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Ruby
To install Melomel.rb simply use RubyGems:
$ [sudo] gem install melomel
Melomel needs to be embedded and running in the application you're trying to connect to. Please see the Melomel repository for instructions on installation.
The first step to using Melomel is to install the Flash SWC in your application. Once the SWC is in your application, setting up your Ruby project is simple.
In your Ruby file, simply call the connect() method on Melomel:
require 'melomel'
Melomel.connect()
The connect() method is a blocking method so it won't proceed until it's done. Once it has connected, you can manipulate ActionScript objects to your heart's content.
Melomel communicates to the Flash virtual machine over a socket connection using XML. The protocol is simple and is meant to proxy all data access calls to the Flash virtual machine. This means that only primitives (strings, numbers and booleans) are copied but all objects are accessed by reference. By proxying objects, all data stays in the Flash virtual machine and there are no syncing issues.
To create an object, use the create_object() method on Melomel:
point = Melomel.create_object('flash.geom.Point')
The object returned is a proxy object so any actions performed on it in Ruby will be performed on the ActionScript object in the Flash virtual machine.
You can retrieve a class to call static methods and properties. Since classes are objects in ActionScript, they work identically in Melomel.
app = Melomel.get_class('mx.core.FlexGlobals')
app.topLevelApplication.name = 'Melomel App!'
This Flex 4 example updates the name of the application to "Melomel App!".
Getting and setting properties is handled transparently when using the object proxies.
point = Melomel.create_object('flash.geom.Point')
point.x = 30
point.set_property('y') = 40
p "pos: #{point.x}, #{point.y}"
p "length: #{point.get_property('length')}"
Property accessors on an object proxy are automatically used to retrieve the
property value of the Flash object. You can also use the get_property()
method when accessing properties and the set_property() method when mutating
properties.
Invoking methods is also handled transparently when using object proxies.
IMPORTANT: There a catch! Methods without any parameters must have a bang
(!) character appended to their method name when calling directly on an
object proxy.
clipboard = Melomel.get_class('flash.desktop.Clipboard').generalClipboard
data = clipboard.getData('air:text')
data = clipboard.invoke_method('getData', 'air:text')
clipboard.clear!()
clipboard.invoke_method('clear')
In this example, the getData method could be called on the object directly
because it had more than one argument. The clear method, however, required
that a bang character be appended to the name or that the invoke_method be
used.
Invoking package level functions is also handled transparently.
class_name = Melomel.invoke_function('flash.utils.getQualifiedClassName', "Some string.")
The class_name variable will contain "String".