Contest at SWX: SWF Data Format

To celebrate the release of SWX PHP Version 1.0 we're having a contest and here are the entries. Since we have a manageable number of entries, we're going to skip the public voting round and let our judges pick the winners.

Below you will find the entries for the SWX contest in the Web, API, and Mobile categories.

Extraordinary Careers by Adam Royle
Gal to Gal Walk by R. Jon MacDonald
Pink Spirits by R. Jon MacDonald
Toni’s Bauernsuche by Muevo and Moodley
Animated Flickr Mosaic by Trevor Boyle
Moodboard Generator by Charles Brandt
Flickr slideshow widget by Charles Brandt
The Code Zone by John Hattan
Photo Gallery Viewer by Julio Rodriguez
Supermenus by Hans Elgelid
SWX Wordpress API by Benjamin Wiederkehr
SWX Kuler API by Florian Plag
SWXml by Florian Plag
SWX PHPiCalendar API by Michaël Boué
Constant Contact SWX API by R. Jon MacDonald
The SubmitVerisignPayment SWX API by R. Jon MacDonald
SWX Technorati API by Nitin
SWX Backpack Service by Mike Stead
miniRSS reader by Florian Plag
SWX Blogger by Peter Elst
Tweeter by Aran Rhee
The Code Zone Mobile Edition by John Hattan

Web Entries

Extraordinary Careers by Adam Royle

Last modified on 2008-04-27 08:53:25 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Extraordinary Careers is the web site of Laing O'Rourke, a privately-owned development, construction and specialist company based in Australia.

The web site makes use of CakeSWXPHP and uses SWX in a novel manner, as explained by the site's developer, Adam Royle:

I needed to get some data into a flash site (http://www.extraordinarycareers.com.au/), so I used a combination of swx and cakephp (using CakeSWXPHP of course).

The site doesn't access the gateway directly. The SWF is generated when the site is published from the admin section, and uploaded to the site with the rest of the site files.

What I initially thought would be a big task - getting all of the data into flash in a way that was fast and easy to work with - was a breeze, all thanks to SWX! All of the site data (content, image paths, video paths, etc) is loaded upon startup and is less than 25kb - much less than the JSON equivalent I also tried!

So SWX isn't just great for truly "dynamic" situations - it's even useful for generating static data.

Gal to Gal Walk by R. Jon MacDonald

Last modified on 2008-04-27 08:52:44 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

The Gal To Gal Foundation has a new web site and online campaign for the Gal To Gal Virtual Walk 2007. It aims to improve the lives of women diagnosed with Stage IV breast cancer and is expected to raise $1m. The site is due to be featured on the Martha Stewart Show on Monday, October 1st to a national audience in the United States.

The site it uses SWX RPC, with a SWX PHP back-end.

Jon MacDonald has a case study of the Gal To Gal Virtual Walk project, wherein he explains that the entire site was built in one-and-a-half weeks:

SWX is used extensively throughout the site to communicate with the back-end and database. This enabled the rapid development timeline, and made the process of storing and passing data through PHP seamless. I haven't seen any other true sites built with SWX, but rather small mash-ups and widgets, so I believe this is a first for the SWX project.

Read more about GalToGalWalk.org in my blog post and on Jon's case study.

View the site here.

Pink Spirits by R. Jon MacDonald

Last modified on 2008-04-27 08:52:27 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

High-profile consumer site pulling all content from custom-built PHP CMS using SWX. Beyond basic text and images, SWX is also used for a custom written retail locator. Site is hosted on shared server (specifically MediaTemple's GridServers) and is a great example of extensive use of SWX on shared hosting. While site is not currently 'live' for public consumption, it will be within the next few days at http://www.pinkspirits.com.

Toni’s Bauernsuche by Muevo and Moodley

Last modified on 2008-04-20 07:35:29 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

The idea for Toni’s Bauernsuche (Toni’s Farmer-Search) resulted from a project Muevo did together with one of our partners, Moodley.

