Adobe® Flex® 4 Language Reference
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flash.net 
NetGroup 
Packageflash.net
Classpublic class NetGroup
InheritanceNetGroup Inheritance EventDispatcher Inheritance Object

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Instances of the NetGroup class represent membership in an RTMFP group. Use this class to do the following:
  • Monitor Quality of Service. The info property contains a NetGroupInfo object whose properties provide QoS statistics for this group.
  • Posting. Call post() to broadcast ActionScript messages to all members of a group.
  • Direct routing. Call sendToNearest(), sendToNeighbor(), and sendToAllNeighbors() to send a short data message to a specific member of a peer-to-peer group. The source and the destination do not need to have a direct connection.
  • Object replication. Call addHaveObjects(), removeHaveObjects(), addWantObjects(), removeWantObjects(), writeRequestedObject(), and denyRequestedObject() to break up large data into pieces and replicate it to all nodes in a peer-to-peer group.

In the client-side NetGroup class, the NetConnection dispatches the following events:

  • NetGroup.Connect.Success
  • NetGroup.Connect.Failed
  • NetGroup.Connect.Rejected

The info.group property of the event object contains a reference to the event source (the NetGroup). The NetGroup dispatches all other events. In the server-side NetGroup class, the NetGroup dispatches all events.

For information about peer-assisted networking, see Basics of P2P in Flash by Adobe Evangelist Tom Krcha. For information about using groups with peer-assisted networking, see Social Media Experiences with Flash Media and RTMFP, also by Tom Krcha.

For information about the technical details behind peer-assisted networking, see P2P on the Flash Platform with RTMFP by Adobe Computer Scientist Matthew Kaufman.

View the examples

See also



Public Properties
 PropertyDefined By
 Inheritedconstructor : Object
A reference to the class object or constructor function for a given object instance.
Object
  estimatedMemberCount : Number
[read-only] Specifies the estimated number of members of the group, based on local neighbor density and assuming an even distribution of group addresses.
NetGroup
  info : NetGroupInfo
[read-only] Returns a NetGroupInfo object whose properties provide Quality of Service statistics about this NetGroup's RTMFP peer-to-peer data transport.
NetGroup
  localCoverageFrom : String
[read-only] Specifies the start of the range of group addresses for which this node is the "nearest" and responsible.
NetGroup
  localCoverageTo : String
[read-only] Specifies the end of the range of group addresses for which this node is the "nearest" and responsible.
NetGroup
  neighborCount : Number
[read-only] Specifies the number of group members to which this node is directly connected.
NetGroup
 Inheritedprototype : Object
[static] A reference to the prototype object of a class or function object.
Object
  receiveMode : String
Specifies this node's routing receive mode as one of values in the NetGroupReceiveMode enum class.
NetGroup
  replicationStrategy : String
Specifies the object replication fetch strategy.
NetGroup
Public Methods
 MethodDefined By
  
NetGroup(connection:NetConnection, groupspec:String)
Constructs a NetGroup on the specified NetConnection object and joins it to the group specified by groupspec.
NetGroup
 Inherited
addEventListener(type:String, listener:Function, useCapture:Boolean = false, priority:int = 0, useWeakReference:Boolean = false):void
Registers an event listener object with an EventDispatcher object so that the listener receives notification of an event.
EventDispatcher
  
addHaveObjects(startIndex:Number, endIndex:Number):void
Adds objects from startIndex through endIndex, to the set of objects this node advertises to neighbors as objects for which it fulfills requests.
NetGroup
  
Manually adds a record specifying that peerID is a member of the group.
NetGroup
  
Manually adds a neighbor by immediately connecting directly to the specified peerID, which must already be in this group.
NetGroup
  
addWantObjects(startIndex:Number, endIndex:Number):void
Adds objects from startIndex through endIndex, to the set of objects to retrieve.
NetGroup
  
Disconnect from the group and close this NetGroup.
NetGroup
  
Converts a peerID to a group address suitable for use with the sendToNearest() method.
NetGroup
  
