Adobe Flex is an open source framework that runs in Adobe Flash Player to create RIAs.
· It combines the functionality of desktop applications with the availability of web applications.
· Flex, as a framework, extends the regular Flash application programming interface (API) to provide the benefits of Flash components integrated with Flex.
· Flex has a large selection of out-of-the-box components—such as a DataGrid, Panel, and Tree—which are used to render the view of a Flex RIA.
· Flex is wired together with a standards-based programming model that supports design patterns with development, debug, and software maintainability.
· The programming model is made up of MXML and ActionScript.
· Flex applications are compiled into Flash bytecode (SWF files) and run in Flash Player.
MXML
· MXML is an XML-based language that developers use to lay out components in the view of Flex applications. It provides a declarative way of controlling an application’s visual appearance.
· MXML was first introduced by Macromedia, which was acquired in December 2005 by Adobe Systems.
ActionScript
· ActionScript, as well as JavaScript, is an ECMAScript-compliant scripting language, based on object-oriented principles, for handling client-side logic.
· ActionScript facilitates rapid development for large applications and handling large data sets.
· Java developers will find the transition to Flex easy, thanks to the standards-based MXML and ActionScript languages.
Benefits of Adobe Flex
· Flex allows for the rapid prototyping of complex web applications.
· Flash Player eliminates the need to write browser-specific code.
· Flex has many options to run the application under, including any application server compatible with Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE, formerly J2EE), such as Tomcat, Internet Information Server (IIS), or WebLogic.
Flex Application Framework
· The Flex framework
o is free to download from Adobe. The core Flex SDK allows developers to compile Flex from the command line. You can start with the Flex framework and begin to build applications using the editor or IDE of your choice.
· BlazeDS
o BlazeDS server-side technology to communicate with backend sources such as Spring through Java remoting and messaging. (BlazeDS was previously only available as part of Adobe LiveCycle, which was not free.)
· Adobe AIR
o Adobe AIR is a runtime application environment that runs on your desktop instead of inside a browser. AIR applications have access to your file system; Flex applications do not have this access. A great example of an AIR application that was built for eBay can be found athttp://desktop.ebay.com/.
Three tools are included as part of Flex
· Flex Builder IDE: Flex Builder can be downloaded and installed either as a stand-alone IDE built in Eclipse or as an Eclipse plug-in
· Flex Charting: This is a set of charting and graphing components, such as bar chart, line chart, and combinations of the two. These charts enhance data visualization with visual cues that represent data and raw forms.
· Adobe LiveCycle Data Services (LCDS): Formerly Flex Data Services, LCDS aids in data synchronization for Flex and Adobe AIR through remoting, messaging, data management services, and PDF document generation.
· It combines the functionality of desktop applications with the availability of web applications.
· Flex, as a framework, extends the regular Flash application programming interface (API) to provide the benefits of Flash components integrated with Flex.
· Flex has a large selection of out-of-the-box components—such as a DataGrid, Panel, and Tree—which are used to render the view of a Flex RIA.
· Flex is wired together with a standards-based programming model that supports design patterns with development, debug, and software maintainability.
· The programming model is made up of MXML and ActionScript.
· Flex applications are compiled into Flash bytecode (SWF files) and run in Flash Player.
MXML
· MXML is an XML-based language that developers use to lay out components in the view of Flex applications. It provides a declarative way of controlling an application’s visual appearance.
· MXML was first introduced by Macromedia, which was acquired in December 2005 by Adobe Systems.
ActionScript
· ActionScript, as well as JavaScript, is an ECMAScript-compliant scripting language, based on object-oriented principles, for handling client-side logic.
· ActionScript facilitates rapid development for large applications and handling large data sets.
· Java developers will find the transition to Flex easy, thanks to the standards-based MXML and ActionScript languages.
Benefits of Adobe Flex
· Flex allows for the rapid prototyping of complex web applications.
· Flash Player eliminates the need to write browser-specific code.
· Flex has many options to run the application under, including any application server compatible with Java Platform, Enterprise Edition (Java EE, formerly J2EE), such as Tomcat, Internet Information Server (IIS), or WebLogic.
Flex Application Framework
· The Flex framework
o is free to download from Adobe. The core Flex SDK allows developers to compile Flex from the command line. You can start with the Flex framework and begin to build applications using the editor or IDE of your choice.
· BlazeDS
o BlazeDS server-side technology to communicate with backend sources such as Spring through Java remoting and messaging. (BlazeDS was previously only available as part of Adobe LiveCycle, which was not free.)
· Adobe AIR
o Adobe AIR is a runtime application environment that runs on your desktop instead of inside a browser. AIR applications have access to your file system; Flex applications do not have this access. A great example of an AIR application that was built for eBay can be found athttp://desktop.ebay.com/.
Three tools are included as part of Flex
· Flex Builder IDE: Flex Builder can be downloaded and installed either as a stand-alone IDE built in Eclipse or as an Eclipse plug-in
· Flex Charting: This is a set of charting and graphing components, such as bar chart, line chart, and combinations of the two. These charts enhance data visualization with visual cues that represent data and raw forms.
· Adobe LiveCycle Data Services (LCDS): Formerly Flex Data Services, LCDS aids in data synchronization for Flex and Adobe AIR through remoting, messaging, data management services, and PDF document generation.
