A network socket is a communication mechanism that makes a connection between devices through programs constant. Specifically, the endpoints for sending and receiving data between computers are referred to as sockets. Socket connections typically use a client-server model.
In Flash Lite, the client endpoint is the mobile device and the other endpoint is composed of a remote IP address / network port pair. After a socket connection has been established, the client device can access a set of services on the server machine without renewing the network access continuously. This results in reliable low-latency network services.
Flash Lite uses the XMLSocket object to allow Flash content to use socket communication. The
socket can transfer XML-formatted data as well as plain text.
Note: XMLSocket is supported on S60 devices with Flash Lite 2.1 or
newer. Series 40 devices do not support this feature.
There are several considerations regarding XML sockets:
The connection is a full-duplex TCP/IP stream, and there is no limit on the amount of XML messages that can be sent over the course of the connection.
Port numbers below 1024 are not allowed.
The Flash Lite application can only connect to services available from ports in the same domain, unless a cross-domain policy file is used.
For a tutorial on using network sockets with Flash Lite, see Developing multiplayer applications with Flash Lite XMLSockets and Java NIO at the Adobe Developer Connection.