Denies a request received in a NetStatusEvent NetGroup.Replication.Request for an object previously advertised with addHaveObjects().
NetGroup
 Inherited
Dispatches an event into the event flow.
EventDispatcher
 Inherited
Checks whether the EventDispatcher object has any listeners registered for a specific type of event.
EventDispatcher
 Inherited
Indicates whether an object has a specified property defined.
Object
 Inherited
Indicates whether an instance of the Object class is in the prototype chain of the object specified as the parameter.
Object
  
post(message:Object):String
Sends a message to all members of a group.
NetGroup
 Inherited
Indicates whether the specified property exists and is enumerable.
Object
 Inherited
removeEventListener(type:String, listener:Function, useCapture:Boolean = false):void
Removes a listener from the EventDispatcher object.
EventDispatcher
  
removeHaveObjects(startIndex:Number, endIndex:Number):void
Removes objects from startIndex through endIndex, from the set of objects this node advertises to neighbors as objects for which it fulfills requests.
NetGroup
  
removeWantObjects(startIndex:Number, endIndex:Number):void
Removes objects from startIndex through endIndex, from the set of objects to retrieve.
NetGroup
  
Sends a message to all neighbors.
NetGroup
  
sendToNearest(message:Object, groupAddress:String):String
Sends a message to the neighbor (or local node) nearest to the specified group address.
NetGroup
  
sendToNeighbor(message:Object, sendMode:String):String
Sends a message to the neighbor specified by the sendMode parameter.
NetGroup
 Inherited
Sets the availability of a dynamic property for loop operations.
Object
 Inherited
Returns the string representation of this object, formatted according to locale-specific conventions.
Object
 Inherited
Returns the string representation of the specified object.
Object
 Inherited
Returns the primitive value of the specified object.
Object
 Inherited
Checks whether an event listener is registered with this EventDispatcher object or any of its ancestors for the specified event type.
EventDispatcher
  
writeRequestedObject(requestID:int, object:Object):void
Satisfies the request as received by NetStatusEvent NetGroup.Replication.Request for an object previously advertised with the addHaveObjects() method.
NetGroup
Events
 Event Summary Defined By
 Inherited[broadcast event] Dispatched when the Flash Player or AIR application gains operating system focus and becomes active.EventDispatcher
 Inherited[broadcast event] Dispatched when the Flash Player or AIR application operating loses system focus and is becoming inactive.EventDispatcher
  Dispatched when a NetGroup object is reporting its status or error condition.NetGroup
Property Detail

estimatedMemberCount

property
estimatedMemberCount:Number  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Specifies the estimated number of members of the group, based on local neighbor density and assuming an even distribution of group addresses.



Implementation
    public function get estimatedMemberCount():Number

See also

info

property 
info:NetGroupInfo  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Returns a NetGroupInfo object whose properties provide Quality of Service statistics about this NetGroup's RTMFP peer-to-peer data transport.



Implementation
    public function get info():NetGroupInfo

See also

localCoverageFrom

property 
localCoverageFrom:String  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Specifies the start of the range of group addresses for which this node is the "nearest" and responsible. The range is specified in the increasing direction along the group address ring mod 2256.



Implementation
    public function get localCoverageFrom():String

See also

localCoverageTo

property 
localCoverageTo:String  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Specifies the end of the range of group addresses for which this node is the "nearest" and responsible. The range is specified in the increasing direction along the group address ring mod 2256.



Implementation
    public function get localCoverageTo():String

See also

neighborCount

property 
neighborCount:Number  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Specifies the number of group members to which this node is directly connected.



Implementation
    public function get neighborCount():Number

See also

receiveMode

property 
receiveMode:String

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Specifies this node's routing receive mode as one of values in the NetGroupReceiveMode enum class.



Implementation
    public function get receiveMode():String
    public function set receiveMode(value:String):void

See also

replicationStrategy

property 
replicationStrategy:String

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Specifies the object replication fetch strategy. The value is one of the enumerated values in the NetGroupReplicationStrategy class.



Implementation
    public function get replicationStrategy():String
    public function set replicationStrategy(value:String):void

See also

Constructor Detail

NetGroup

()Constructor
public function NetGroup(connection:NetConnection, groupspec:String)

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Constructs a NetGroup on the specified NetConnection object and joins it to the group specified by groupspec.

In most cases, a groupspec has the potential for using the network uplink on the local system. When a NetStream or NetGroup object is constructed with a groupspec, Flash Player displays a Privacy Dialog. The dialog asks whether Flash Player can use the connection to share data with a user's peers. If the user clicks "Allow for this domain", the dialog is not displayed the next time the user connects to this application. If a user does not allow peer-assisted networking, all peer features within the group (posting, directed routing, and object replication, and multicast) are disabled. If permission is allowed, a NetStatusEvent is sent to the NetConnection's event listener with NetGroup.Connect.Success in the code property of the info object. If permission is denied, the code property is NetGroup.Connect.Rejected. Until a NetGroup.Connect.Success event is received, an exception is thrown if you try to call any method of the NetGroup object.

