ASP.NET, XML and Flash Websites: Flash MX supports XML data transfer and has several ways of exchanging XML with server technologies like ASP and ASP.NET. Learn how to integrate these two powerful technologies, adding database connectivity and more robust interactivity to Flash movies and applications for your XML and Flash websites.

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by Vinod Raghupathy, senior application developer, Intel Corp.

Learn how to integrate these two powerful technologies, adding database connectivity and more robust interactivity to Flash movies and applications.

Macromedia Flash has been widely used on the Internet to enhance the content presentation of Web sites. The last releases of Macromedia Flash (Flash 6 and Flash MX) have made it clear that Macromedia is serious about making Flash the interface of choice for Web application development. For an interface, Flash can be a great option; however, it is not an option to replace business logic, query management, and security. For robust performance and enterprise capabilities, you need .NET. Flash, with rich presentation support, together with Microsoft’s .NET technology can make a potent combination for Web developers.

Flash includes ActionScript, a scripting language to add interactivity to movies. Beginning with ActionScript’s introduction in Flash 5, Macromedia advanced it from a simple scripting language to one with solid but still limited programming features.