Question

I’m using a local shared object as means to transfer data between two swf’s running at the same time.

so = getLocal("mySO");

// set the value from a user input, and set it to 'connected'
so.setProperty(txtName.text, "connected")

// every few seconds check if the other SWF started and modified value
onTimer 
{
 var data:Object = so.data
// breakpoint and inspect the data with debugger
}

The last commented line is where the problem is. In debugger, no changes to data are detected, but when inspecting .sol file with .minerva, I see the changes from both SWF’s. So, although shared object is modified by SWF 2, the SWF 1 does not see these changes. Is this how’s it supposed to be?

ps: I know I could use LocalConnection for communicating between two running SWF’s but still want to know about the SO if there’s some kind of a limitation.

UPDATE:

Run the compiled Flex app from disk twice, put the “swf2” into textfield of the second one. Press start on both. The first one that is started never detects that the second one was connected.

<s:Application xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009" 
               xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark" 
               xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx" 
               minWidth="955" 
               minHeight="600"
               creationComplete="application1_creationCompleteHandler(event)"
               >

    <fx:Script>
        <![CDATA[
            import mx.events.FlexEvent;

            private var timer:Timer;
            private var so:SharedObject;

            protected function application1_creationCompleteHandler(event:FlexEvent):void
            {
                so = SharedObject.getLocal("mySO");

                timer = new Timer(1000);
                timer.addEventListener(TimerEvent.TIMER, onTimer);

            }

            protected function button1_clickHandler(event:MouseEvent):void
            {
                so.setProperty(txtSwf.text, 'connected');
                so.flush();
                timer.start();

            }


            protected function onTimer(event:TimerEvent):void
            {
                so = SharedObject.getLocal("mySO");
                txtLog.text += so.data["swf1"] + "\n";
                txtLog.text += so.data["swf2"] + "\n";
                txtLog.text += "------------ \n";

            }

        ]]>
    </fx:Script>

    <fx:Declarations>
        <!-- Place non-visual elements (e.g., services, value objects) here -->
    </fx:Declarations>
    <s:TextInput id="txtSwf" x="10" y="50" text="swf1"/>
    <s:Button x="170" y="50" label="Start" click="button1_clickHandler(event)"/>
    <s:TextArea id="txtLog" x="10" y="154" width="279" height="112" />


</s:Application>

Answer 1

Phew, found an answer. Jevgeenij gave me a lead to forcing the re-read of the shared object, but his code didn’t work exactly. what I needed to add was this.

so = getLocal("mySO");

// set the value from a user input, and set it to 'connected'
so.setProperty(txtName.text, "connected")

// every few seconds check if the other SWF started and modified value
onTimer 
{
    so = getLocal("mySO"); // read the so file.

    var data:Object = so.data;

    so = null // MAKE IT NULL AND HOPE IT'S GC'D BEFORE NEXT TIMER
}

The trick was to set it to null after use, only then it is forcefully re-read and values written from other SWF instance picked up.