Note: When a client subscribes to a native-IP multicast stream, the security dialog is not displayed.

Parameters
connection:NetConnection — A NetConnection object.
 
groupspec:String — A string specifying the RTMFP peer-to-peer group to join, including its name, capabilities, restrictions, and the authorizations of this member.
     new NetGroup(myConnection, myGroupSpecifier.groupspecWithAuthorizations());
     

Throws
ArgumentError — The NetConnection instance is not connected.
 
Error — The groupspec is invalid.

See also

Method Detail

addHaveObjects

()method
public function addHaveObjects(startIndex:Number, endIndex:Number):void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Adds objects from startIndex through endIndex, to the set of objects this node advertises to neighbors as objects for which it fulfills requests. By default, the Have set is empty. Indices must be whole numbers from 0 through 9007199254740992.

This method sends a NetStatusEvent to the NetGroup's event listener with "NetGroup.Replication.Request" in the code property of the info object.

Parameters

startIndex:Number — The beginning of the range of object indices to add to the Have set.
 
endIndex:Number — The end of the range of object indices to add to the Have set.


Throws
RangeError — A number passed to this method is less than 0 or greater than 9007199254740992.

See also

addMemberHint

()method 
public function addMemberHint(peerID:String):Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Manually adds a record specifying that peerID is a member of the group. An immediate connection to it is attempted only if it is needed for the topology.

Parameters

peerID:String — The peerID to add to the set of potential neighbors.

Returns
Boolean — TRUE for success, FALSE for failure.

See also

addNeighbor

()method 
public function addNeighbor(peerID:String):Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Manually adds a neighbor by immediately connecting directly to the specified peerID, which must already be in this group. This direct connection may later be dropped if it is not needed for the topology.

Parameters

peerID:String — The peerID to which to immediately connect.

Returns
Boolean — TRUE for success, FALSE for failure.

See also

addWantObjects

()method 
public function addWantObjects(startIndex:Number, endIndex:Number):void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Adds objects from startIndex through endIndex, to the set of objects to retrieve. Indices must be whole numbers from 0 through 9007199254740992. By default, the Want set is empty.

This method sends a NetStatusEvent to the NetGroup's event listener with NetGroup.Replication.Fetch.SendNotify in the info.code property. This event is followed by an NetGroup.Replication.Fetch.Failed or NetGroup.Replication.Fetch.Result event.

Parameters

startIndex:Number — The beginning of the range of object indices to add to the Want set.
 
endIndex:Number — The end of the range of object indices to add to the Want set.


Throws
RangeError — A number passed to this method is less than 0 or greater than 9007199254740992.

See also

close

()method 
public function close():void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Disconnect from the group and close this NetGroup. This NetGroup is not usable after calling this method.

convertPeerIDToGroupAddress

()method 
public function convertPeerIDToGroupAddress(peerID:String):String

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Converts a peerID to a group address suitable for use with the sendToNearest() method.

Parameters

peerID:String — The peerID to convert.

Returns
String — The group address for the peerID.

See also

denyRequestedObject

()method 
public function denyRequestedObject(requestID:int):void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Denies a request received in a NetStatusEvent NetGroup.Replication.Request for an object previously advertised with addHaveObjects(). The requestor can request this object again unless or until it is withdrawn from the Have set.

Parameters

requestID:int — The request identifier as given in the NetGroup.Replication.Request event.

See also

post

()method 
public function post(message:Object):String

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Sends a message to all members of a group. To call this method, the GroupSpecifier.postingEnabled property must be true in the groupspec passed to the NetGroup constructor.

All messages must be unique. A message that is identical to one posted earlier might not be propagated. Use a sequence number to make messages unique.

Message delivery is not ordered. Message delivery is not guaranteed.

Messages are serialized in AMF. The message can be one of the following types: an Object, an int, a Number, or a String. The message cannot be a MovieClip.

This method sends a NetStatusEvent to the NetGroup's event listener with "NetGroup.Posting.Notify" in the info.code property. The "NetGroup.Posting.Notify" event is dispatched to the NetGroup on both the client and the server.

Parameters

message:Object — The message to send to all other members of the group.

Returns
String — The messageID of the message if posted, or null on error. The messageID is the hexadecmial of the SHA256 of the raw bytes of the serialization of the message.

