On-Line Database Extension (Parse.com) = Abandoned

Hello,

For those of you who have moved to the new OpenFL version of Stencyl 3.0 here are the links for the OpenFL versions. Documentation is almost identical. (Now the fieldnames appear in the result-list since Flash and iOS/Android handle them in another order)

Extension
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/221137130/parse/parse_openfl.zip

Parse + GUI Extension demo:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/221137130/parse/ParseDemo.html

HighScore (Flash) example:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/221137130/parse/highscore_fl.html

HighScore Behavior
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/221137130/parse/HighScores.png

Video showing step-by-step actions for the HighScore Behavior : High Score Behavior

Step-By-Step demonstration of Parse and GUI Extension:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/221137130/parse/parse_gui_steps.html

Stencyl 3.1 TextField behaviour example:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/107982821/parse/parse.stencyl

--- Non-OpenFL information ---
Currently the version only works on the non-OpenFL version of Stencyl 3.0.
It should work with the Stable version from November but if there are issues please send feedback!


Works on: Android, iOS, Windows, Macintosh, Flash and HTML5 (both https published)

Documentation + examples + HighScore behavior : https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/221137130/parse/parse_documentation.html

Best regards from
M.E.

Edit: Video demonstration
Edit(2014-08-18]: Stencyl 3.1 TextField behaviour demonstration addition
Edit(2015-02-28]: Abandoned due to reasons of Parse.com to charge for future usage

"So if you are publishing to Flash you have to host your game from a HTTPS location!" ---that means that if I test my flash game it will fail untill I publish it?

Hi SadiQ,

Yes it will connect to HTTPS connection and therefore you hit a cross-domain (=port as well) safety situation. So you have to put flash on a https URL in order to get it to work!


Best regards from
M.E.

So that's why it wasn't working for me when I tried it
Good work on the extension thou. I hope people will find it useful.

Thank you for your kind words.
If you have the license it is best to test by running on Windows/Macintosh.
When ready publish to Flash/HTML5/iOS/Android and put flash/html5 on a https location like a public dropbox folder.

Best regards from
M.E.

Do you have better examples that explain the process step by step?

Hello TwistedIdentity,

Gave it a shot:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/221137130/parse/parse_gui_steps.html

Best regards from
M.E.

Hello TwistedIdentity,

Gave it a shot:
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/221137130/parse/parse_gui_steps.html

Best regards from
M.E.

Thank you kind sir.

Thank you it's really a useful extension.

Do you think it's possible to secure the in-App Purchases with your Parse extension ?

Edit :
I just found this :
http://blog.parse.com/2012/07/24/in-app-purchase/
https://parse.com/docs/ios_guide#iap/iOS

Thank you LePoulpe,

What you store in the database is entirely up to you. If you want to make a IAP system or an online Highscore system.
The extension relies on the Javascript SDK for Flash and all others (cpp = windows, mac, iOS and Android) on the REST API.
The quick glance I gave it didn't mention a REST API method so the information in the blogs you posted is not directly possible yet.

Getting the money and all that flow is not easy when you are outside of the Apple Store and I Guess the Google Play environment. Parse will not handle that stuff, that should be done by you or by the store!

All communications is done using HTTPS (=secure socket layer) so you can pretty rely on it being safe.
Most important thing is not to give away your Parse KEYS in documentation, exported .Stencyl or any form of communications. Better don't give anybody the sources or access to your computer at all 


 Hope this helps. I don't have experience with in-App Purchases myself so maybe somebody else can give you tips about it.

Best regards

When will support for the new Stencyl versions (OpenFL in the new 3.0 builds) be added?

Hello SteveTheIPad,

It is: there is an _openfl version : https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/221137130/parse/parse_openfl.zip

Best regards from
M.E.

So I went through the steps/guide and got nowhere, the guide is too convoluted. Mixing the GUI stuff in just causes more confusion.

How do you send data to the table? Where is ParseDemo table? Did you have to set it up on parse.com?

For some of the blocks, I have no idea what it does. For the query block, what is ITEMS and MAX suppose to do? Why are you querying for LoginName == INPUT and giving it getfields list with LoginName inside?

So very lost. 

Hello Dtrungle,

Sorry that you got nowhere. It clearly says use at your own risk!
I try to address your questions, but it probably will cause more conflict .....

Q: How do you send data to the table?
A: With the set block, but in first instance you need a row so that is where create row comes in. And due to the nature of a network you need a way to get the row-number back so you can use it in your next statement(s).

Q: Where is ParseDemo table?
A: All tables are automatically created when they do not exist. (Parse does this for you)
Same goes for the fields. You can add fields on the fly.

Q: What is ITEMS and MAX suppose to do?
A: Items returns you the items of the query and MAX returns you the highest/lowest row.

Q: Why are you querying for loginname == input and giving it get fields list with loginname inside?
A: The fieldlist is there so that we get the fields we want to retrieve. If you have a table with 10 fields inside it you could ask for just one or two fields inside the field list.

Q: For some of the blocks, i have no idea what it does!
A: The chat and high-score exported stencyl files use more of the blocks. Maybe those help?!

Q: So very lost.
A: Dealing with on-line stuff is never really easy. Granted, I'm not the best programmer and teacher out there and maybe there is a better/brighter programmer/teacher out there. He/she is very welcome to make a better on-line database connection with Stencyl. I needed a database connection for my game and made it and shared it. The only way I got it to work at the moment is using the ID mechanism and with a lot of after .. seconds blocks. If that mechanism isn't there the blocks could be easier to handle and to explain.
When I would try to make a better guide it would be a lot larger and daunting.


Sorry for being lost and I'm sure you will not be able to find your way soon. Hopefully I gave you a few crumbs of bread along the way.
This is all public domain and free so if there is a better programmer/teacher I invite him/her to make a better guide or extension!

Regards from
M.E.

Hey mdotedot, I apologize for the previous post as it seemed pretty rude now, I was just extremely frustrated.

Anyways, thanks for replying and I'll give it another try when I'm free. If it works out I'll share the behavior with comments so others can make use of it.

Thanks again for sharing the extension.