32 replies to this topic

[tangibleLime]

GM-PHP Communication

Using PHP as an extension in this manner (or any other language used with AJAX) has tremendous advantages. Database manipulation, date and time functions, and file compression procedures are just a few of the many systems that are now accessible through GM. I have authored an article outlining a procedure to communicate between GM and PHP using AJAX (JavaScript) as an auxiliary language. Small amounts of PHP, JavaScript and SQL are assumed, but not needed. This is in a sense an "upgrade" from my short tutorial about using GM to manipulate a MySQL database containing apples, just abstracted to a more general guide and is much more thorough.

Please notify me of any errors I missed while proofreading. Suggestions or general comments are always welcome.

Download the PDF here.



For the sake of completeness, I have created a simple example using the method outlined in my article to create a highscore table. View the live demo or download the editable .GMZ file.

Enjoy.

[True Valhalla]

Excellent, can't wait to take a read through this. I hope there's some form of data validation this time!

[tangibleLime]

Excellent, can't wait to take a read through this. I hope there's some form of data validation this time!

Not too much data validation this time, when when I find the time, I'm planning on writing a few more sections and this will be one of them. Another being a more detailed look at SQL statements.

[True Valhalla]

Ah, I see. I figure it's good to have at least some basics there so people know the system is vulnerable

[OMGCarlos]

Awesome write up, probably one of the best documented articles for GM I've seen recently - felt like I was reading from a text book which is a good thing! Definitely saving this for reference later. The links at the end was an excellent touch, didn't know w3 schools had a php tutorial series. My only criticism is that you should probably have stressed a bit more the fact that there are security risks involved with using php like True Valhalla said. Otherwise awesome work!

[pedrosorio]

It's short but very well done. Consider also placing this on the tutorials section (probably with a [HTML5] tag in the topic name to allow it to be moved if they change the forum structure).

[rukiskiller]

That's just what i need. Thanks for the excellent work. In this way, GM can also work with database without any .dll files.

And a question, javascript can also communicate with database. why didn't you use javascript to do the work directly?

[pedrosorio]

And a question, javascript can also communicate with database. why didn't you use javascript to do the work directly?

How so? The only way I know for a client-side javascript to access the database is through a server-side language like PHP using AJAX, which is used in this tutorial.

[tomasart]

Thanks a lot, works very fine.

[goresoft]

good work!! You made an excellent pdf!

It seems a part of university degree thesys.

But i 've a problem with your gmz. When i open it nothing seems to load. No objects, no extensions, no backgrounds.

Please check it!

[Schalk]

Even if it were possible to connect to a database directly, it would be silly as that means the username and password would be on the clients computer. Big security no no.

[Destron]

That's just what i need. Thanks for the excellent work. In this way, GM can also work with database without any .dll files.

And a question, javascript can also communicate with database. why didn't you use javascript to do the work directly?

JavaScript cannot directly communicate with an SQL database. You have to use Ajax or PHP to connect to a db. Javascript is client side only.

[Schalk]

You just gotta love what php/javascript has to offer.

http://syntaxgames.com/game/

The link above is to an example of a level editor that uploads levels online for all to play. Very rushed and unfinished.

[OMGCarlos]

Whao Schalk very nice example, that could be very useful if you work on it a bit more!

[tangibleLime]

Thanks for the feedback!

I'm hesitant about creating a section about security, because it won't easily be abstracted to the general procedure, i.e. it would have to be specific to what the PHP is doing. But I'll come up with some way-perhaps restructuring the document.

I'm also thinking about adding in a few, less formal sections with examples and whatnot.

Interesting implementation, Schalk.

[Schalk]

It might be nice to add something about caching. For example instead of doing /highscore.php you would do /highscore.php?rand=41209 so it doesn't retrieve the cached stuff

[tangibleLime]

Good idea. I was also thinking about including jQuery, which if I'm not mistaken, has a parameter to handle caching in the .ajax method.

[OMGCarlos]

It does, and its as easy as using $(element).ajax();

[cerberus150]

good work!! You made an excellent pdf!

It seems a part of university degree thesys.

But i 've a problem with your gmz. When i open it nothing seems to load. No objects, no extensions, no backgrounds.

Please check it!

Same here, it gives me nothing.

[cotycrg]

You just gotta love what php/javascript has to offer.



The link above is to an example of a level editor that uploads levels online for all to play. Very rushed and unfinished.

Would you be as kind as to upload the source to that? (be sure to blank out any username's or passwords you have stored! )