Discover how easy RIA development can be with this one-of-a-kind handbook from the Adobe Developer Library. Several clear, step-by-step mini-tutorials teach you about web services, event handling, designing user interfaces with reusable components, and more. After finishing this guide, you'll be able to build Flash applications ranging from widgets to full-featured RIAs using the Flex SDK and Flex Builder 3.0. With Getting Started with Flex 3, you will:
Walk through sample RIA projects and see examples of amazing applications people have built with Flex
Work with ActionScript 3.0 and the MXML markup language
Build user interfaces using the controls and tools available with the framework
Get a tour of controls available commercially and through open source
Learn how Flex integrates with ASP.NET, ColdFusion, PHP, and J2EE in the server
Build Flex-based widgets that let you display real-time data
Use advanced controls to build 3D graphs, data dashboards, mapping applications, and more
You'll find complete code for video players, a slideshow, a chat client, and an RSS reader, just to name a few. You also get plenty of tips, tricks, and techniques to leverage your existing programming skills, whether you come from an open source or Visual Studio-intensive background.
Chapter 1 Installing Flex Builder 3
Installing the IDE
Having Some Image Fun
Chapter 2 Flex in Action
E-Commerce
Online Applications
Multimedia
Plug-ins and Widgets
Dashboards
Desktop Applications
What Will You Do?
Chapter 3 Flex 101: Step by Step
A Flickr Viewer
Chapter 4 Flex Controls and Layout
The Application Container
The Box Class
The Canvas Container (Absolute Positioning)
The Canvas Container (Relative Positioning)
The Form Container
Combined Layouts
The Panel Container
Controls
Data Grids
Tabs and Accordions
Menus
Divider Boxes
CSS
Filters and Effects
Chapter 5 Working with the Server
POSTing to the Server with Flex
Using the HTTPService Tag
Going on from Here
Chapter 6 More Flex Applications
A Runner’s Calculator
A Simple Image Viewer
Drag-and-Drop
States and Transitions
Creating Better Movies
Chapter 7 Advanced Flex Controls
ILOG Elixir
Advanced Flash Components
The FlexLib Project
Distortion Effects
SpringGraph
Chapter 8 Flex for Widgets
Slide Show Widget
Chat Widget
Chapter 9 Flex on AIR
Creating an AIR Version of the Runner’s Calculator
Jack D. Herrington is an engineer, author and presenter who lives and works in the Bay Area. His mission is to expose his fellow engineers to new technologies. That covers a broad spectrum, from demonstrating programs that write other programs in the book Code Generation in Action. Providing techniques for building customer centered web sites in PHP Hacks. All the way writing a how-to on audio blogging called Podcasting Hacks. All of which make great holiday gifts and are available online here, and at your local bookstore. Jack also writes articles for O'Reilly, DevX and IBM Developerworks.
Emily Kim, President, Trilemtry, Inc., has co-authored and contributed to a number of books including a college-level workbook about the Internet and various ColdFusion books. Besides being a writer, Emily is also a programmer, designer and a Abobe Master Instructor.
