Flashy New Authentication: AuthSub Adds Support for ActionScript
Today, we are happy to announce the launch of
AuthSub for
ActionScript, a new component of the well-known
AuthSub
authentication interface for the
Google
Data Protocol. This new feature enables Flash and Silverlight applications to access
data securely on behalf of a user, without the application ever seeing the user’s private
login credentials.
To use AuthSub for Actionscript (or as we’re calling
it, AuthSubAS), first ensure that the API you are accessing offers cross-domain support. To do
this, simply check for a
crossdomain.xml file like those offered by
the
Picasa
Web Albums Data API and the
YouTube
Data API. Then, if the API supports cross-domain scripting, you can simply point
your Flash app to
https://accounts.googleapis.com/accounts/AuthSub{Request,SessionToken}
and authenticate. If you’re familiar with how
AuthSub for
JavaScript works, AuthSubAS works in much the same way. For more information, see
the
AuthSub for
ActionScript guide and check out this
code
sample.
Currently, cross-domain requests are only supported
by the Picasa Web Albums Data API and the YouTube Data API. However, as
more APIs offer
cross-domain scripting through an open
crossdomain.xml file, the
AuthSubAS authentication will work automatically. For questions about a specific API or to
encourage your API to provide AuthSubAS support sooner, visit your API’s support group in
Google Groups.
By Joseph Schorr and Zach Maier, Google Data Protocol
Team
