Creating High Score / Top Scores / Data Table in Adobe Flash CS3

15 Oct 2007 Quan Quach 55 comments 11,385 views

Introduction: Using Actionscript 3.0 /PHP / MySQL / and XML to create data tables within Flash

Adding a high score table to your game is a function that can greatly enhance your flash games. This tutorial will guide you on how to make a table of top scores (high scores) within Adobe Flash CS3 using the DataGrid component, as shown below. When I first attempted to create a high score table in my flash application, I had no idea where to start and couldn’t find a good tutorial to get me going. Thus, I decided to write this tutorial to help others interested in creating high score tables or just plain old data tables within flash. This tutorial will help you understand how Actionscript 3.0, PHP, MySQL, and XML interact with each other to process data.

Table of High Scores

In order to make a table of top scores, we need some place to store these top scores. There are a couple of ways to store this data (i.e. text file on your web host), but this tutorial focuses on using MySQL to do that. The data tables that will be used are not limited to just displaying high scores, but can be used to display any type of data. I assume that if you are interested in making a high scores table, that you are somewhat knowledgeable with Adobe Flash CS3/PHP/MySQL/XML and proficient in programming with Actionscript 3.0. But even if you don’t have the background, you can still learn a lot by going through this tutorial since I have provided a lot of the code (commented too!).

Below is a game I developed in flash that utilizes the high scores table. Give it a try!

This text is replaced by the Flash movie.

Now that you’ve seen the high scores table in action, we’re ready to get started! Also, you can download the source code here if you’re interested

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55 Responses to “Creating High Score / Top Scores / Data Table in Adobe Flash CS3”

on 30 Oct 2007 at 12:42 am 1Vinnie

I was not able to extract the zip file for this tutorial. It would be nice to have the original files. Thanks for all the hard work.
on 30 Oct 2007 at 11:53 am 2Quan Quach

Sorry, we’re having some server issues. We are trying to resolve them ASAP.
on 30 Oct 2007 at 4:01 pm 3J

man, i could rly use the source file…
i cant find out why Flash CS3 compiler gives me these errors:
1172: Definition fl.controls:TextInput could not be found.
1172: Definition fl.controls:TextArea could not be found.
on 30 Oct 2007 at 4:19 pm 4J

aha! ive done it! thank you very very very much
btw quite funny that youve answered the guy sooner than he asked…
on 30 Oct 2007 at 5:06 pm 5Vinnie

J
how did you figure it out?
on 30 Oct 2007 at 5:27 pm 6Quan Quach

i’ll have the source file uploaded and working at 1030pm pst. check back then!
on 30 Oct 2007 at 5:31 pm 7Vinnie

You are God! OK, maybe just a minor deity.
on 08 Nov 2007 at 11:50 am 8Me

to solve these errors:
1172: Definition fl.controls:TextInput could not be found.
1172: Definition fl.controls:TextArea could not be found.

simply add this at the top of your code:
import fl.controls.TextInput;
import fl.controls.TextArea;

wheen i say top of your code, i mean in frame 1 (if theres no class .as file) or if there is a class file that the code is done in, you would put it here:

package
{
import fl.controls.TextInput;
import fl.controls.TextArea;

public class ClassName …….
{

}
}
on 13 Nov 2007 at 6:30 am 9Rob

The source code can be downloaded but the fla file cannot be extracted… CRC error
on 04 Dec 2007 at 3:00 pm 10AS

What about if you put the imports in but it still throws that error?
on 23 Dec 2007 at 7:33 pm 11se

just delete the import..not sure of the consequences,but it can run
on 02 Jan 2008 at 2:00 am 12shaz

Please write more tutes like this one your excellent !!
on 24 Jan 2008 at 12:31 pm 13Igor

Excellent tutorial, thanks!
Can you briefly explain how would you pull an image from mysql and display it in flash? Thanks! -igor
on 23 Feb 2008 at 3:24 pm 14Jeanine Meyer

Help. The program did work (go to http://newmedia.purchase.edu/~Jeanine/videoproject/choosevideoplay.html

but when I went in to make a slight change in the positioning of the FLVPlayback, Publish produces errors, namely 1172 Definition fl.video:FLVPlayback could not be found.
It was found before????