See also


Example  ( How to use this example )

This is a simple text chat application that uses peer-to-peer networking. The application connects over RTMFP to the Stratus service on Adobe Labs. Stratus keeps the client applications' fingerprints and manages the peer group as clients connect. However, all data is sent between clients (peers) -- data is not sent back to the server.

When you run the application, you can enter any group name into the text input field. The GroupSpecifier class uses the name (along with any GroupSpecifier properties you've set) to create a string which is the perpetually unique name of the group. To connect another client to the group, that client must use the same group name. For example, if client A uses the group name "firstmesh", other clients that want to communicate with client A must also use the group name "firstmesh". If client B uses the group name "kite", it will connect successfully, but it will create a new group and won't be able to communicate with client A or anyone in the "firstmesh" group.

To run this example, do the following:

  • Go to Stratus on Adobe Labs and register for a developer key.
  • Enter your developer key as the value of the DEVKEY constant in the following example code.
  • Add a Button, a Label, a TextInput, and a TextArea component to the Library in Flash Professional.




package  {

    import flash.display.Sprite;
    import flash.events.TextEvent;
    import flash.events.MouseEvent;
    import flash.events.NetStatusEvent;
    import fl.events.ComponentEvent;
    import fl.controls.Label;
    import fl.controls.Button;
    import fl.controls.TextInput;
    import fl.controls.TextArea;
    import flash.text.TextFieldAutoSize;
    import flash.net.*;

    public class NetGroupPostExample extends Sprite{

        private var connectButton:Button;
        private var disconnectButton:Button;
        private var groupNameText:TextInput;
        private var userNameText:TextInput;
        private var chatText:TextInput;
        private var statusLog:TextArea;
        private var groupLabel:Label;
        private var userLabel:Label;

        private var netConnection:NetConnection = null;
        private var netGroup:NetGroup = null;
        private var sequenceNumber:uint = 0;
        private var connected:Boolean = false;
        private var joinedGroup:Boolean = false;

        private const SERVER:String = "rtmfp://stratus.adobe.com/";
        private const DEVKEY:String = "yourStratusDeveloperKeyGoesHere";

        public function NetGroupPostExample() {
            DoUI();
        }

        // Writes messages to the TextArea.
        private function StatusMessage(msg:Object):void{
            statusLog.text += msg;
            statusLog.verticalScrollPosition = statusLog.textHeight;
            statusLog.validateNow();
        }

        // Handles all NetStatusEvents for the NetConnection and the NetGroup.
        // This code includes cases it doesn't handle so you can see the cases
        // and their info objects for learning purposes.
        private function NetStatusHandler(e:NetStatusEvent):void{
            StatusMessage(e.info.code + "\n");
            switch(e.info.code){
                case "NetConnection.Connect.Success":
                    connectButton.enabled = false;
                    disconnectButton.enabled = true;
                    OnConnect();
                    break;

                case "NetConnection.Connect.Closed":
                    OnDisconnect();
                    break;

                case "NetGroup.Connect.Success": // e.info.group
                    OnNetGroupConnect();
                    break;

                case "NetGroup.Connect.Rejected": // e.info.group
                case "NetGroup.Connect.Failed": // e.info.group
                    break;

                case "NetGroup.Posting.Notify": // e.info.message, e.info.messageID
                    OnPosting(e.info.message);
                    break;

                case "NetStream.MulticastStream.Reset":
                case "NetStream.Buffer.Full":
                    break;

                case "NetGroup.SendTo.Notify": // e.info.message, e.info.from, e.info.fromLocal
                case "NetGroup.LocalCoverage.Notify": //
                case "NetGroup.Neighbor.Connect": // e.info.neighbor
                case "NetGroup.Neighbor.Disconnect": // e.info.neighbor
                case "NetGroup.MulticastStream.PublishNotify": // e.info.name
                case "NetGroup.MulticastStream.UnpublishNotify": // e.info.name
                case "NetGroup.Replication.Fetch.SendNotify": // e.info.index
                case "NetGroup.Replication.Fetch.Failed": // e.info.index
                case "NetGroup.Replication.Fetch.Result": // e.info.index, e.info.object
                case "NetGroup.Replication.Request": // e.info.index, e.info.requestID
                default:
                    break;
                }
            }
        // Creates a NetConnection to Stratus if the app isn't already connected
        // and if there's a group name in the TextInput field.
        private function DoConnect(e:MouseEvent):void{
            if(!connected && (groupNameText.length > 0)){
                StatusMessage("Connecting to \"" + SERVER + "\" ...\n");
                netConnection = new NetConnection();
                netConnection.addEventListener(NetStatusEvent.NET_STATUS, NetStatusHandler);
                // To connect to Stratus, pass the server name and your developer key.
                netConnection.connect(SERVER + DEVKEY);
            }
            else
            {
                StatusMessage("Enter a group name");
            }
        }

