When I go to the homepage of my website then I can see my tweets, but when I go to another page and press again on home then it is saying “loading…” how to automatically refresh this script?

Thanks!

See: http://www.zangpraktijk.nl/twitter

is there any way to display the relative time that the last tweet was made? like “43 minutes ago” or “two days ago”, etc.

I’m copying the code here, and changing everything that is required. But am getting these errors:

TypeError: Error #2007: Parameter text must be non-null.
at flash.text::TextField/set htmlText()
at Main/showTwitterStatus()
at Main/loadTwitterDataFromFlashCookie()
at Main()

Any thoughts?

Coincidentally if I comment all references of twitter_txt in the showTwitterStatus function and uncomment the trace(twitterXML); the error goes away but it does not trace the stuff twitter sends you.

If you’ve got any thoughts it would be good to hear them. Thanks in advance.

You can call me a newbie, but i got some little flash experience. This is the first time i work with AS3.
For mounts i’m trying to get this code working, but still the same result: Loading twitter status…
I checked so many options out of these comments of other users, but i really get stucked.

Like someone said before; on my local machine i can get the first tutorial-attachment working, only with your feeds. If i change just my twitter ID, it’s working but only on my local machine.

I tried several times the code on the page of the first part of this tutorial, which is different, and i fill out the right php path.
That also failed to work.
The code above looks great, and i quite understand everything, but i’m confused that i can’t get it working.
It all shows” Loading twitter status….”

I did a lot of research in the code.
And I think the php-file causes the failure.
I checked the paths, and I also tested with www and without, relative paths etc. (the Main.as and the twitter.php are in the same directory on the server as my twitter.swf file)
My webserver is of course compatible with php.

I’m checking the swf file with Firefox, Safari and Chrome browsers.
Firefox said in its status bar that when i’m opening the swf, it starts reading the twitterpage, and finish succesfully. But then again no result on my twitter_txt field.

Some questions to make it a bit clear for me:
1) I’m using the PHP file of the first part of this tutorial and named it “twitter.php” is that oke?
2) To pretent www-mistakes, can i use a relative path for the php-file definition, like: twitterPHPScriptPath = “twitter.php”;
3) Which of those 3 Main.as scripts do you advise me to use? Do they all work on a webserver?
4) Does it make sence if i use my twitter ID or my twitter ID number? Do I have to provide the ” ” signs?
5) How does the Main.as file hit the php-file? Can I check this?
6) Any idea why it isn’t working if i just adjust the twitter ID, the php-file path and twitter.swf, twitter.php and Main.as upload to my webserver?

If you are able to get some answers for me, i would be really really glad!
And I hope you could help me to get this cool thing done.
Thanx in advance!

Stefan (from NL)

Thoughts?

Here is a function that looks for a link inside of your tweet, then makes it a hyperlink and changes the color.

public function createURLInsideofString(twitterPost:String):String
{

var doesHaveURLText:String = twitterPost;//;
var urlstart = 0;
var urlend = 0;
var url_prefix:String = “”;

if (doesHaveURLText.indexOf(“http://” || “www.”) != -1) {

urlstart = doesHaveURLText.indexOf(“http://” || “www”);

if (doesHaveURLText.indexOf(” “, urlstart) != -1) {
urlend = doesHaveURLText.indexOf(” “, urlstart);

} else {
urlend=doesHaveURLText.length;
}

if (doesHaveURLText.indexOf(“http://”,urlstart) == -1) {
url_prefix = “http://”;
} else {
url_prefix = “”;
}

return doesHaveURLText.substring( 0,urlstart)+”“+doesHaveURLText.substring(urlstart,urlend)+”“+doesHaveURLText.substring(urlend,doesHaveURLText.length);

} else {
return twitterPost;
}

}

Just call that function like so,

textFeild.htmlText = createURLInsideofString(twitterXML.status.text[i]);

then your link will be highlighted, underlined and clickable.