The clients’ company, Toni’s Freilandeier, sells free range eggs that come from farmers in the local area. With the re-launch of his website the client required a feature showing his customers the origin of each egg (every egg sold in Austria has a special control number printed on its shell, connecting it to a specific farmer, and indicating how the animals are kept).

The Flash microsite allows users to browse information about the farmers who supply Toni’s (and are therefore committed to strict quality standards). It shows photographs, detailed information such as the number of hens, contact addresses, and phone numbers. Users can also directly search for specific farmers using the farmer’s name, ZIP code, or egg control number as search criteria.

Technical Facts

The project consists of two major parts: a Flash frontend for visualization and a PHP backend for content management. The data is held in a MS SQL database provided and maintained by the client’s company.

The PHP backend handles database connectivity and functionality for data retrieval, including search and random search queries. All content is loaded dynamically at runtime, including the loading of images, which is served by a binary action. The backend is based on the CakePHP framework, which
allows a rapid development of the necessary database handling, and a simple administration area to directly maintain content and images online.
Using Wouter Verweirder‘s great CakeSWXPHP implementation, it was fairly straightforward to add SWX functionality to the backend.

The frontend is implemented in Flash and ActionScript 2.0. By encapsulating the business logic in several distinct classes by making use of best-practice software design patterns like facades and singleton objects, it was easy for both (non-programming) designers and more advanced software engineers to work together on this project. SWX integrated very well through its object oriented approach.

How It Uses SWX

At the beginning of the project we had a close look at different techniques for implementing Flash to the backend communication. With most techniques the necessary “overhead” for sending and retrieving data to and from the backend was far too high. After discovering SWXFormat.org it was soon clear that this would be the way to go. SWX not only has a low overhead when it comes to necessary function calls for data preparation and retrieval, but through its binary file format the processing of the retrieved data is also a snap.

View the site.

For full details, please refer to these PDFs: Contest Submission, Back-end details.

Animated Flickr Mosaic by Trevor Boyle

Last modified on 2008-04-20 07:37:54 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Animated Flickr Mosaic by Trevor Boyle uses SWX to load the latest images uploaded to Flickr into my flash movie and then creates an animated mosaic of the loaded image. Because images are constantly being uploaded onto Flickr, and the random animation, your visual experience will be different to everyone elses. There is also the option to view images from a specific user, which means that you can view your own images with the same effect.

View the site.

Moodboard Generator by Charles Brandt

Last modified on 2008-04-20 07:36:10 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

Moodboard Generator by Charles Brandt asks you to give it up to 6 search terms at a time which describe the things you want to see on your moodboard.

Using SWX the 100 most recent photos for each of the terms are retrieved.

The photos are then animated gliding onto stage to a random location. Over time this creates a collage. Images may be repositioned by clicking and dragging them. Images can be saved to your favorites list by double clicking them.

Once you have added items to your favorites list you can create a moodboard of just those pictures and then upload it to Flickr using SWX.

This toy is especially interesting when you enter abstract concepts like dangerous or happy. It is also very interesting to enter a country's name and see what pictures people believe represent that country.

View the site

Flickr slideshow widget by Charles Brandt

Last modified on 2008-04-20 07:36:45 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

The Flickr slideshow widget by Charles Brandt takes the 20 most recent pictures from my Flickr account using SWX and makes a crossfading slideshow of them. The slideshow also displays the titles of the images as captions.

View the slideshow widget on Charles' web site (in the top right under the section titled My Recent Flickr Photos).

The Code Zone by John Hattan

Last modified on 2008-04-27 08:54:15 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

The Code Zone by John Hattan is a miniature game-portal of sorts.

Here's what John says about his entry:

The site centers around my Daily Puzzles, which are a set of (currently twelve) puzzle games. The puzzles change once a day, and users can log in to play if they want to rank themselves against other players. After solving a puzzle, you're invited to return the next day to see how well you fared against the rest of the players. You also have the option of emailed high score tables, RSS feeds of scores, and daily posts of your rankings to Twitter.

