD, #AAB1CD;
overBorderColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
selectedBorderColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
borderThickness: 2;
color: #FFFFFF;
borderAlpha: 1;
fillColors: #7f8182, #7f8182;
fillAlphas: 1, 1;
fillColorRatios: 0, 255;
overFillColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
overFillAlphas: 1, 1;
overFillColorRatios: 0, 169;
selectedFillColors:#000000, #000000;
selectedFillAlphas: 1,1;
fontSize: 13;
padding-left: 10px;
padding-top: 0px;
}
 
.gradientHeaderRound {
cornerRadius: 20;
font-family: Verdana;
borderColors: #AAB1CD, #AAB1CD;
overBorderColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
selectedBorderColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
borderThickness: 2;
color: #FFFFFF;
borderAlpha: 1;
fillColors: #7f8182, #7f8182;
fillAlphas: 1, 1;
fillColorRatios: 0, 255;
overFillColors: #FFFFFF, #FFFFFF;
overFillAlphas: 1, 1;
overFillColorRatios: 0, 169;
selectedFillColors:#000000, #000000;
selectedFillAlphas: 1,1;
fontSize: 13;
padding-left: 10px;
padding-top: 0px;
}
 
LinkButton {
fontSize: 10px;
rollOverColor: #fafafa;
selectionColor: #fafafa;
color: #0B357F;
textRollOverColor: #25bbfc;
textSelectedColor: #0B357F;
padding-left: 15px;
padding-top: 5px;
}
 
.headerBox {
font-weight: bold;
color: #FFFFFF;
}
 
</mx:Style>
 
<mx:HTTPService id="srv" url="{httpServiceURL}" resultFormat="object" result="getHeadings(event);"/>
 
<mx:Accordion id="accordion" width="{appHeight}" height="{appWidth}" headerStyleName="gradientHeaderRound">
 
<mx:Repeater id="rep" dataProvider="{headingData.heading}">
<mx:VBox label="{rep.currentItem.title}" styleName="headerBox" backgroundColor="#fafafa" width="{rep.currentItem.width}" height="{rep.currentItem.height}">
<mx:Repeater id="rep2" dataProvider="{getLinkObject(rep.currentIndex).link}">
<mx:LinkButton buttonDown="navigateToURL(new URLRequest(event.currentTarget.getRepeaterItem()), '_top')" label="{rep2.currentItem.linkname}" />
</mx:Repeater
</mx:VBox>
 
</mx:Repeater>
 
</mx:Accordion>
 
 
</mx:Application>

as you can see for this example I have decided to use Object instead of ArrayCollection. I just found it easier to get the data than using e4x.

Download the complete example to see how the index file that embeds this swf generates the service that will be used to create the navigation.

Here is the result

Here is the full source

Updated: 6-12-08 : I had a needless function that was causing a bug. Works as it should now ;)

Google Grand Central – Sweet or Superfluous?

Jesse 3 Comments

Recently I was given an invite to join google grand central which is a free answering service provided by the almighty indexers of all that is important, google.com. My first impression of Grand Central was pure awe. I was given a free number which could serve essentially as a main line for all the phone numbers by which I can be reached. Grand Central has a nifty web interface which allows you to check who has called, route certain calls to specific numbers and take messages. I do think the service is rather neat, but on second glance, I wonder if it serves any real purpose. After two weeks of using the service I have not checked in to play with it again. What I really wonder is who would I actually give this number to? Is there anyone I would like to go through yet another degree of separation before being able to reach me? In the end, If I was important enough to need something like Grand Central, I would be important enough to have a receptionist.

I would love to hear about anyone else’s impression of Google Grand Central