"Adobe Flex 2
® ™
Reviewer’s Guide
Build next-generation web experiences
Adobe Flex 2 offers the most complete set of tools for building interactive, dynamic, and engaging user experiences that revolutionize the way people interact with web applications. A comprehensive product family that includes an Eclipse integrated development environment (IDE), data management services, and a software development kit, Flex enables the creation of the next generation of sophisticated desktop-like applications that maintain the just-in-time deployment and cross-platform portability of the web. In addition to providing richer, more interactive web applications, Flex 2 enables developers to integrate rich data visualization components such as data grids and graphical charts, streaming audio and video, collaborative features like whiteboards and co-browsing, and real-time data push. By using Adobe Flex 2 to create engaging, intuitive applications that are personalized to enhance the user experience, organizations can improve customer satisfaction, boost productivity, and empower users to make more informed decisions. Adobe Flex 2 is the most productive, cost-effective way for organizations to deliver engaging, cross-platform rich Internet applications (RIAs) that help organizations meet their business objectives on time and on budget.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Adobe Flex 2 Market Overview page 1 Adobe Flex 2 Product Family Overview page 2 The Flex Development Model page 4 Flex and Other Technologies page 8 What’s New in Flex 2 page 9 Flex 2 Product Walkthrough page 10 Addendum page 35 Top 10 Reasons to Upgrade to Flex 2 Top Reasons to Use Flex Top 10 Reasons to Buy Flex
Adobe Flex 2 Market Overview
The demand to build applications of increasing complexity continues to outpace capabilities in traditional web browsers. Unfortunately, this can cause frustrating, confusing, or disengaging user experiences that ultimately result in unhappy end users and customers, lost sales, and increased costs for businesses. Browsers are built on an outdated page metaphor with forward/back/home buttons, bookmarks, cookies, and stateless communications protocols. Browsers cannot connect natively to web services or interact with synchronous message-based data. They don’t print well and they don’t work well offline. They also cause quality assurance teams to spend countless hours debugging cross-browser applications because browser versions from various vendors behave differently on diverse operating systems. To remedy this issue, a new type of web client experience is already gaining momentum: Rich Internet Applications (RIAs). RIAs make data meaningful and useful to people by allowing multiple ways to interpret information—data grids or charts—and also possesses the responsiveness of client/server applications. What’s more, they combine the broad deployment reach of the web with the richness and intelligence of the desktop client software. For instance, RIAs can continue to operate even when disconnected from the network; they can connect with message-oriented middleware; and can blend data, documents, forms, and audio and video streams—all in an integrated, interactive environment. They are consistent across operating systems and provide a mechanism for applications to work either inside or outside the browser context. RIAs provide enhanced interactivity, productivity, and user satisfaction. They also deliver the easy deployment and maintenance of thin clients, and provide efficiency in the back end as, once the applications are loaded, only small amounts of data get passed back to the web server instead of refreshing an entire HTML/XML page with each user navigation. Best of all, they marry revamped back-office infrastructures with an exciting new type of front-office application—all while capitalizing on the popularity and ease of use of the Internet and intranets. For these reasons, RIAs are taking the market by storm. Gartner Group predicts that by 2010, at least 60% of new application development projects will include RIA technology.
2
The Flex™ 2 product line includes: • Adobe® Flex™ Builder™ 2: Powerful Eclipse-based IDE
Adobe® Flex™ 2 Product Family Overview
• Adobe® Flex™ Builder 2 with Charting: Eclipse-based IDE with rich charting components • Adobe® Flex™ 2 SDK: Core application framework and command-line tools for Flex development • Adobe® Flex™ Data Services 2: Infastructure for managing data integration and application communication • Adobe® Flex™ Charting 2: Extensible library of rich charting components
Flex Builder 2: Powerful Eclipse-based IDE and standards-based programming framework
Flex Builder 2 provides robust coding and debugging tools that enable developers to quickly build rich client-side logic as well as intelligent code navigation that allows users to easily understand source code and root out underlying issues. For design-oriented tasks, intuitive visual tools allow designers or developers to easily create richer, more usable application interfaces with a customized look and feel.
Powerful Coding Tools—Develop rich applications using a powerful Eclipse-based IDE that includes editors
for MXML, ActionScript, and CSS to provide syntax coloring, statement completion, code collapse, quick fixes, and more.
Integrated Compiler—Increase developer productivity by accelerating the build-debug cycle and by providing
immediate error reporting using the integrated incremental compiler.
Version Control—Automatically keep a local history of every file in a project, making it easy to back out
changes and revert to a previous version.
Interactive Debugging—Track down and resolve problems using the integrated debugger to set breakpoints,
inspect variables and expressions, change values, and monitor trace messages.
Rich Visual Layout—Assemble and preview Flex application interfaces in design view using a rich library of
built-in or custom components.
Styling and Skinning—Customize the appearance of an application using Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) and
graphical property editors. Developers can quickly set the most commonly used properties and preview the results in design view.
