load text file externally from users computer

[RussellDonders]

Hi,

I have a situation whereby I need to give the user the ability to define a range of variables via a text file (it's a non trivial dataset so it's not an option to just have the user input these directly via a flash form).

Basically I'd like them to type in a text box a location on their local hard drive (ie c:/directory/myfile.txt) where the file sits and then load it in.

This works fine on my hard disk and even on CD (I need to distibute this project in 2 forms both on the web and on CD) - but on the web server it fails. I assume that this sort of path (c:/) is either nonsense on the server, or is really pointing to the servers C:/ drive instead of the users ?

Anyway I was hoping someone out there may have a method of being able to point to the users hard drive to load variables from a txt file.

Any other suggestions are welcome as well. I have considered having an upload facility so the file is put on the server but would prefer not to have to do this at this stage.

Thanks,

Russell

 

[billwatson]

only work for the web if you stick in on a server.

you could write a simple server script however to upload the file from the usual dialog box then import that into flash but flash wont read a file off the users hard drive from the web on its own

 

[wangbar]

Shared Local Object maybe? Like a 'super cookie', you could download the data into the Flash app via a normal LoadVars action then write the data to the harddrive by putting it in a SLO which would then be accessible everytime the user came back to the application.

 

[RussellDonders]

Hi Wangbar,

The problem is that I can't use LoadVars to get/download the data if the file is on the users computer - or can I ? I am unable to find a way to do this.

I have no need for flash to write anything to the users computer, I just need to retrieve a large input data set from them.

Thanks for your help.

Russell

 

[wangbar]

Sorry, misread your post. Bill's suggestion is probably the best way to go then - allow the upload of the textfile via PHP or similar then read back into Flash.