Passing variables from php to flash and the opposite

I have recently had to learn this, so this may not be the best way but it worked for me

I suggest looking at the code below stripping out everything you don't need (e.g. the databse stuff) and just get a simple string going back and forward

have a go and post any problems here and I'll try and help

in flash i have

private function getBalanceAndXP():void
{
          var request:URLRequest = new URLRequest("utils.php");
          request.method = URLRequestMethod.POST;
          var variables:URLVariables = new URLVariables();
          variables.func = "getBalance";
          variables.fbid = userID;
          request.data = variables;
          var loader:URLLoader = new URLLoader();
          loader.dataFormat = URLLoaderDataFormat.VARIABLES;
          loader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, onBalanceComplete);
          loader.load(request);
}
private function onBalanceComplete(e:Event):void
{
          var loader:URLLoader = e.target as URLLoader;
          loader.removeEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, onBalanceComplete);
          var variables:URLVariables = new URLVariables(loader.data);
          _balance = parseInt(variables.balance); // class variable
          _experience = parseInt(variables.experience); // class variable
}
public function setBalanceAndXP(balance:int, experience:int):void
{
            _balance = balance;
          _experience = experience;
          var request:URLRequest = new URLRequest("utils.php");
          request.method = URLRequestMethod.POST;
          var variables:URLVariables = new URLVariables();
          variables.func = "setBalance";
          variables.fbid = userID;
          variables.balance = _balance;
          variables.experience = _experience;
          request.data = variables;
          var loader:URLLoader = new URLLoader();
          loader.dataFormat = URLLoaderDataFormat.VARIABLES;
          loader.load(request);
}

and then I have my php file

<?php 
$func = $_POST["func"];
$fbid = $_POST["fbid"];
$balance = $_POST["balance"];
$experience = $_POST["experience"];
$numVariables = 0;
$link = mysql_connect("localhost","username","password");
mysql_select_db("databaseName");
if ($func == "getBalance")
{
          getBalance($fbid);
}
else if ($func == "setBalance")
{
          setBalance($fbid, $balance, $experience);
}
mysql_close($link);
function getBalance($fbid)
{
          $query = "SELECT balance, experience FROM tableName WHERE fbid = '".$fbid."'";
          $result = mysql_query($query);
          $row = mysql_fetch_row($result);
          writeVariable("balance", $row[0]);
          writeVariable("experience", $row[1]);
}
function setBalance($fbid, $balance, $experience)
{
          $query = "UPDATE tableName SET balance = ".$balance.", experience = ".$experience." WHERE fbid ='".$fbid."'";
          mysql_query($query);
}
function writeVariable( $name, $value )
{
          global $numVariables;
          if ( $numVariables > 0 )
          {
                    echo "&";
          }
          echo $name . "=" . urlencode($value);
          $numVariables++;
}
?>