Rich Data Visualization—Create data dashboards and interactive data analysis by simply dragging and dropping
a chart type and linking it to a data source using the Flex Charting library, available as an add-on to Flex Builder 2, or as a standalone product.
Rich Data Access and Binding—Invoke web services and request XML or other data via HTTP using a rich
built-in library of data access services. Take advantage of more advanced data management capabilities, including real-time data streaming, automated data synchronization, and direct access to methods on server-side Java™ objects using Flex Data Services 2, available separately.
Adobe Flex Data Services 2: Powerful solution for creating data-intensive rich applications Adobe Flex Data Services 2 enhances the client-side Flex framework by providing high-performance connectivity with existing server-side data and business logic. It adds powerful, robust data access capabilities with built-in support for web services, XML over HTTP, publish/subscribe messaging, and direct connectivity to server-side Java and Adobe’s Macromedia® ColdFusion® objects. Flex Data Services further simplifies development by automating synchronization of data between client and server. Together, these services reduce development time and make it fast and easy to connect to service-oriented architectures, while enabling the creation of new classes of rich applications.
Data Synchronization—Manage the rich client data synchronization process and remove complexity and
error potential using a robust, high-performance data synchronization engine between client and server.
Data Paging—Easily manage and use large record sets with a built-in, efficient paging engine. OCC (ODC)—Eliminate interference with application flow caused by temporary network service disconnects.
Ensure reliable delivery of data using embedded messaging capabilities.
Data Push—Push data to thousands of concurrent users without polling, providing up-to-the-second views
of critical data such as stock-trader applications, live resource monitoring, shop-floor automation, and more.
Publish/Subscribe Messaging—Publish and subscribe to message topics in real time with the same reliability,
scalability, and overall quality of service as traditional thick client applications enabling the creation of critical, more complex applications such as logistics handling, inventory control, stock trading, and more.
In-context Collaboration—Create applications that concurrently share in-context information with other
users enabling new application concepts like “co-browsing”, enabling users to share experiences and collaborate in real time with other users. Adobe Flex 2 SDK: Core application framework and command-line tools for Flex development Use the free Flex 2 Software Development Kit (SDK) to develop, compile, and commercially deploy Flex 2 applications that connect to XML and SOAP web services with no additional costs or server licensing. The Flex 2 SDK includes the Flex component class library, Flex command line compiler, and documentation enabling developers to install and use the Flex framework with another IDE or editor of their choice.
Flex Framework—At the core of Flex 2 is the Flex Framework. The Flex Framework builds on the foundation
already provided by Adobe Flash® Player 9 and ActionScript 3.0 by providing a rich component library, an XML-based language called MXML, and command-line debugger.
Rich Component Library—The rich Flex 2 component library enables developers to rapidly assemble rich
user interfaces from a library of more than 100 reusable and extensible components.
XML-based Programming Language—The Flex 2 SDK embodies best practices for building successful rich
Internet applications. It also extends the programming paradigm by adding an XML-based language called MXML that provides a declarative way to manage the visual elements of an application. Developers can rapidly assemble interfaces from a library of more than 100 reusable and extensible components.
The Flex Development Model
The development process for Flex applications mirrors the process for Java, C#, C++, or other traditional client development languages. Developers write MXML and ActionScript source code using the Flex Builder IDE or a standard text editor. The source code is then compiled into bytecode by the Flex compiler, resulting in a binary file with the *.swf extension.
Flex Application Framework
MXML
ActionScript Compile Flex Class Library
The Flex framework comprises MXML, ActionScript, and the Flex class library.
As shown above, the Flex application framework consists of MXML, ActionScript 3.0, and the Flex class library. Developers use MXML to declaratively define the application user interface elements and use ActionScript for client logic and procedural control. The Flex class library contains Flex components, layout managers, behaviors, and service components. With the Flex component-based development model, developers can create applications using prebuilt components, combine prebuilt components into composite components, or create new components by extending the prebuilt components or their base classes. The ability to create custom components is one of the most powerful aspects of Flex development. Like other enterprise runtime environments, Flash Player provides a rich set of services that developers can use to construct components. These include display APIs for drawing to the screen, manipulating graphics, and controlling audio or video as well as APIs for accessing network resources, parsing data, and performing calculations. Combined with the built-in layout, data binding, and effects classes in the Flex component API, these provide a complete environment for delivering a wide variety of custom applications.
Enhance the user experience with richer, more effective applications
Flex lets development teams design rich applications that help businesses communicate more effectively, inside and outside the enterprise. While traditional web browsing is constrained by the page-based HTML model and limited to request/response-based data access, Flex applications provide a more seamless user experience. In the background, powerful data services transparently synchronize data and support real-time data push. Plus, messaging capabilities enable more robust applications that continue to function after network connectivity is lost and allow multiple people in different locations to browse or chat in the same application. These features, plus the ability to seamlessly integrate audio and video, open the door to new ways of interacting with customers, partners, and employees.
