Transcript Flex for Developers

Designer’s Challenge – Web-based
Applications using Adobe Flex and
OpenInsight
Clay Borne
President
CLB IT
Adobe Flash Player
According to Adobe
Adobe Flash Player
The Reality
Flex 3
Flex Builder 3
Visual Layout
Flex Builder 3
MXML and ActionScript 3.0
Flex Framework and Class Library
Command-line Compiler & Debugger
Flex
Charting
Extensible Charting Components
Code Hinting
Debugging
Skinning and Styling
Flex 3
Flex Builder 3
Visual Layout
Flex Builder 3
MXML and ActionScript 3.0
Flex Framework and Class Library
Command-line Compiler & Debugger
Flex
Charting
Extensible Charting Components
Code Hinting
Debugging
Skinning and Styling
Flex Development Concepts


UI developed in MXML (Multimedia XML)
Code is written in ActionScript 3
–
–

ActionScript is Javascript with strong typing,
classes, and inheritance.
You can still do all the dynamic typing, prototype
based inheritance like with Javascript if you want.
Flex SDK
–
Compiler to take MXML and Actionscript and
compile it into a SWF
Flex Framework



Written entirely in ActionScript
Aimed at the application developer
The compiler takes MXML and compiles it
into ActionScript code that leverages the
Framework
What’s in the Flex Framework?




Form Controls – buttons, text boxes, lists,
checkboxes, rich text editor, color selector,
date selector, and more
Menu Controls – pop-up menus & menu bars
Media Components – images, audio, video
Layout Containers – grids, forms, boxes,
canvas, panel, horz/vert dividers, etc.
Flex vs. AJAX










Cross browser compatible
Flash Player runs in MAC, Windows, Linux, Solaris
Compiled Source
More matured, structured
Better documentation, online communities
Better charting capabilities
Better debugging capabilities
Better client access using Adobe AIR
Really SEXY look-and-feel
It’s javascript + more
– Asychronous
– Object model
– Modularised
Where does Flex fit in?



As Presentation Layer
Any language on the backend
SWF can be served by any HTTP web server
–




Does not need to be hosted on same web server as
OECGI
Can serve as UI for different applications
Can be “THE” application too
With Adobe AIR, can work as Desktop Client
Code once, port to web
How Flex works…
Flex Builder IDE
Flex SDK
MXML
Browser
Flash Player
ActionScript
Flex Class Library
Get .swf
.swf
Compile
Web Server running OECGI
OpenInsight Database
.swf
Data
Flex for Designers




MXML – HTML, Actionscript – Javascript
Flex builder comes with WYSIWYG designer
CSS support
States Management
Flex for Developers





Syntax similar to JavaScript, Java, and C++
Dynamic Language
– Classes and Objects
– Encapsulation
– Abstraction
– Inheritance
Data Connectivity
– HTTPService, RemoteObject, WebService, XML
Validation
– EmailValidator, DateValidator, ZipCodeValidator
Effects
– Zoom, Resize, Move, Fade
What About the IPhone\ITab?
OpenInsight Web Capabilities



One table can handle multiple, sustained,
and repeated writes to the file
No theoretical size limit for a table
OECGI handles the web service really well
Communicating With OI
Flex Capabilities Demo
Thank You!

Questions?