I use SWX to handle user management, login/logout, submitting scores, trophies (hidden awards for in-game accomplishments) and the "statisticalyzer" app that users can use to view their scores and awards.

Thus-far I've found SWX to be easier, lighter, and more reliable than remoting -- my communications failures have dropped to almost zero. Future plans include SWX-based daily rankings widgets for the various widget-platforms as well as Chumby.

Visit the site.

Photo Gallery Viewer by Julio Rodriguez

Last modified on 2008-04-20 07:43:51 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

Photo Gallery Viewer by Julio Rodriguez is an online tool for viewing web Photo Galleries from Flickr or Picasa (Web Albums).

The photos are presented in a unified and easy to use interface. Its built using the Flickr API that comes with SWX, and SWXml to incorporate data from the Picasa API.

View the site.

Supermenus by Hans Elgelid

Last modified on 2008-04-20 07:37:05 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Supermenus by Hans Elgelid uses SWX PHP together with the Flickr API and ASWing.The application interoperates with the Joomla CMS and gives you the ability to use images/Flash as a menu instead of text.

Here's what Hans says about his entry:

You can now using your Flickr library or your own server's library of images, create an imagelink as a subsitute or complement to the menu link you previously have created from your backend in Joomla ( http://jaya.to/swx/administrator guest guest ).

The application is included in Joomla by using Joomla's Wrapper module which allows you to include an iframe into your application/website.
It distributed as part of a Joomla template wich makes it easily distributed and installed by, I think millions of people. Google "free joomla templates" and see.

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Test out the application at: http://jaya.to/swx

Tripple-click on the background of the image menu and log in with username guest, password guest.

API Entries

SWX Wordpress API by Benjamin Wiederkehr

Last modified on 2008-04-27 08:53:16 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

The SWX Wordpress API by Benjamin Wiederkehr opens up Wordpress to Flash developers. You can get all posts or search for posts by author, category, id, date, or tag. You can also play with comments, authors, categories, tags, images, and options.

Here's what Benjamin says about it:

The idea of creating SWX-Wordpress came when i was strugling with a project at university. We had to create a prototype of some databased driven application . . . I was using a handwritten script to connect to the database and it was such a hassle to get the data that i spend more time on that than on actual designing the visualization.

During summer I experimented a little with SWX and decided to rewrite the above mentioned visualization with the use of SWX. What I need first is a solid library of functions to get the needed data. I took the Wordpress Template Tags as my archetype and thought out a basic set of functions with the data and datastructure they should provide. The result is the actual function catalog.

From here on it was just a matter of programming skills (I had to learn), good coffee and some nightshifts in front of Textmate.

Read the whole story behind the SWX Wordpress API.

SWX Kuler API by Florian Plag

Last modified on 2008-03-22 08:01:59 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

SWX Kuler API by Florian Plag parses a kuler rss feed (e.g. most popular, highest rated, ...) and returns an array with the color themes.

It's also possible to search for specific themes. The filters use the Kuler search feed. So you can look for title, hex values, etc.

The SWX Kuler API works with both PHP 4 and 5.

Here's what Florian says about it:

I also had some fun with "kulering" the swx logo The Service Explorer and the Data Analyzer are really nice tools. It's really easy to work with SWX!

SWXml by Florian Plag

Last modified on 2008-04-27 08:53:05 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

SWXml by Florian Palg is a generic XML parser for SWX.

SWXml provides flash developers with a very easy way to create applications using the popular XML format (e.g. RSS Feeds, Atom, Media RSS, etc.).

SWXml parses an XML file and returns an array containing all the information. So you don’t need to write ActionScript Code for parsing, you can just use the data of the XML file in a native way.

SWX PHPiCalendar API by Michaël Boué

Last modified on 2008-03-22 08:03:53 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

SWX PHPiCalendar API by Michaël Boué is a PHPiCalendar API for SWX.

Major functions:

View the events for this day, this week, this month, this year, or a selected timespan.
It's also possible to add events to the calendars.

A working version in the SWX Service Explorer can be found here.