Hope that helps,

@Justin: here is the as2 code, it is working i`d downgraded Ryan`s great class, to use on a project that does not supported as3 (it was on a projector embedded into office `07), also here is a very handy tool to convert you as2 code into as3 while you`re learning it, http://www.5etdemi.com/blog/archives/2006/11/as2-to-as3-converter-createtextfield-geturl-handling/ , hope anyone with the same issue find it usefull, again Ryan you`re the man thank you very much!.
[code]
...import Proxy;

class Twitter extends MovieClip
{
private var twitterXML : XML;
private var twitterPHPScriptPath : String;
private var myTwitterID : String;
private var twitterText : TextField;
private var statusInterval : Number;
private var cicle : Number = 0;
private var cookie : SharedObject;
private var writeCookie : Boolean;
private var currDate : Date;

public function Twitter()
{
this.myTwitterID = "jzhouVIP";
this.twitterPHPScriptPath = "http://localhost/twitter.php";
this.writeCookie = true;
this.loadDataFromCookie();
}

private function loadDataFromCookie() : Void
{
this.cookie = SharedObject.getLocal("twitter");
var timeStamp : Date = this.cookie.data.timeStamp;

if (timeStamp != null)
{
if (hasExpired(timeStamp))
{
trace("cookie has expired! let's get some fresh data");
this.loadTwitterXML();
}
else
{
trace("cookie is fresh. display the data.");
this.twitterXML = this.cookie.data.twitterXML;
this.showTwitterStatus();
this.statusInterval = setInterval (this, "showTwitterStatus", 10000);
}
}
else
{
this.loadTwitterXML();
}
}

private function saveToCookie() : Void
{
var flushStatus = null;
try
{
flushStatus = this.cookie.flush(10000);
}
catch (error:Error)
{
trace("Error...Could not write Cookie to disk\n");
}

if (flushStatus != null)
{
switch (flushStatus)
{
case SharedObject.Flush.Failed:
trace("Requesting permission to save object...\n");
this.cookie.addEventListener(this, onFlushStatus);
break;
case SharedObject.Flush.Success:
trace("********* save complete. ***********\n");
finishedHandlingTwitterData();
break;
}
}
}

private function onFlushStatus() : Void
{
trace("User closed permission dialog...\n");
switch (this.cookie.onStatus)
{
case "SharedObject.Flush.Success":
trace("User granted permission -- value saved.\n");
finishedHandlingTwitterData();
break;
case "SharedObject.Flush.Failed":
trace("User denied permission -- value not saved.\n");
this.writeCookie = false;
break;
}
this.cookie.removeEventListener(this, onFlushStatus);
}

private function finishedHandlingTwitterData() : Void
{
trace("Twitter data saved.");
}

private function hasExpired(timeStamp : Date) : Boolean
{
var now:Date = new Date();
var expiryHours:Number = 2;
var expiryMinutes:Number = 30;
var expirySeconds:Number = 0;
var msPerHour:Number = 3600000;
var msPerMinute:Number = 60000;
var msPerSecond:Number = 1000;
var expiryTime:Number = (expiryHours * msPerHour) + (expiryMinutes * msPerMinute) + (expirySeconds * msPerSecond);

return (now.getTime() - timeStamp.getTime() > expiryTime);
}

private function loadTwitterXML():Void
{
this.twitterXML = new XML();
this.twitterXML.ignoreWhite = true;
this.twitterXML.onLoad = Proxy.create(this, finishLoadingXML);
this.twitterXML.load(this.twitterPHPScriptPath + "?twitterId=" + this.myTwitterID);
trace("xml loaded...init");
}

private function finishLoadingXML():Void
{
this.cookie = SharedObject.getLocal("twitter");
this.cookie.data.timeStamp = new Date();
this.cookie.data.twitterXML = this.twitterXML;
this.saveToCookie();
this.showTwitterStatus();
this.statusInterval = setInterval (this, "showTwitterStatus", 10000);
}

private function showTwitterStatus():Void
{
if(cicle < this.twitterXML.firstChild.childNodes.length || cicle < this.cookie.data.twitterXML.length)
{
trace("cicle "+cicle);
this.twitterText.autoSize = true;
this.twitterText.embedFonts = true;
this.twitterText.htmlText += this.twitterXML.firstChild.childNodes[cicle].childNodes[2] + "\n";
cicle++;
}
else
{
clearInterval(this.statusInterval);
trace("no more entries to display...aborting");
}
}
}//end of class
...
[/code]
[code]
...class Proxy
{
public static function create(oTarget : Object, fFunction : Function) : Function
{
var aParameters : Array = new Array();
for(var i : Number = 2;i < arguments.length; i++)
{
aParameters[i - 2] = arguments[i];
}
var fProxy : Function = function():Void
{
var aActualParameters : Array = arguments.concat(aParameters);
fFunction.apply(oTarget, aActualParameters);
};
return fProxy;
}
}
...
[/code]

I read all the comments about the possible sandbox issues, but I am keeping all my files in the same folder and testing online so I don’t think thats the issue.

