Sending alternative information in a form

[Sarah Atkinson]

Is there away to send information in a form that isn't just text? I would like clients to be able to load image files up and send them. And what aboult securtiy? I would like them to be able to send us there..um.. number (not credit card or stuff for payment but for something else that I can't go into or else I reveile our product and I don't think WebmasterWolrd.com would like that). This number would have to be secure becuse if someone got a hold of it they could sort of do some fraud/ideity theft. Think of it as asking for their Soc#.

[drbrain]

You can use <input type="file"> to allow the user to upload files.

You can use SSL to secure the user's form data from snooping eyeballs.

[Sarah Atkinson]

You can use SSL to secure the user's form data from snooping eyeballs.

Ok I'm new to the whole security thing. Exsactly how do I do this?

[Sarah Atkinson]

ok this whole thing has just changed to something more complex.
OK lets say I have a box.
The Box is blue.
User clicks on button and the box turns red.
User clicks another buton.
The box changes to a circle.
User types in text.
The text apears on the circle.
User can upload a picture.
Picture is resized and positioned on the circle.
User presses another buton
The box's setings(red,circle) and picture file are sent to us.

How do I do this? I'm thinking Director or Flash MX.
And did I mention we would want this all secure still?

[lorax]

I think you'd need to do it in Flash/Director and use ActionScript to submit the information you've been keeping track of out to a form handler.

All requests for data transfers occur via a script handler (written in PHP or PERL or?). The actual image is uploaded and then imported into Flash (I think this is possible). A copy is on the hard drive so you can do with it as you need.

The upload and import of the image will be the tricky part. There won't be a reliable way to reduce the image down to a consistent size. You could get images that are 12KB or 120KB. And then once you import one - you have to rely on the user to resize the image to fit within the circle. I don't believe ActionScript has the ability to get object dimensions.

[drbrain]

SSL is what https:// sites use. Consult your server documentation for what needs to be done to set one up (including, perhaps, buying an SSL certificate).

[korkus2000]

What you are asking for is extremely complicated. The upload is fine but embedding the uploaded graphic into a picture/movie with a circle while through SSL is going to be a lot of development.

[Sarah Atkinson]

Any Ideas which would be better Director or Flash?

I use to be much better with Director then Flash but I don't have Dirctor MX, only Flash and Dreamweaver. But if Director would handle it better I could probably get a copy.

[lorax]

Korkus2000 is right - this won't be an easy one to build. I've never worked with Director so I can't guide you one way or the other but I can say this will be heavy ActionScripting if you use Flash.

[korkus2000]

I would think Flash would work better integrating with the server components you will have to write.

[Sarah Atkinson]

I supose i could have 2 parts, one part secure(with the number string) and the other part(gui flash) as unsecure.

Most of the stuff I'm pretty sure I know the actionscripting. But the getting user file in there I don't know how to do. Before all my flash/Dir stuff has prety much been self contained(ext hyperlinks)
And of course the security stuff is all new to me. Never before have I had to worry aboult security. would all the files just have to be on an SQL server?