Now there was an Adobe update. Could that be the problem?

thanks in advance.
on 23 Feb 2008 at 3:43 pm 15Jeanine Meyer

FOUND IT!

This was pretty subtle. The fl.video classes are only accessible if there is a FLVPlayback in the Library. Now, when I did this the first time, I had another .fla file open with a FLVPlayback component in its Library, so the Publish worked.

You and your tutorials have helped me before and I’m sure you will help me again.
on 27 Feb 2008 at 3:27 am 16Juha

Hi!
How can I chage highscore output that it puts scores in a different order.
The biggest score first and so on. I use it in a game where player needs to get as much points as he can. Thanks
on 27 Feb 2008 at 4:15 am 17Quan Quach

You have to change the way you query the MySQL database in order to change the order. Maybe you can also change the order within flash. I haven’t coded in actionscript in a while, so I’m very rusty!
on 28 Feb 2008 at 4:24 pm 18Juha

“You have to change the way you query the MySQL database” What I should do with the
database? Which parameters need to change? Im not a MySQL guru
on 28 Feb 2008 at 4:30 pm 19Quan Quach

I would suggest reading up on mysql basics.

Here’s a good place to start: http://www.webdevelopersnotes.com/tutorials/sql/mysql_tutorial_selecting_data_using_conditions.php3
on 29 Feb 2008 at 4:07 am 20Juha

Thanks! Now it works as it should be!
on 17 Mar 2008 at 11:05 pm 21ramakoti

jgvasdkjcfjashvbcuyafcvsdcscas
on 17 Mar 2008 at 11:06 pm 22ramakoti

no comments
on 18 Mar 2008 at 12:03 am 23sdfs

no
on 18 Mar 2008 at 12:45 am 24rrra

hi i didnt see
on 18 Mar 2008 at 3:25 am 25shailesh

Very nice
on 23 Apr 2008 at 12:18 pm 26newbie

I am still struggling with this error
1172: Definition fl.controls:TextInput could not be found.
1172: Definition fl.controls:TextArea could not be found.

The lines
import fl.controls.TextInput;
import fl.controls.TextArea;
are in frame 1 and are at the top of the code. What the heck am I doing wrong. I am a newbie at ActionScript, I think I am missing something very basic that I just don’t have the background yet to understand.
on 26 Apr 2008 at 2:13 am 27XYZ

Hi
To add an fl control it must be in ur library.
on 04 Jun 2008 at 2:11 pm 28Joe Meering

Thanks very much! Very very useful and good starting point to learn XML and PHP better. It helps when you’ve managed to make something very useful actually work, before learning more of the code. A base point to start from, where I can see the start to the finish…so thanks very much!
I had to delete the first 2 lines of the Actionscript files sometimes to make them work.
on 27 Jun 2008 at 12:45 pm 29jg

XYZ said: “to add an fl control it must be in ur library”.
Sorry but, how can I put it in the library?
Thanks
on 30 Jun 2008 at 11:29 pm 30mike

you should see all the controls in the Component window. If it’s not on the right side of the CS3 application, go to the menu above and select “Window” and then find “Component”.
on 25 Jul 2008 at 12:01 pm 31JohnC

The error with the lines
import fl.controls.TextInput;
import fl.controls.TextArea;

Can be resolved by putting a Dynamic text field on the stage with an instance name of ‘writingCompleted’ and changing the completeWriting function to this:

function completeWriting(event:Event):void {
writingCompleted.text = event.target.data;
}

I got this same error, and this was a workaround. Great tutorial though!
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on 30 Jul 2008 at 11:15 am 33Robert

I get this error when trying to import sampleFlashDatabase.sql:

Error
SQL query:

– phpMyAdmin SQL Dump
– version 2.10.0.2
– http://www.phpmyadmin.net
–
– Host: localhost
– Generation Time: Sep 27, 2007 at 11:34 PM
– Server version: 5.0.37
– PHP Version: 4.4.4
SET SQL_MODE = “NO_AUTO_VALUE_ON_ZERO”;

MySQL said:

#1064 - You have an error in your SQL syntax near ‘SQL_MODE=”NO_AUTO_VALUE_ON_ZERO”‘ at line 2
on 31 Jul 2008 at 5:58 pm 34Robert

I got it, it’s working great! I’m so happy!
on 10 Aug 2008 at 6:33 am 35Игорь Акинфеев

Скажите, а у вас есть RSS поток в этом блоге?
on 13 Aug 2008 at 2:15 am 36Игорек

Приветствую. А не подскажете, где можно найти такую же информацию, но только чтобы она была на английском языке
on 13 Sep 2008 at 7:51 pm 37mirian

Good 235rter2rwer23r
on 17 Sep 2008 at 2:46 pm 38lp

Hi,
I’ve used your tutorial for the highscore system, is working fine but the only problem is that everytime i submit a new score I have to restart the Flash ide cause the new score is not displayed.

I mean the new scores are normally written to the db but parsing the xml file I’m always getting the first score table, the one not updated.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

This tutorial was great.
on 18 Sep 2008 at 2:51 am 39lp

it was only a cache problem related to the xml…
now it works
on 18 Sep 2008 at 8:06 am 40Bkelly

I have a game already developed. What process would I use to use this within my already developed game? Thank you.
on 18 Sep 2008 at 3:15 pm 41Playt

Bah… I went through all this just to realize that if I change my Actionscript to 3.0, Actions cannot be run from movie clips or instances. I think a lot of my game depends on that.
on 22 Sep 2008 at 2:15 pm 42Chris

This just begs one question: how would you prevent hacked scores from entering the database? For example, if I were to open a browser and navigate to that URL with much-too-high scores, the database would insert a bogus record.

Also, make sure that you escape input before inserting a database record. (mysql_real_escape_string) Otherwise, your database could be compromised.
on 06 Nov 2008 at 7:36 pm 43Владислав

Хороший пост! Подчерпнул для себя много нового и интересного!
Пойду ссылку другу дам в аське
on 15 Nov 2008 at 4:43 am 44Богдан

Автор, посты у вас, конечно, интересные. Но вы не думали поменять дизайн?
on 06 Dec 2008 at 5:07 pm 45Святослав

Так ведь без недостатков достоинства не так заметны
on 05 Feb 2009 at 12:17 am 46Адриан

Все замечательно: и по стилю изложения, и по содержимому. Так держать!
on 05 Feb 2009 at 11:35 am 47Никита

Хм…, а я тут за свои годы, как-то привык ко всему этому, даже внимания на это не обращаю Вы тоже привыкнете
on 06 Feb 2009 at 8:19 pm 48lOLLER

Lol “Sorry, we’re having some server issues. We are trying to resolve them ASAP.” Lol ! 1 and a half year later… no answer!! LMAO!
on 17 Apr 2009 at 1:50 am 49erit774

Ой, благодарю
on 21 Apr 2009 at 1:26 pm 50hiros8

Давно искала эту информацию, спасибо.
on 27 Apr 2009 at 10:35 am 51biloper

Огромное человеческое спасибочки !
on 02 May 2009 at 8:59 am 52FEHEABPRIFF

Огромное вам человеческое спасибо, очень актуальная заметка.
on 10 May 2009 at 9:21 am 53voneymnanorry

Что-то футер у вас вправо съехал (в опере при разрешении 1024х768)
on 24 Jun 2009 at 10:51 am 54nrfpt.net » Blog Archive » Settling on an high scores system

[...] was creating my high scores based on this great tutorial I read some way back, but I wasn’t very satisfied with the overall performance of that [...]
on 28 Jun 2009 at 4:04 am 55nrfpt.net » Blog Archive » Displaying source code on posts

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