In flash I get the error below, which I noticed someone else mentioned in the first fwitter tutorial. The only solution I saw was to set the text box to render text as HTML, but that didnt’ seem to make a difference.

Any suggestions?

cookie is fresh. display the data.
showTwitterStatus
TypeError: Error #2007: Parameter text must be non-null.
at flash.text::TextField/set htmlText()
at Main/showTwitterStatus()
at Main/loadTwitterDataFromFlashCookie()
at Main()

- Ryan

Try starting here, and reading the Understanding Classes tutorials:

http://www.untoldentertainment.com/blog/flash-and-actionscript-911/

I… guess I can… learn AS3. :)

I stumbled my way through translating the AS3 from your first tutorial to AS2, but now visitors are exceding the 100 calls limit!

Tutorial: Clickify Your Twitter Feed in Flash

First of all, supertutorial, I got mine up and running in no time and I’m an AS Newbie!

Steve, I was wondering if you managed to get the links working, and if so, would you mind to share that part of code with me, that would be great..

thanks,

Mitch

Your cashing script was just a little too strong and my browser too dumb. It was working off an old cashed Main.as file, one that had your info in it. After a few resetting the browsers, and clearing my cashed files, it seems to be working. Excellent tutorial sir! Thanks for having this available to us.

The PHP file’s:
“$twitterId = isset($_REQUEST["twitterId"]) ? $_REQUEST["twitterId"] : ”;
if( $twitterId == “” ){”

Is set by the Twitter id in the Main.as (as seen here?):

// Put your Twitter username here. For example, ours is “Untoldent” :
myTwitterID = “MyUsername”;

// Put the path to your php script here:
twitterPHPScriptPath = “http://www.mydomain.com/Scripts/twitter.php”;

Am I missing something? I can DM you through twitter the URLs I’m using to test this from if it will help. I just don’t want to post them for all to see (grin).

Thanks in advance for the help. Great tutorial so far, just trying to figure out where my stupid mistake is.

Short of writing a tutorial on it, here are the concepts and method calls you need:

1. Take the Tweet string and store each word in a separate index in an array. You can do this with the Array.split() method

2. Loop through each word, and look for “http://” using the String.indexOf() method. That method returns the position of the thing you’re looking for in the string. It returns -1 if the thing doesn’t exist in the string.

3. If a word contains “http://”, replace it with “” + theWord + “‘‘”;, which resolves to someURL – your standard html hyperlink

4. As you’re looping through each word and checking it for hyperlinks, concatenate it into a new string

5. myTextField.htmlText = brandNewStringWithHyperlinksInIt;
Yeah?

- Ryan

In the Main.as file I have changed the “myTwitterID = “XXXXXXX” to my XXXXXXX and pointed it to the correct PHP on my domain in the “twitterPHPScriptPath = “http://www.mydomain.com/phpfile.php” line, but it keeps showing your feed. I must be overlooking something small. Let me know if there is someplace else I need to change a parameter. Hope I’m just missing something small. I’m really just learning this as I go.

Thanks!

Only had two problems getting it to work: 1) getting my server to cooperate (fopen stuff) and 2) figuring out that the php code is the ONLY thing that should be in the php file.

I am, however, having problems implementing a stylesheet for the text. I want to pull in multiple tweets with the timestamps below each one (which I can do without a hitch) and have the timestamp be a smaller font and different color. I tried to use a css file loaded to a styleSheet and applied to the textbox, then use html code in between each node of the xml to create this effect… like this:

twitter_txt.htmlText = “” + twitterXML.status.text[0] + “” + twitterXML.status.created_at[0] + “”;

It just isn’t working. works though.
Any ideas anyone?

When I have the url in as http://caitlincwilliams.com the twitter feed doesn’t pull in, but when I have it with the “www” in the url it does. Any thoughts on this?

