With this collection of proven recipes, you have the ideal problem-solving guide for developing interactive Rich Internet Applications on the Adobe Flash Platform. You'll find answers to hundreds of common problems you may encounter when using Adobe Flex, Flex 4 Framework, or Flash Builder, Adobe's GUI-based development tool.
Flex 4 Cookbook has hands-on recipes for everything from Flex basics to solutions for working with visual components and data access, as well as tips on application development, unit testing, and Adobe AIR. Each recipe provides an explanation of how and why it works, and includes sample code that you can use immediately. You'll get results fast, whether you're a committed Flex developer or still evaluating the technology. It's a great way to jumpstart your next web application.
Topics include:
- Using Spark Component
- Text Layout Framework
- Groups and Layout
- Spark List and ItemRenderer
- Images, bitmaps, videos, and sounds
- CSS, styling, and skinning
- States and Effects
- Working with Collections
- Using DataBinding
- Validation, formatting, and regular expressions
- Using Charts
- Services and Data Access
- Using RSLs and Modules
- Working with Adobe AIR 2.0
Josh Noble, a consultant, freelance developer, and Rich Internet Application designer, has taught coding and electronics to art and design students at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. He works extensively with the tools discussed in this book, and teaches about their use in workshops and at colleges.
Todd Anderson is a Senior Software Developer in the Multimedia Platforms Group at Schematic Boston, and a co-author of "Adobe Air: Create - Modify - Reuse" (Wrox/Wiley).
Garth Braithwaite is an Interactive Engineer and Consultant for Media Blacksmith, a company he formed with a partner in 2007. He has been developing internet applications since 2004, and is the founder of VegasFlex, an official Adobe Flex User Group for the Greater Las Vegas Area, focusing on Flex, AIR, and Flash Catalyst. Garth works with CakePHP and JavaScript, and continues to improve his design skills. He is also an Adobe Certified Expert in Flex 3 and AIR.
Marco Casario used to program games in Basic for Commodore 64 before dedicating himself to Flash and Director projects for the Web. In 2005, he founded Comtaste, a company dedicated to exploring new frontiers in Rich Internet Applications and the convergence between the Web and mobile devices. He is founder of the biggest worldwide Flash Lite User Group and of AUG Italy, and the author of Flex Solutions: Essential Techniques for Flex 2 and Flex 3 Developers (FriendsofED). Marco has been a technical editor for Apress, Friends of ED, and WROX for books on Flash and Flex 2, and is a frequent presenter at conferences including Adobe Max, O'Reilly Web 2.0 Summit, and 360Flex Europe, among others.
Rich Tretola, an award-winning Flex developer, is the Rich Applications Technical Lead at Herff Jones Inc. He has been building internet apps for over a decade, and has worked with Flex since the original Royale beta was introduced in 2003. Rich is highly regarded in the Flex community as an expert in RIA, and is also an Adobe Community Expert. He has authored or co-authored a number of books on Flex and AIR, and has a popular Flex and AIR blog at Everything Flex.