        // Called in the "NetConnection.Connect.Success" case in the NetStatusEvent handler.
        private function OnConnect():void{

            StatusMessage("Connected\n");
            connected = true;

            // Create a GroupSpecifier object to pass to the NetGroup constructor.
            // The GroupSpecifier determines the properties of the group
            var groupSpecifier:GroupSpecifier;
            groupSpecifier = new GroupSpecifier("aslrexample/" + groupNameText.text);
            groupSpecifier.postingEnabled = true;
            groupSpecifier.serverChannelEnabled = true;

            netGroup = new NetGroup(netConnection, groupSpecifier.groupspecWithAuthorizations());
            netGroup.addEventListener(NetStatusEvent.NET_STATUS, NetStatusHandler);

            StatusMessage("Join \"" + groupSpecifier.groupspecWithAuthorizations() + "\"\n");

        }

        private function OnNetGroupConnect():void{
            joinedGroup = true;
        }

        private function DoDisconnect(e:MouseEvent):void{
            if(netConnection){
                netConnection.close();
            }
        }

        private function OnDisconnect():void{
            StatusMessage("Disconnected\n");
            netConnection = null;
            netGroup = null;
            connected = false;
            joinedGroup = false;
            connectButton.enabled = true;
            disconnectButton.enabled = false;
        }

        private function ClearChatText():void{
            chatText.text = "";
        }

        // Called when you the chatText field has focus and you press Enter.
        private function DoPost(e:ComponentEvent):void{
            if(joinedGroup){
                var message:Object = new Object;
                message.user = userNameText.text;
                message.text = chatText.text;
                message.sequence = sequenceNumber++;
                message.sender = netConnection.nearID;

                netGroup.post(message);
                StatusMessage("==> " + chatText.text + "\n");
            } else {
                StatusMessage("Click Connect before sending a chat message");
            }
            ClearChatText();
        }

        private function OnPosting(message:Object):void{
            StatusMessage("<" + message.user + "> " + message.text + "\n");
        }

        private function DoUI():void {

            groupLabel = new Label();
            groupLabel.move(20, 10);
            groupLabel.autoSize = TextFieldAutoSize.LEFT
            groupLabel.text = "Group name:"
            addChild(groupLabel);

            groupNameText = new TextInput();
            groupNameText.move(90, 10);
            groupNameText.text = "channel" + (int(Math.random() * 899) + 101);
            addChild(groupNameText);

            connectButton = new Button();
            connectButton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, DoConnect);
            connectButton.move(205, 10);
            connectButton.label = "Connect";
            addChild(connectButton);

            disconnectButton = new Button();
            disconnectButton.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, DoDisconnect);
            disconnectButton.move(310, 10);
            disconnectButton.label = "Disconnect";
            disconnectButton.enabled = false;
            addChild(disconnectButton);

            statusLog = new TextArea();
            statusLog.move(30, 38);
            statusLog.width = 360;
            statusLog.height = 215;
            statusLog.editable = false;
            addChild(statusLog);

            userLabel = new Label();
            userLabel.move(20, 270);
            userLabel.autoSize = TextFieldAutoSize.LEFT
            userLabel.text = "User name:"
            addChild(userLabel);

            userNameText = new TextInput();
            userNameText.move(80, 270);
            userNameText.text = "user " + int(Math.random() * 65536);
            addChild(userNameText);

            chatText = new TextInput();
            chatText.addEventListener(ComponentEvent.ENTER, DoPost);
            chatText.move(185, 270);
            chatText.maxChars = 255;
            chatText.width = 215;
            addChild(chatText);

        }

        public function onPlayStatus(info:Object):void {}
        public function onMetaData(info:Object):void {}
        public function onCuePoint(info:Object):void {}
        public function onTextData(info:Object):void {}

    }

}




removeHaveObjects

()method 
public function removeHaveObjects(startIndex:Number, endIndex:Number):void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Removes objects from startIndex through endIndex, from the set of objects this node advertises to neighbors as objects for which it fulfills requests. Indices must be whole numbers from 0 through 9007199254740992.

Parameters

startIndex:Number — The beginning of the range of object indices to remove from the Have set.
 
endIndex:Number — The end of the range of object indices to remove from the Have set.