Download the source (32KB, .zip).

Constant Contact SWX API by R. Jon MacDonald

Last modified on 2008-04-27 08:52:17 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Enables you to easily interact with the Constant Contact API and subscribe/unsubscribe members to email lists. See
http://www.constantcontact.com for more information.

Used on the Pink Spirits site (bottom right tab of home page).

Get the source.

The SubmitVerisignPayment SWX API by R. Jon MacDonald

Last modified on 2008-03-22 08:02:39 GMT. 1 comment. Top.

The SubmitVerisignPayment Class by R. Jon MacDonald enables simple interaction with the Verisign/PayPal Payment Pro Gateway.

Allows you to quickly submit a payment and receive feedback. Adapted from the sample provided by PayPal for use with Flash/SWX.

Used on GaltoGalWalk.org site to process all payments.

Get the source.

SWX Technorati API by Nitin

Last modified on 2008-04-20 07:36:39 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

SWX Technorati API by Nitin

The SWX Technorati API by Nitin brings the Technorati API to SWX and Flash.

Get the source.

SWX Backpack Service by Mike Stead

Last modified on 2008-04-20 07:37:19 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

SWX Backpack Service by Mike Stead is a SWX API for the Backpack service from 37Signals.

What is Backpack?

The aim of Backpack is to help you keep your life organised. Whether it’s an event you’re planning or some thoughts you’re collating, this online application allows you to assemble, edit and share these in a simple and flexible manner.
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On top of this, Backpack also includes a reminders system which is capable of dispatching an email and/or a sms to the account holder at a predefined point in the future.

Download SWX Backpack Service (0.7.2) (.zip).

Mobile Entries

miniRSS reader by Florian Plag

Last modified on 2008-04-20 07:35:42 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

miniRSS reader by Florian Plag is an RSS reader for Flash Lite that was inspired by the SWX miniFlickr example. It uses SWXml, Florian's service class for SWX that parses XML files and RSS feeds.

Watch the screencast showing you how miniRSS loads and displays the feed of Aral’s web site.

If you want to use miniRSS with your own feed, just change the URL in the .fla file. At the moment, the application is configured for RSS2 feeds. It’s very easy to change the format to another format, e.g. Atom (have a look at the SWXml documentation).

If you want to compile the application, be sure to have the SWX ActionScript classes (download the SWX ActionScript Library). Just copy miniRSS to the folder containing the other examples.

Download miniRSS: miniRSS (.zip containing .fla und .swf)

Visit the site for a screencast of the application in action.

SWX Blogger by Peter Elst

Last modified on 2008-04-20 07:35:48 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

SWX Blogger by Peter Elst is a Flash Lite 2 app for S60 phones.

Here's what Peter says about it:

What better way to spent a Sunday evening than play around with SWX and your mobile phone

I started creating a MetaWeblog API SWX service and simply call the newPost method on it from the SWF.

The app is basically three screens: settings (XMLRPC endpoint, username and password for your blog), the actual blog entry (title, body) and finally a status screen that shows you whether it was successfull in posting it or not. I've used mobile shared objects to save the blog settings so you don't have to type those over and over again.

The whole thing probably took me just under three hours, most of the work was in the PHP -- which admittedly needs some more work. I've attached a zip of the SWF to deploy to your phone, the FLA source code and the MetaWeblog PHP service.

View SWX Blogger online.

Download the source and SWF to deploy to your phone (.zip; 56KB).

Tweeter by Aran Rhee

Last modified on 2008-04-20 07:37:13 GMT. 0 comments. Top.

Tweeter by Aran Rhee is a twitter widget designed for the Chumby.

I was asked by Chumby to develop a improved Twitter widget for the Chumby Flash Lite 3 device. I had originally used the Twitter Flash API, but there were some significant issues with authentication headers not being passed correctly using the official methods (bad or cached results being returned). I found the SWX Twitter API, and was able to replace all the API calls and result handlers without changing my UI or main classes in ~ 1 hour. None of the authentication issues were present since the SWX gateway makes the actual calls. To be able to swap out the back end of an application this easily (and on Flash Lite no less) was absolutely fabulous.