Inside the company, Flex applications can integrate and automate multistep business processes. Plus, Flex integrates with existing tools, workflows, and applications in an enterprise infrastructure. Outside the firewall, enterprises can offer customers innovative services that combine interactive, data-driven interfaces with complete control over an application’s look and feel.
Visual data applications Enable faster, more accurate decisions with rich data visualization applications.
Enable faster, more accurate decisions with real-time data visualization applications
RIAs created with Adobe Flex 2 give organizations a way to consolidate data from disparate systems and drill down into the data for deeper analysis. Data can be automatically pushed to the dashboard, allowing users to always have the most up-to date view of important information. Users can even modify data from multiple systems and automatically push the new data back to its source. Plus, it’s easy to make these applications highly visual. Developers simply drag and drop the kind of chart they want—such as bar, column, line, or pie—into the application. Then they link the chart to the data it should reflect, and Flex builds the rich chart automatically. For example, executive reporting systems can now deliver on the promise of real-time dashboards, enabling business leaders to make better, faster decisions based on up-to-the-minute data, which they can drill into with a single click. Two sales representatives in different regions can co-browse in the same application at the same time, viewing customer data from multiple back-end systems in the same intuitive, highly visual UI. They can even adjust data, such as a monthly forecast, and leverage data services that automatically update back-end systems in the background. And, because they are co-browsing in the same application, any changes made by one rep will concurrently appear on the other rep’s screen. Data visualization applications are also a boon for IT teams. Consider capacity planning: It becomes a much simpler task for an IT team that can monitor, in real-time graphs and charts, how network traffic changes throughout the day. Data visualization applications built with Flex can: • Display complex data in a simple, visual way through charts and graphs • Lead to more informed decision making based on a dynamic data interface • Enable real-time business monitoring • Increase application utilization • Simplify complex data display
Boost internal efficiency with process integration applications
Organizations can use Flex to create RIAs that combine services from multiple back-end systems into a real-time task- or user-centric view of the application. Using Adobe Flex 2 software integrated with Adobe LiveCycle™ software, a J2EE-based business process management family of products, organizations can integrate and automate complex, people-centric business processes and make them more secure. Combining LiveCycle software with RIAs gives organizations and their customers the benefits of a fully integrated set of process automation tools and rich applications to enable better engagement, more transparency into business processes, and increased collaboration. Business analysts can use these applications to monitor process efficiency and tweak workflows to adjust for bottlenecks. For example, an RIA created using Flex can guide a call center representative through a call, including opening, updating, and closing a case, and then automatically create a personalized Adobe PDF document to be e-mailed to the customer. Customers can take advantage of real-time online customer support through video, chat, or co-browsing help. Businesses can automatically update applications for mobile users the next time they connect to the Internet. Insurance companies can link multiple systems to handle new account enrollment from a single, intuitive UI. Banks can create applications that automate and simplify complex, multistep processes such as mortgage application processing. Process integration applications built with Flex can: • Increase employee productivity by tying multiple application back ends into a single, task-based workflow • Increase application usage while decreasing server load • Eliminate redundant data entry • Decrease processing times and reduce costly data errors and manual workarounds
Product selection applications Offer an easier way to choose products with product configuration applications made with Flex 2.
Offer an easier way to choose products with product configuration applications
When customers go to a local electronics store and are confused about their options, they can simply ask a customer representative for help. But it’s not so easy to get an answer when shopping online. Even when search engines help customers narrow down their choices, the online shopping process is a messy, multipage process that can be frustrating—and cause customers to give up before making a purchase. Adobe Flex 2 helps organizations build applications that guide customers to the products they need and let them easily customize products into the items they want. From initial inquiry to checkout, Flex lets businesses build product configurators and selectors, comparison engines, shopping carts, and more. The application
can present all of the customer’s options—and all of the steps in the process—on a single, intuitive page that responds automatically as the customer completes each step. A customer can design a customized product—a running shoe, a motorcycle, a set of kitchen cabinets, even an airplane—that builds on the screen right before his or her eyes. The customer can test different colors and feature combinations to see how they would look on the final product. The same results would be almost impossible to achieve using traditional HTML. Flex makes online shopping easy and fun, and that means more closed deals for the business. Product configurators built with Flex can: • Allow customers to create their own customized versions of a product • Visually represent the customized item, complete with personalized elements • Support co-browsing, enabling two customers in different locations to shop online together in the same application • Connect to inventory systems to provide real-time availability status • Reduce shopping cart abandonment • Lead to higher conversion rates • Help seal more cross-sell and upsell deals • Increase customer loyalty • Drive revenue
Give customers anytime, anywhere access with guided self-service applications
Adobe Flex 2 can simplify complex, multistep processes in a single, dynamic interface that provides a higher level of service to customers, resulting in deeper loyalty and higher-value relationships. Guided self-service applications give users relevant information in the context of the transactions they’re trying to complete. They also can provide in-context prompting through audio and video integration, allowing f..."
|
You need to upgrade your Flash Player , or try to enable javascript in order see this document properly.
|
|
Comments