Throws
RangeError — A number passed to this method is less than 0 or greater than 9007199254740992.

See also

removeWantObjects

()method 
public function removeWantObjects(startIndex:Number, endIndex:Number):void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Removes objects from startIndex through endIndex, from the set of objects to retrieve. Indices must be whole numbers from 0 through 9007199254740992.

Parameters

startIndex:Number — The beginning of the range of object indices to remove from the Want set.
 
endIndex:Number — The end of the range of object indices to remove from the Want set.


Throws
RangeError — A number passed to this method is less than 0 or greater than 9007199254740992.

See also

sendToAllNeighbors

()method 
public function sendToAllNeighbors(message:Object):String

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Sends a message to all neighbors. Returns NetGroupSendResult.SENT if at least one neighbor was selected.

When a node receives a message, a NetStatusEvent is sent to the NetGroup's event listener with NetGroup.SendTo.Notify in the code property of the info object.

Parameters

message:Object — The message to send.

Returns
String — A property of enumeration class NetGroupSendResult indicating the success or failure of the send.

See also

sendToNearest

()method 
public function sendToNearest(message:Object, groupAddress:String):String

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Sends a message to the neighbor (or local node) nearest to the specified group address. Considers neighbors from the entire ring. Returns NetGroupSendResult.SENT if the message was successfully sent toward its destination.

When a node receives a message, a NetStatusEvent is sent to the NetGroup's event listener with NetGroup.SendTo.Notify in the code property of the info object.

Parameters

message:Object — The message to send.
 
groupAddress:String — The group address toward which to route the message.

Returns
String — A property of enumeration class NetGroupSendResult indicating the success or failure of the send.

See also

sendToNeighbor

()method 
public function sendToNeighbor(message:Object, sendMode:String):String

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Sends a message to the neighbor specified by the sendMode parameter. Returns NetGroupSendResult.SENT if the message was successfully sent to the requested destination.

When a node receives a message, a NetStatusEvent is sent to the NetGroup's event listener with NetGroup.SendTo.Notify in the code property of the info object.

Parameters

message:Object — The message to send.
 
sendMode:String — A property of enumeration class NetGroupSendMode specifying the neighbor to which to send the message.

Returns
String — A property of enumeration class NetGroupSendResult indicating the success or failure of the send.

See also

writeRequestedObject

()method 
public function writeRequestedObject(requestID:int, object:Object):void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: Flash Player 10.1, AIR 2

Satisfies the request as received by NetStatusEvent NetGroup.Replication.Request for an object previously advertised with the addHaveObjects() method. The object can be any of the following: An Object, an int, a Number, and a String. The object cannot be a MovieClip.

Parameters

requestID:int — The request identifier as given in the NetGroup.Replication.Request event.
 
object:Object — The object corresponding to the index given in the NetGroup.Replication.Request event.

See also

Event Detail

netStatus

Event
Event Object Type: flash.events.NetStatusEvent
property NetStatusEvent.type = flash.events.NetStatusEvent.NET_STATUS

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0 Flash Player 10.1

Dispatched when a NetGroup object is reporting its status or error condition. The netStatus event contains an info property. The info property is an object that contains information about the event, such as whether a connection attempt succeeded or failed.

Defines the value of the type property of a netStatus event object.

This event has the following properties:

PropertyValue
bubblesfalse
cancelablefalse; there is no default behavior to cancel.
currentTargetThe object that is actively processing the Event object with an event listener.
infoAn object with properties that describe the object's status or error condition.
targetThe NetConnection or NetStream object reporting its status.

See also

NetGroupExample.as

This is a simple video chat application that uses peer-to-peer networking. The application connects over RTMFP to the Stratus service on Adobe Labs. Stratus keeps the client applications' fingerprints and manages the peer group as clients connect. However, all data is sent between clients (peers) -- data is not sent back to the server.

When you run the application, you can enter any group name into the text input field. The GroupSpecifier class uses the name (along with any GroupSpecifier properties you've set) to create a string which is the perpetually unique name of the group. To connect another client to the group, that client must use the same group name. For example, if client A uses the group name "firstmesh", other clients that want to communicate with client A must also use the group name "firstmesh". If client B uses the group name "kite", it will connect successfully, but it will create a new group and won't be able to communicate with client A or anyone in the "firstmesh" group.

To run this example, do the following:

  • Go to Stratus on Adobe Labs and register for a developer key.
  • Enter your developer key as the value of the DEVKEY constant in the following example code.



