TCPmaker : Visual Tour    How Variables and Controls Work Together  

To better understand how to design your project, let's talk about how your project will work when it is finished.

When your finished device is connected to the Ethernet, and you point your web browser at your device's address, here is what happens:

1) Your web browser sends an HTTP request for a file called "index.htm".

2) As your browser figures out how to display this file, it sees that it must also get a file called "run.swf", so it gets that one from your device as well.

3) File "run.swf" is actually a very compact Flash class library, so the browser starts its Flash plugin, which starts "run.swf" running.

4) Library "run.swf" gets another file from your device, "run.xml", which contains info about your content: the Variables and Controls that it uses. When the library reads "run.xml", it then displays the (first or "index" page of) your TCPmaker layout, showing all the controls you have positioned on that page.

5) Then, library "run.swf" begins exchanging messages and data with your device, and the Controls displayed on the browser screen become responsive.

 


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