flash data integration: We are building an interface for our field employee laptops. We have no
available server connection. What are my options with Flash to institute any
kind of dynamic data...am I out of luck here entirely, or is there something I
can do with XML, Java or tie into a database somehow without server script?

Without a server to call for data, you have two options: 1) Use a third party
app like Flash Studio Pro to wrap the swf in an exe that has access to a local
database that you can put on the laptop. or 2) Get your data from local XML
files on the laptop.

Ok, if I call from local XML files....which is what I had planned on doing,
what do I use in Flash? No the XML connector, because doesn't that only link to
URLs?

Not trying to be too lame here, I don't have much experience with XML.

If you omit the http://servername/dir/ stuff from the url of the connector, it
will load with whatever method was used to load the swf. So, if you ran the swf
from the disk (like TestMovie mode, or dbl-clicked swf from explorer window) it
will load the XML straight from disk instead of making an http call.

what about dynamically updating without a server?

so if we have a new file available to our employees, and we put it in the
directory, we'd like it to show up with a "new" icon next to it in our
interface. I'm thinking java is the only way to do this without a server...can
XML accomplish this?

The datestamp of the data can certainly be put in the XML data and the flash
movie can check that date against the last version it used (probably saved in
local shared object.) If the flash movie detects a new date, you can do
whatever you want on the stage.
However, from your last msg, it sounds like you want the ICON representing the
data to show new, before the flash movie is even loaded. Is that the case?