<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" layout="absolute" width="100%" height="100%" applicationComplete="OnApplicationComplete()">
    <mx:Script>
        <![CDATA[
            private var netConnection:NetConnection = null;
            private var netStream:NetStream = null;
            private var netGroup:NetGroup = null;
            private var video:Video = null;
            private var sequenceNumber:uint = 0;
            private var resizeTimer:Timer = null;

            private const SERVER:String = "rtmfp://stratus.adobe.com/";
            private const DEVKEY:String = "YourStratusDeveloperKey";

            [Bindable] private var connected:Boolean = false;
            [Bindable] private var joinedGroup:Boolean = false;

            private function OnApplicationComplete():void
            {
                userName.text = "user " + int(Math.random() * 65536);

                groupName.text = "channel" + (int(Math.random() * 899) + 101);

                resizeTimer = new Timer(2000.0);
                resizeTimer.addEventListener(TimerEvent.TIMER, DoResizeVideo);
                resizeTimer.start();
            }

            private function StatusMessage(msg:Object):void
            {
                statusLog.text += msg;
                statusLog.verticalScrollPosition = statusLog.textHeight;
                statusLog.validateNow();
            }

            private function NetStatusHandler(e:NetStatusEvent):void
            {
                StatusMessage(e.info.code);
                switch(e.info.code)
                {
                case "NetConnection.Connect.Success":
                    OnConnect();
                    break;

                case "NetConnection.Connect.Closed":
                case "NetConnection.Connect.Failed":
                case "NetConnection.Connect.Rejected":
                case "NetConnection.Connect.AppShutdown":
                case "NetConnection.Connect.InvalidApp":
                    OnDisconnect();
                    break;

                case "NetStream.Connect.Success": // e.info.stream
                    OnNetStreamConnect();
                    break;

                case "NetStream.Connect.Rejected": // e.info.stream
                case "NetStream.Connect.Failed": // e.info.stream
                    DoDisconnect();
                    break;

                case "NetGroup.Connect.Success": // e.info.group
                    OnNetGroupConnect();
                    break;

                case "NetGroup.Connect.Rejected": // e.info.group
                case "NetGroup.Connect.Failed": // e.info.group
                    DoDisconnect();
                    break;

                case "NetGroup.Posting.Notify": // e.info.message, e.info.messageID
                    OnPosting(e.info.message);
                    break;


                case "NetStream.MulticastStream.Reset":
                case "NetStream.Buffer.Full":
                    DoResizeVideo();
                    break;

                case "NetGroup.SendTo.Notify": // e.info.message, e.info.from, e.info.fromLocal
                case "NetGroup.LocalCoverage.Notify": //
                case "NetGroup.Neighbor.Connect": // e.info.neighbor
                case "NetGroup.Neighbor.Disconnect": // e.info.neighbor
                case "NetGroup.MulticastStream.PublishNotify": // e.info.name
                case "NetGroup.MulticastStream.UnpublishNotify": // e.info.name
                case "NetGroup.Replication.Fetch.SendNotify": // e.info.index
                case "NetGroup.Replication.Fetch.Failed": // e.info.index
                case "NetGroup.Replication.Fetch.Result": // e.info.index, e.info.object
                case "NetGroup.Replication.Request": // e.info.index, e.info.requestID
                default:
                    break;
                }
            }

            private function DoConnect():void
            {
                StatusMessage("Connecting to \"" + SERVER + "\" ...\n");
                netConnection = new NetConnection();
                netConnection.addEventListener(NetStatusEvent.NET_STATUS, NetStatusHandler);
                netConnection.connect(SERVER + DEVKEY);
            }

            private function OnConnect():void
            {
                var groupSpecifier:GroupSpecifier;

                StatusMessage("Connected\n");
                connected = true;

                groupSpecifier = new GroupSpecifier("max2009lab/" + groupName.text);
                groupSpecifier.multicastEnabled = true;
                groupSpecifier.postingEnabled = true;
                groupSpecifier.serverChannelEnabled = true;

                netStream = new NetStream(netConnection, groupSpecifier.groupspecWithAuthorizations());
                netStream.addEventListener(NetStatusEvent.NET_STATUS, NetStatusHandler);

                netGroup = new NetGroup(netConnection, groupSpecifier.groupspecWithAuthorizations());
                netGroup.addEventListener(NetStatusEvent.NET_STATUS, NetStatusHandler);

