'implements Serializable' versus 'extends ASObject'

I'm working on a new application using OpenAMF. I  want to send objects 
from Java to Flash, and from Flash to Java. I hope to define the same 
class in both Java and Flash, such that Java can create the object, send 
it to Flash, and have Flash create an instance of it. The same should 
work in reverse. I want more than just an ASObject, I want full-on 
objects, with the methods available. Also, I want to be able to nest my 
objects.

I understand that I must call Object.registerClass in Flash to set up 
the association between the Flash class and the Java class. (Seems weird 
that I need to do this under AS2.0, but it works, so I do it.) I've read 
the CarbonFive docs, at:
 http://carbonfive.sourceforge.net/astranslator/api/com/carbonfive/flash/package-summary.html

On the Java side, I can either implement Serializable and a bunch of 
getters, or I can extend ASObject, putting my data directly into the 
ASObject's hashmap.

If I extend ASObject on my Java class, and am careful to call setType to 
the proper classname, I can send objects from Java to Flash, and they 
come out correct in Flash. (By "correct" I mean the object in Flash has 
the methods defined by the ActionScript class.) However, if I send an 
instance from Flash to Java, Java can't create real instances. All it 
can create is instances of ASObject. I have tried using ASTranslator 
directly, and can't get anything but instances of ASObject. I can't cast 
it to the real Java object.

On the other hand, if I implement Serializable on my Java class, I can 
use the ASTranslator to convert objects coming from Flash to the correct 
Java class (Using ASTranslator().fromActionScript(o)). However, those 
objects then break on the flash side. They come across as just dumb data 
... the methods are gone.

If I implement Serializable _and_ extend ASObject, then I can not use 
the ASTranslator to convert objects coming from Flash to the correct 
Java class. I just get instances of ASObject again. Sending objects from 
Java to Flash does work.

So I'm at a loss. I can send objects in either direction, but never send 
them both ways. Am I missing something here? Is there a way to make this 
work? Is there a working example of this type of communication?

I'm using the Flash 8 IDE, targeting the Flash 7 player, using 
ActionScript 2.0, using OpenAMF RC11, using Java 1.4, and running on 
Tomcat.

 - Todd




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