Custom Event Reporting from Flash to Google Analytics
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This document discusses tracking custom events from Flash and Flex applications to Google Analytics. It describes how to track standard page views as well as custom events using the GAforFlash API. Examples are given for tracking video playback events and unorthodox mouse click events. The document also demonstrates how to programmatically retrieve analytics data using ActionScript and plot it without needing PHP, Flex, or other technologies.
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Custom Event Reporting from Flash to Google Analytics
- 1. Custom Event Reporting from Flash to Google Analytics Joseph Labrecque – University of Denver Senior Multimedia Application Developer Adobe Higher Education Leader Copyright 2009 Joseph Labrecque – Adobe Higher Education Leader 1
- 2. Google Analytics Tracking For Adobe Flash http://code.google.com/p/gaforflash/ This is an ActionScript 3 API for Google Analytics data collection. analytics_flash.swc – Special visual component for Flash Professional. analytics.swc – Code library for Flash or Flex. Tracks page views and custom events. Copyright 2009 Joseph Labrecque – Adobe Higher Education Leader 2
- 3. Page Views vs. Event Tracking Instantiate Tracker Pass in a DisplayObject, Web Property ID, Mode, Debug import com.google.analytics.GATracker; import com.google.analytics.AnalyticsTracker; private var tracker:AnalyticsTracker; private function init():void { tracker = new GATracker(this, "UA-1156XXX-xx", "AS3", false); } Track Page View tracker.trackPageView(“http://somewebsite.com/somepage/"); Track Custom Event tracker.trackEvent(“Category", “Action”, “Label”, “Value”); Copyright 2009 Joseph Labrecque – Adobe Higher Education Leader 3
- 4. Video Player Event Tracking Custom Events / Custom Data Play [RTMP URL, Seconds] Pause [RTMP URL, Seconds] Scrub [RTMP URL, Seconds] End [RTMP URL, Seconds] Can be used as a supplement to normal FMS Logs. Won’t interfere with other Google Analytics data such as standard Page Views. Provides a lot more detail. Copyright 2009 Joseph Labrecque – Adobe Higher Education Leader 4
- 5. Video Player Event Tracking DEMO Copyright 2009 Joseph Labrecque – Adobe Higher Education Leader 5
- 6. Unorthodox Event Tracking Why be restricted to just Video Events or Application State data??? Every click on Midge will generate a specific event to track both the body part clicked, and the specific X,Y coordinate of that click event. We’ve been collecting data from these mouse clicks since late August. Copyright 2009 Joseph Labrecque – Adobe Higher Education Leader 6
- 7. Google Analytics Data Consumption Setup as3corelib ActionScript 3.0 library for several basic utilities http://code.google.com/p/as3corelib/ as3httpclientlib HTTP/HTTPS client library for Actionscript 3 http://code.google.com/p/as3httpclientlib/ as3crypto Cryptography library for ActionScript 3 http://code.google.com/p/as3crypto/ This article is SUPER useful: http://www.zedia.net/2009/how-to-connect-to- google-analytics-data-api-in-air/ Copyright 2009 Joseph Labrecque – Adobe Higher Education Leader 7
- 8. Midge Data Consumption Midge again! Let’s plot some data. 1. Set namespaces for E4X 2. Authenticate to GA with our account data 3. Request data from GA through HTTP query string 4. Parse returned XML string to new XML Object 5. Loop over events and read X/Y coordinates 6. Plot click events over Midge’s body All done through AS3 – no PHP/CF/Whatever. Total Flash Player to GA data roundtripping. Copyright 2009 Joseph Labrecque – Adobe Higher Education Leader 8
- 9. Midge Data Consumption DEMO Copyright 2009 Joseph Labrecque – Adobe Higher Education Leader 9
- 10. In Conclusion… (what’s so great about all this?) Hey- expecting Flex data charts? No Flex data charts in this entire presentation! No traditional page view data from GA to mess with, sort through, or toss away! We both report and retrieve only the information relevant to specific needs. Not a huge investment in time or money to implement. Copyright 2009 Joseph Labrecque – Adobe Higher Education Leader 10
- 11. Want More Info? Contact Me! Joseph Labrecque Senior Multimedia Application Developer Adobe Higher Education Leader Email: Joseph.Labrecque@du.edu Twitter: @JosephLabrecque Weblog: http:///inflagrantedelicto.memoryspiral.com 11 Copyright 2009 Joseph Labrecque – Adobe Higher Education Leader 11