                StatusMessage("Join \"" + groupSpecifier.groupspecWithAuthorizations() + "\"\n");
            }

            private function OnNetStreamConnect():void
            {
                netStream.client = this;

                var mic:Microphone = Microphone.getMicrophone();
                if(mic)
                {
                    mic.codec = SoundCodec.SPEEX;
                    mic.setSilenceLevel(0);

                    netStream.attachAudio(mic);

                    StatusMessage("got microphone\n");
                }

                var camera:Camera = Camera.getCamera();
                if(camera)
                {
                    camera.setMode(320, 240, 10);
                    camera.setQuality(30000, 0);
                    camera.setKeyFrameInterval(15);

                    videoDisplay.attachCamera(camera);
                    videoDisplay.maintainAspectRatio = true;

                    netStream.attachCamera(camera);

                    StatusMessage("got camera\n");
                }

                netStream.publish("stream");
            }

            private function OnNetGroupConnect():void
            {
                joinedGroup = true;
            }

            private function DoDisconnect():void
            {
                if(netConnection)
                    netConnection.close();
                videoDisplay.attachCamera(null);
            }

            private function OnDisconnect():void
            {
                StatusMessage("Disconnected\n");
                netConnection = null;
                netStream = null;
                netGroup = null;
                connected = false;
                joinedGroup = false;
            }

            private function ClearChatText():void
            {
                chatText.text = "";
            }

            private function DoPost():void
            {
                var message:Object = new Object;

                message.user = userName.text;
                message.text = chatText.text;
                message.sequence = sequenceNumber++;
                message.sender = netConnection.nearID;

                netGroup.post(message);

                StatusMessage("==> " + chatText.text + "\n");

                chatText.callLater(ClearChatText);
            }

            private function OnPosting(message:Object):void
            {
                StatusMessage("<" + message.user + "> " + message.text + "\n");
            }

            private function DoResizeVideo(ignored:* = null):void
            {
                if(video)
                {
                    if( (0 == video.videoHeight)
                     || (0 == video.videoWidth)
                    )
                    {
                        video.height = videoDisplay.height;
                        video.width = videoDisplay.width;
                        video.x = 0;
                        video.y = 0;
                    }
                    else
                    {
                        var videoAspect:Number = Number(video.videoWidth) / Number(video.videoHeight);
                        var displayAspect:Number = Number(videoDisplay.width) / Number(videoDisplay.height);
                        var adjustFactor:Number;

                        if(videoAspect >= displayAspect) // video is wider than display
                        {
                            adjustFactor = Number(video.videoWidth) / Number(videoDisplay.width);
                            video.width = videoDisplay.width;
                            video.height = int(Number(video.videoHeight) / adjustFactor);
                            video.x = 0;
                            video.y = int((videoDisplay.height - video.height) / 2);
                        }
                        else
                        {
                            adjustFactor = Number(video.videoHeight) / Number(videoDisplay.height);
                            video.height = videoDisplay.height;
                            video.width = int(Number(video.videoWidth) / adjustFactor);
                            video.x = int((videoDisplay.width - video.width) / 2);
                            video.y = 0;
                        }
                    }
                }
            }

            public function onPlayStatus(info:Object):void {}
            public function onMetaData(info:Object):void {}
            public function onCuePoint(info:Object):void {}
            public function onTextData(info:Object):void {}

            public function ValidateConnectAllowed(isConnected:Boolean, groupNameText:String):Boolean
            {
                return (!isConnected) && (groupNameText.length > 0);
            }
        ]]>
    </mx:Script>

    <mx:VBox top="10" right="10" left="10" bottom="10" verticalGap="6">
        <mx:HBox width="100%">
            <mx:Text text="Group:"/>
            <mx:TextInput id="groupName" width="100%" text="default" enabled="{!connected}"/>
            <mx:Button label="Connect" click="DoConnect()" enabled="{ValidateConnectAllowed(connected, groupName.text)}" />
            <mx:Button label="Disconnect" click="DoDisconnect()" enabled="{connected}" />
        </mx:HBox>
        <mx:VideoDisplay id="videoDisplay" width="320" height="240" resize="DoResizeVideo()"/>
        <mx:TextArea id="statusLog" width="100%" height="100%"/>
        <mx:HBox width="100%">
            <mx:TextInput id="userName" width="160" />
            <mx:TextInput id="chatText" width="100%" enabled="{joinedGroup}" enter="DoPost()"/>
        </mx:HBox>
    </mx:VBox>

</mx:Application>