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| Manning Early Access Program |
Flex 4 in Action Tariq Ahmed, Dan Orlando, John C. Bland II, and Joel Hooks MEAP Began: June 2009 Softbound print: July 2010 (est.) | 600 pages ISBN: 9781935182429 |
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Table of Contents, MEAP Chapters & Resources
| Table of Contents | Resources |
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Part One: Application Basics
1: Making the cas - FREE 2: Getting Started - AVAILABLE 3: Working with ActionScript - AVAILABLE 4: Layout and Containers - AVAILABLE 5: Displaying Forms and Capturing User Input - AVAILABLE 6: Validating User Input - AVAILABLE 7: Formatting Data - AVAILABLE 8: MX Data Grids, Lists, and Trees - AVAILABLE 9: Using the Spark list controls - AVAILABLE 10: List Customization - AVAILABLE Part Two: Application Flow and Structure 11: Application Flow and Structure - AVAILABLE 12: Application Navigation - AVAILABLE 13: Introduction to Pop-Ups - AVAILABLE 14: Implementing View States - AVAILABLE 15: Working with data services 16: Objects and Classes 17: Custom Components 18: Advanced Reusability in Flex 19: Architecture & Frameworks Part Three: The Finishing Touches 20: Customizing the Experience 21: Working with Effects 22: Drag and Drop 23: Charting 24: Debugging and Testing 25: Wrapping up a project Bones Chapter 26: Working with XML - AVAILABLE |
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DESCRIPTION
Using Flex, you can create high-quality, effective, and interactive Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) quickly and easily. Flex removes the complexity barrier from RIA development by offering sophisticated tools and a straightforward programming language so you can focus on what you want to do instead of how to do it. And the new features added in Flex 4 give you an even wider range of options!
Flex 4 in Action is an easy-to-follow, hands-on Flex tutorial that goes beyond feature coverage and helps you put Flex to work in real day-to-day tasks. You'll quickly master the Flex API and learn to apply the techniques that make your Flex applications stand out from the crowd.
The expert authors of Flex 4 in Action have one goal-to help you get down to business with Flex. Fast. Flex 4 in Action filters out the noise and dives into the core topics you need every day. Using numerous easy-to-understand examples, Flex 4 in Action gives you a strong foundation that you can build on as the complexity of your projects increases.
- Interesting themes, styles, and skins? It's in there.
- Working with databases? You got it.
- Interactive forms and validation? You bet.
- Charting techniques to help you visualize data? Bam!
- Next generation Spark components-New buttons, form inputs, navigation controls and other visual components replace the Flex 3 "Halo" versions. Spark components are easier to customize, which makes skinning and theme design much faster
- A new "network monitor" allows you to see the data communications between a Flex application and a backend server, which helps when trying to debug applications that are communicating to another system/service
- Numerous productivity boosting features that speed up the process of creating applications
- A faster compiler to take your human-written source code and convert it into a machine-readable format
- Built-in support for unit testing allows you to improve the quality of your software, and reduce the time spent in testing
WHAT'S INSIDE
- Profiler, AdvancedDataGrid, and Refactoring
- Layout your application using Containers
- Create interactive forms with upfront validation
- Connect to Databases with Data Services
- Use charting to visualize data
- Share code across multiple projects
- Customize with styles, themes, and skins
- Test, debug, and deploy Flex applications
- Drag and drop
- ActionScript 3.0 fundamentals
- Use Effects for more than just the "cool" factor
This book requires understanding of HTML and basic web design but no previous experience with Flex.
About the Authors
Tariq Ahmed is an accomplished web application pioneer with over 15 years of experience introducing next generation web technologies to companies such as Bell Canada and REUTERS. He was first to introduce eBay to Adobe Flex, and saw it proliferate to other teams. As an Adobe Flex Community Expert, Tariq evangelizes the technology and supports the community, particularly through his Community Flex (CFLEX.Net) site. He is currently the Manager of Product Development at Amcom Technology, managing a team of RIA Engineers and Business Intelligence Analysts.
Daniel Orlando is a recognized RIA Architect, specializing in enterprise class Flex and AIR applications. Dan is often called on as a resource for information on topics involving bleeding edge technology platforms for radio interviews and print publications, which include: PHP Architect magazine, Flex and Flash Developer Magazine, Amazon Web Services Developer Connection, Adobe Developer Connection, IBM developerWorks, PHPBuilder.com, and many others.
John C. Bland II is founder of Katapult Media Inc. which focuses on software and web development using technologies such as ColdFusion, the Flash Platform, PHP, Java, the .NET Platform, and Objective-C (iPhone, Mac OSX, etc). Through Katapult, he works diligently on custom software and web products for small and large clients throughout the world. As a 2009 Adobe Community Expert, John continues put back into the community which helped mold him into the developer he is today. John blogs regularly on his Geek Life blog: www.johncblandii.com.
Joel Hooks is a Flash Platform developer with experience in Actionscript 3, Flex, and Python. Joel spent the first 13 years of his professional career as a 3d animator and graphic designer working on computer based training applications from that perspective. His interest in programming goes as far back as "TELL TURTLE" and he has always been interested in the technological challenges related to developing software. With the introduction of Actionscript 3, Joel finally found a platform that allows him to architect useful tools while fully leveraging his experience as a visual artist. Joel is passionate about technology and enjoys exploring the landscape of frameworks, libraries, and tools that make his work constantly fun and challenging.
Praise for Flex 3 in Action
“It’s a book you would not only want to read cover to cover but also keep it on your desk as reference material for your day to day development needs. I highly recommend anyone interested in Adobe Flex to read this book.”
—Abdul Qabiz
“The book does a good job of covering some of the history behind traditional web development and where Rich Internet Applications are headed.”
—Sami Hoda, Architect/Manager, Software Engineer, eCivis Inc.
WHAT REVIEWERS ARE SAYING
“I expect that once Flex 4 in Action is complete it will be the definitive guide to Flex 4, and I'm sure you'll see a well-worn paper copy of it on many a Flex developer's desk...”
—Peter Armstrong, Author of Hello! Flex 4
“[This] book actually really kept me interested, and made me try all the examples to see how it really works...Great book!”
—Niaz Jalal
About the Early Access Version
This Early Access version of Flex 4 in Action enables you to receive new chapters as they are being written. You can also interact with the authors to ask questions, provide feedback and errata, and help shape the final manuscript on the Author Online
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