Aqua-Soft ForumsBasically I want to know if it would be possible to make a frontend to itunes using Macromedia Flash. If it is, I'm going to attempt to make a frontrow clone, but I won't bother obriously if it's impossible.
Using Flash as a frontend for itunes
I'm not sure if ActionScript can tap into the iTunes COM...unlikely, but I'm no authority.
-NC
What I was thinking of doing is having it somehow read the library text file that you can export from itunes.
Ahh... as opposed to actually interfacing with iTunes, it would just read the Library file. An interesting idea.
You can... yes.. Use Flash as frontend for iTunes.... 
Now how..... basically, let me correct it by saying you can use Flash + ScreenWeaver/MDM Flash Studio as frontend for iTunes. Both of these apps (ScreenWeaver/MDM Flash Studio) are Projector building apps for Flash. They can turn your Flash movie into a proper custom EXE and have their own set of Function which can be accessed via actionscript. Last time I had worked on them, I remember both had support for COM interfaces so yes, I can say that it can be done.
Google is your friend so if you do some research in same direction. I had once thought of this idea. But even though I can do programming, It's not my first interest and due to workload (designing which is my first interest) I never started on the same.
As far as using just flash to read Library, well... iTunes can export the entire library as XML and Flash has very nice support for XML. So that's solved too. I'm not entirely sure about reading ID3 tags in Flash as well as using embeded artwork.
Okay, thanks for the suggestions. Can't you get iTunes to export an XML file of the currently playing song?
So anyway... I've decided I have no idea how to get Flash to interface with iTunes. If someone wants to help me out with the programming I can do the rest though.
You can read the iTunes library which is in XML format, and parse filenames and all information for songs and playlists, but you can only use MP3s (not AAC, WAV or any other format Flash doesn't support).
This way you can build an iTunes independent player, but lose non-MP3 songs.
Actually, I think interfacing with the iTunes COM is possible.
You should look into how some of Konfabulator's widgets pull it off. As far as I know, some can even be used to go through the library and run playlists and the whole 9.
But I'm fairly certain you can accomplish aat least basic play/pause/forward/back functionality via the media keys wired in to MPlugin.
And I mean trick various onscreen buttons to acting like the media ones on the keyboard, not literally using the ones on the keyboard.
Actually I'd like to help in figuring that out. Of nothing else, go ahead and send what you have and I'll see what I can do to get it to tap into iTunes some kinda way.
Haha, I really don't have much at all. Maybe after I work on it some more.