Thanks for making the twitter happen! :)

information found here http://addiator.blogspot.com/2008/03/flash-cookies-finding-and-deleting.html

Was working fine and then not … Cleared out my shared objects all is well. Going to look into Joe B’s method.

http://www.christianpompa.com/index2.html . the php & .as file is on there named twiter.php & Main.as in no directory, just right after domain for u quick testing. Can you check this out and give me a quick rundown of whats wrong with that. I checked throughout all the comments and couldn’t find anything. I also set the AS3 setting on the flash to link to Main.as but still no go on it. Thanks

Thanks much for this tutorial – i found it usefull and was able to get the first round working no problem – good work!

But a few questions regarding this post … after read it seems like this method wouldn’t really work if you were getting a LOt of hits from ‘different’ users – is there any reason not to save the xml file out from the php and call to that? (then maybe add some logic to decide which xml file to read)

im doing something like this for my solution:

echo $file;

$filename = $twitterId.’output.xml’;
$h = fopen($filename, ‘w’);
fwrite($h, $file);
fclose($h);

do get me wrong… I do like the shared object approach as well

If not, I was thinking that i could make the ‘specials’ movie clips visibility equal to false at the beginning in order to populate the text box, but once it switches scenes I lose the text. Is there a way to maybe set the contents of the textbox to a global variable of a sort and then repopulate the textbox with those contents once i get to frame 66 (scene 2)?

Sorry for all the questions, I am getting very close and I really appreciate the help.

There’s a third possible problem – AS3 is junk for dealing with timeline stuff, and especially nested clips on the timeline. Most often, the code executes before the screen is drawn and the clips become accessible. So watch out.

1120: Access of undefined property twitter_txt.

my twitter_txt box is in scene 1, Frame 66, and within a movie clip symbol. Am I not calling it correctly from the Main.as file? Any help would be appreciated, once again.

Did you read the comments from the others in both tutorials? The problem you have is likely a security sandbox issue. Make sure that the swf is sitting in the same domain as the php. Even a missing “www” will cause an error.

I tryed using that application but with no avail. The funny thing is that when I use the code from tutorial 1 (from the website not the source file (the code is different between these two)) it populates twitter in the flash file on my local computer but not on my web server. I am pretty sure this is because the code listed on tutorial 1 makes no call to a PHP file. When I use the code in tutorial 1 from the source file (the one that makes a call to the PHP file) it no longer works.

Since I was able to make a call to my PHP file and get a return through the web browser, then this tells me that there must be a problem with the call from the AS file to the PHP file. However, I literally copied and pasted the same PHP link that works in my browser to the AS file but with no avail, either.

I realize you are probably busy with other things, but if you get a second to take a look i have uploaded the files to: http://www.parisisrestaurant.com/files/tparisi.zip

-Travis

http://demonsterdebugger.com/

My Flash file just sits at “Loading…”

I have tested that the PHP file is working by directing my web browser to: http://www.parisisrestaurant.com/tscriptphp/parisitwitter.php?twitterId=TrattoriaParisi

This returns a twitter feed, so it must not be my PHP file.

I have edited the code to include my ID: var myTwitterID:String = “TrattoriaParisi”;
And edited to include the PHP location: var twitterPHPScriptPath:String = “http://www.parisisrestaurant.com/tscriptphp/parisitwitter.php”;

I save the file and upload them to the directory and it just sits there…. what am I doing wrong?!?! Please help!

-Travis

TypeError: Error #1088: The markup in the document following the root element must be well-formed.

apparently me and flash disagree on our definition of ‘well-formed’ and i pulled it from the first tutorial.
any suggestions?

It’s not too tough. In your ftp program, create a new folder. Let’s say “scripts”. So the path to that folder is http://www.yourdomain.com/scripts. Then, create your php file and drop it into that folder. Now the path to the php file is http://www.yourdomain.com/scripts/myPHPfile.php. That’s not too tricky, is it?

Just make sure that the swf file that calls the php is also within the directory structure at http://www.yourdomain.com, or you’ll get security sandbox errors like the other folks here.

Hahahaha. Delusions of grandeur.

Anyway, brilliant tutorial. I love your idea of storing all that info in the sha–Flash cookie, and all the benefits that come with it. I’d never thought of that.