Flex: Working with Data Collections

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" layout="absolute" width="600" height="400">
	<!--
	A. Collection Classes
		You may have data from multiple sources, from multiple formats
		  these classes are meant to provide a single API for using/manipulating data
		  no matter that the data is
		1. Collection Interfaces (Programming Interface)
			a. Brief Explination
				1. An interface is like a Class but with no implementation
				2. An interface is a layer of abstraction above a class
			b. ICollectionView Interface
				1.Contains the definitions of sorting and filtering interfaces
			c. IList Interface
				1. Provides methods for adding, removing, or searching for items in your data				
		2. Sorting a Collection (Cheat Sheet)
			a. Class Sort contains the methods on how our visual displa of item/data will be sorted/changed
			b. Within the Sort Class (Sort.fields) is an Array of SortFields 
				1. A SortField is one definition of how to sort your data
					SortField( name, caseSensitivity:Boolean=true, Descending:Boolean=true, numeric:Boolean=true )	
				2. Sort.fields = Array of SortFields
				3. collection.sort = A Sort Object, which contains an array of Fields
				4. collection.refresh() => Which will change the visual display of the collection
		3. Adding Items
				i.   addItem()
				ii.  addItemAt()
				iii. setItemAt()
				iv.  removeAll()
				v.   removeItemAt()
				vi.  getItemIndex()
				vii. getItemAt()
		4. Swapping Collections
			a. 
	-->
	<mx:Script>
		<![CDATA[
			import mx.collections.XMLListCollection;
			import mx.collections.IList;
			import mx.collections.SortField;
			import mx.collections.Sort;
			import mx.collections.ICollectionView;
			import mx.collections.ArrayCollection;
 
			[Bindable]
			private var myAC:ArrayCollection = new ArrayCollection([
				{ firstName: 'Patrick', lastName: 'Reynolds', ID:0 },
				{ firstName: 'Captain', lastName: 'Schmo', ID:1 },
				{ firstName: 'Willy', lastName: 'Wonka', ID:2 },
				{ firstName: 'Ned', lastName: 'Flanders', ID:3 }
			]);
 
			[Bindable]
			public var xml:XML =
				<names>
					<object>
						<firstName>Patrick</firstName>
						<lastName>Reynolds</lastName>
						<id>0</id>
					</object>
					<object>
						<firstName>Captain</firstName>
						<lastName>Schmo</lastName>
						<id>1</id>
					</object>
					<object>
						<firstName>Willy</firstName>
						<lastName>Wonka</lastName>
						<id>2</id>
					</object>
					<object>
						<firstName>Ned</firstName>
						<lastName>Flanders</lastName>
						<id>3</id>
					</object>
				</names>;
 
			[Bindable]
			private var xmlListCollection:XMLListCollection = new XMLListCollection( new XMLList( xml.object ) );							
 
				//ICollectionView is an interface implemented by our Collection Classes
			private function sort( collection:ICollectionView ):void
			{
				//Sort Class will display data visually 
				var sort:Sort = new Sort();
				//Within Sort is an Array of SortFields
					sort.fields = new Array( new SortField('lastName', true) );;
					//Taking the collection we pass in and setting a sort value on it
					collection.sort = sort;
					//Refresh the View
					collection.refresh();
			}
 
			private function add( collection:IList, item:Object ):void
			{
				collection.addItem( item );
			}
 
			private function addAC():void
			{
				add( dataGrid.dataProvider as IList, { firstName: 'Matt', lastName: 'Chotin', ID:0 } );
			}
 
			private function addXML():void
			{
				var xmlObject:XMLList = new XMLList(
					<object>
						<firstName>chris</firstName>
						<lastName>aiv</lastName>
						<id>6</id>
					</object> );
 
				add( dataGrid.dataProvider as IList, xmlObject );				
			}
		]]>
	</mx:Script>
 
	<mx:HBox>		
		<mx:DataGrid id="dataGrid" dataProvider="{myAC}" width="400" height="400">
			<mx:columns>
				<mx:DataGridColumn dataField="firstName" />
				<mx:DataGridColumn dataField="lastName" />
			</mx:columns>
		</mx:DataGrid>
		<!-- 
			DataProvider is List-Based Classes is simply a Generic Object
			  so you should Cast it as an ICollectionView
		 -->
		<mx:VBox>
			<mx:Button click="sort(dataGrid.dataProvider as ICollectionView)" label="Sort Data Provider" />
			<mx:Button click="addAC()" label="Add Object" />
			<mx:Button click="addXML()" label="Add XML" />
			<mx:Button click="dataGrid.dataProvider = xmlListCollection" label="Set to XMLListCollection DB" />
			<mx:Button click="dataGrid.dataProvider = myAC" label="Set to ArrayCollection DB" />		 	
		</mx:VBox>
	</mx:HBox>
</mx:Application>