Depending on whether the Chumby user authenticates or not, they will either be shown the public timeline or their friends timeline. If the user clicks on any of the individual tweets, the UI will then show that users individual timeline.

The UI is very simple as it is designed to run on the Chumby which has a mobile type processor (slow) and no rollover states etc (being a touch screen device).

Birds are used as a visual device since Twitter statuses are sometimes called “tweets”.

View Tweeter online.

The Code Zone Mobile Edition by John Hattan

Last modified on 2008-05-26 20:33:13 GMT. 2 comments. Top.

The Code Zone by John Hattan is the mobile version of John's iniature game-portal site, The Code Zone.

The Code Zone (web edition) is a separate entry in the SWX Contest under the Web category.

Here's what John says about his entry:

My mobile site is one of the chief reasons I went with SWX for the communications layer rather than remoting. Since the games are all compiled for Flash 7 and SWX, getting 'em to run in Flash Lite was basically "free". It was largely a matter of putting together some light Javascript-free PHP that'll intelligently size the games for the screen.

Contest Rules

Web and Mobile categories

Create any cool experiment, site, application, and/or mashup that uses SWX RPC, either with SWX PHP or without writing any server-side code at all by using the SWX APIs on the Public SWX Gateway. You can choose to use the SWX ActionScript Library (recommended) or go native with loadMovie()!

All entries must play back in the Flash Player (SWX RPC is supported on Flash Player 6 and above, and Flash Lite 2.x). You cannot use SWX RPC with ActionScript 3/Flash 9/Flex 2 projects at the moment (a version for AVM2 is in the works.)

You will be judged on the creativity of your entries, their visual appeal, usability (where applicable), and the amazing ways in which they make use of existing or custom SWX APIs.

API category

For the API category, create a useful SWX API that doesn't already exist, either for a big-name popular service (e.g., Yahoo Mail, Wordpress, etc.) or for your own custom service.

You will be judged on the usefulness and scope of the API. Open an amazing new world to SWX developers and you shall be rewarded.

All entries to the competition must be released under the open source MIT license.

Prizes, prizes, prizes!

SWX Contest Prices

Boy do we have some sweet prizes for this competition, including three Nabaztag Tag bunnies and iPod Touches that I'm contributing myself

Prizes package for the winner in each category:

Adobe Web Suite Premium
Lynda.com 1 Year Premium Subscription
Nabaztag/tag bunny
iPod Touch
A copy of ActionScript Viewer (ASV)
Books from Friends of ED

Judges

We have a great group of internationally-renowned Flash, Flash Lite, and SWX developers to judge the various categories:

Web

Keith Peters
Carlos Ulloa
John Grden

Mobile

TBA
Alessandro Pace
Richard Leggett

APIs

Jed Hurt (SWX Ruby)
Folkert Hielema (SWX Twitter, Jaiku, & Numpa APIs, and Dutch docs)
Wouter Verweirder (CakeSWXPHP)

Terms & Conditions

Your project must use SWX RPC. You can use any available SWX RPC implementation (except for the APIs category which must use SWX PHP).
For the APIs category: Your project is released under the open source MIT License.
If you create a new SWX PHP API for your Web or Flash Lite app, you can enter it separately in the APIs category.
Results of the public voting and judges decisions are final. Don’t sue us, we love you.

Dates and deadlines

Started on October 3rd, 2007
Entries must be online and source code emailed to aral@aralbalkan.com by ~~midnight GMT on Sunday, October 28th, 2007~~ midnight GMT on Sunday, December 2nd, 2007.
~~Public voting will take place from ~~October 29th - November 4th~~December 10th-16th, 2007.~~
Winners will be announced on December 24, 2007.

Web Entries

API Entries

Mobile Entries

Contest Rules

Web and Mobile categories

API category

Prizes, prizes, prizes!

Judges

Web

Mobile

APIs

Terms & Conditions

Dates and deadlines

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