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Loading content

Flash Player and AIR content can load many types of other content, including the following:

  • SWF files

  • Images

  • Sound

  • Video

  • HTML files (AIR only)

  • JavaScript (AIR only)

Loading SWF files and images with the Loader class​

You use the Loader class to load SWF files and images (JPG, GIF, or PNG files). Any SWF file, other than one in the local-with-filesystem sandbox, can load SWF files and images from any network domain. Only SWF files in local sandboxes can load SWF files and images from the local file system. However, files in the local-with-networking sandbox can only load local SWF files that are in the local-trusted or local-with-networking sandbox. SWF files in the local-with-networking sandbox load local content other than SWF files (such as images), however they cannot access data in the loaded content.

When loading a SWF file from a non-trusted source (such as a domain other than that of the Loader object's root SWF file), you may want to define a mask for the Loader object, to prevent the loaded content (which is a child of the Loader object) from drawing to portions of the Stage outside of that mask, as in the following code:

import flash.display.*;
import flash.net.URLRequest;
var rect:Shape = new Shape();
rect.graphics.beginFill(0xFFFFFF);
rect.graphics.drawRect(0, 0, 100, 100);
addChild(rect);
var ldr:Loader = new Loader();
ldr.mask = rect;
var url:String = "http://www.unknown.example.com/content.swf";
var urlReq:URLRequest = new URLRequest(url);
ldr.load(urlReq);
addChild(ldr);

When you call the load() method of the Loader object, you can specify a context parameter, which is a LoaderContext object. The LoaderContext class includes three properties that let you define the context of how the loaded content can be used:

  • checkPolicyFile: Use this property only when loading an image file (not a SWF file). Specify this for an image file from a domain other than that of the file containing the Loader object. If you set this property to true, the Loader checks the origin server for a URL policy file (see Website controls (policy files)). If the server grants permission to the Loader domain, ActionScript from SWF files in the Loader domain can access data in the loaded image. In other words, you can use the Loader.content property to obtain a reference to the Bitmap object that represents the loaded image, or the BitmapData.draw() or BitmapData.drawWithQuality() methods to access pixels from the loaded image. The drawWithQuality method is available in Flash Player 11.3 and higher; AIR 3.3 and higher.

  • securityDomain: Use this property only when loading a SWF file (not an image). Specify this for a SWF file from a domain other than that of the file containing the Loader object. Only two values are currently supported for the securityDomain property: null (the default) and SecurityDomain.currentDomain. If you specify SecurityDomain.currentDomain, this requests that the loaded SWF file be imported to the sandbox of the loading SWF file, meaning that it operates as though it had been loaded from the loading SWF file's own server. This is only permitted if a URL policy file is found on the loaded SWF file's server, allowing access by the loading SWF file's domain. If the required policy file is found, the loader and loadee can freely script each other once the load begins, since they are in the same sandbox. Note that sandbox importing can mostly be replaced by performing an ordinary load and then having the loaded SWF file call the Security.allowDomain() method. This latter method may be easier to use, since the loaded SWF file will then be in its own natural sandbox, and thus able to access resources on its own actual server.

  • applicationDomain: Use this property only when loading a SWF file written in ActionScript 3.0 (not an image or a SWF file written in ActionScript 1.0 or 2.0). When loading the file, you can specify that the file be placed into a particular application domain, rather than the default of being placed in a new application domain that is a child of the loading SWF file's application domain. Note that application domains are subunits of security domains, and thus you can specify a target application domain only if the SWF file that you are loading is from your own security domain, either because it is from your own server, or because you have successfully imported it into your security domain using the securityDomain property. If you specify an application domain but the loaded SWF file is part of a different security domain, the domain you specify in applicationDomain is ignored. For more information, see Working with application domains.

For details, see Specifying loading context.

An important property of a Loader object is the contentLoaderInfo property, which is a LoaderInfo object. Unlike most other objects, a LoaderInfo object is shared between the loading SWF file and the loaded content, and it is always accessible to both parties. When the loaded content is a SWF file, it can access the LoaderInfo object through the DisplayObject.loaderInfo property. LoaderInfo objects include information such as load progress, the URLs of loader and loadee, the trust relationship between loader and loadee, and other information. For more information, see Monitoring loading progress.

Loading sound and videos​

Any content, except content in the local-with-filesystem sandbox, is allowed to load sound and video from network origins, using the Sound.load(), NetConnection.connect(), and NetStream.play() methods.

Only content in the local-with-filesystem and AIR application sandboxes can load media from the local file system. Only content in the local-with-filesystem sandbox, the AIR application sandbox, or the local-trusted sandbox can access data in these loaded files.

There are other restrictions on accessing data from loaded media. For details, see Accessing loaded media as data.

Loading SWF files and images using the \<img> tag in a text field​

You can load SWF files and bitmaps into a text field by using the <img> tag, as in the following code:

<img src = 'filename.jpg' id = 'instanceName' >

You can access content loaded this way by using the getImageReference() method of the TextField instance, as in the following code:

var loadedObject:DisplayObject = myTextField.getImageReference('instanceName');

Note, however, that SWF files and images loaded in this way are put in the sandbox that corresponds to their origin.

When you load an image file using an <img> tag in a text field, access to the data in the image may be permitted by a URL policy file. You can check for a policy file by adding a checkPolicyFile attribute to the <img> tag, as in the following code:

<img src = 'filename.jpg' checkPolicyFile = 'true' id = 'instanceName' >

When you load a SWF using an <img> tag in a text field, you can permit access to that SWF file's data through a call to the Security.allowDomain() method.

When you use an <img> tag in a text field to load an external file (as opposed to using a Bitmap class embedded within your SWF), a Loader object is automatically created as a child of the TextField object, and the external file is loaded into that Loader just as if you had used a Loader object in ActionScript to load the file. In this case, the getImageReference() method returns the Loader that was automatically created. No security check is needed to access this Loader object because it is in the same security sandbox as the calling code.

However, when you refer to the content property of the Loader object to access the loaded media, security rules apply. If the content is an image, you need to implement a URL policy file, and if the content is a SWF file, you need to have the code in the SWF file call the allowDomain() method.

Adobe AIR​

In the application sandbox, \<img> tags in a text field are ignored to prevent phishing attacks. In addition, code running in the application sandbox is not permitted to call the Security allowDomain() method.

Content delivered using RTMP servers​

Flash Media Server uses the Real-Time Media Protocol (RTMP) to serve data, audio, and video. You can load this media by using the connect() method of the NetConnection class, passing an RTMP URL as the parameter. Flash Media Server can restrict connections and prevent content from downloading, based on the domain of the requesting file. For details, see the Flash Media Server documentation online at www.adobe.com/go/learn_fms_docs_en.

To use the BitmapData.draw(), BitmapData.drawWithQuality(), and SoundMixer.computeSpectrum() methods to extract run-time graphics and sound data from RTMP streams, you must allow access on the server. Use the Server-Side ActionScript Client.videoSampleAccess and Client.audioSampleAccess properties to allow access to specific directories on Flash Media Server. For more information, see the Server-Side ActionScript Language Reference. (The drawWithQuality method is available in Flash Player 11.3 and higher; AIR 3.3 and higher.)