book

Professional Adobe® Flex® 3

Name: Professional Adobe® Flex® 3
ISBN: 9780470223642

by Joseph Balderson, Peter Ent, Jun Heider, Todd Prekaski, Tom Sugden, Andrew Trice, David Hassoun, Joe Berkovitz

June 2009

Intermediate to advanced

1486 pages

37h 27m

English

Wrox

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Copyright
About the Authors
Credits
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Innovate on Both Sides of the GlassDeveloping Rich Internet Applications with Adobe FlexWhat Lies Ahead
Introduction
Who This Book Is ForWhat This Book CoversHow This Book Is StructuredWhat You Need to Use This BookConventionsSource CodeErratap2p.wrox.com
I. Introduction to Flex 3
1. Why Flex?
1.1. What Is Flex?1.2. What Is an RIA?1.2.1. Clarifying the Competition1.3. For the Love of Flex1.3.1. Bursting Myths about Flash and Flex1.3.2. 10 Reasons to Love Flex1.4. Summary
2. The Flex 3 Ecosystem
2.1. A (Not So) Brief History of Flex2.2. The Adobe Flex 3 Ecosystem2.2.1. Runtimes2.2.1.1. Flash Player2.2.1.1.1. ActionScript Virtual Machine 1 (AVM1)2.2.1.1.2. ActionScript Virtual Machine 2 (AVM2)2.2.1.1.3. Flash APIs in the Virtual Machine2.2.1.1.4. Flash Player 9 Releases2.2.1.1.5. Flash Player 10 Releases2.2.1.1.6. Tamarin2.2.1.2. Adobe AIR2.2.1.2.1. Technologies2.2.1.2.2. Cross-Rendering Capabilities2.2.1.2.3. System Access2.2.1.2.4. The Power of AIR2.2.2. Languages2.2.2.1. ActionScript 3.02.2.2.2. MXML and CSS2.2.2.3. Pixel Bender2.2.2.4. Flex Builder 32.2.2.5. The Flex SDK2.2.2.6. Pixel Bender (AIF) Toolkit2.2.3. Frameworks and APIs2.2.3.1. Flash Player APIs2.2.3.2. The Flex Framework2.2.3.3. The AIR APIs2.2.3.4. Other Adobe Frameworks2.2.3.5. Third-Party Frameworks and Components2.2.4. Data Communications2.2.4.1. Protocols2.2.4.2. Data Formats2.2.5. Servers2.2.5.1. Flash Media Server2.2.5.2. ConnectNow2.2.5.3. ColdFusion2.2.5.4. LiveCycle Data Services ES2.2.5.5. BlazeDS2.3. The Adobe Flex RIA Process Flow2.3.1. Design and Development2.3.2. Execution2.3.3. Communication2.3.4. Infrastructure2.4. Future Additions to the Flex Ecosystem2.5. Summary
3. ActionScript 3.0 Fundamentals
3.1. Core Language Concepts3.1.1. Basic Syntax3.1.2. Reserved Keywords3.1.3. Variables and Data types3.2. Control Structures3.2.1. Conditional Statements3.2.1.1. The if[..else [if]] Statement3.2.1.2. The switch Statement3.2.1.3. The Conditional Operator3.2.2. Loops3.2.2.1. The for Statement3.2.2.2. The while/do..while Statements3.3. Using Classes and Data types3.3.1. Value Types3.3.2. Numbers3.3.3. Strings3.3.4. Arrays3.3.5. Vectors3.3.6. Objects3.3.7. Casting3.3.7.1. Implicit Casting3.3.7.2. Explicit Casting3.3.7.3. The as Operator3.3.8. Introspection3.3.8.1. The in Operator3.3.8.2. The is Operator3.3.8.3. The instanceof Operator3.3.8.4. The typeof Operator3.3.8.5. The for . . in Operator3.3.8.6. The for each . . in Operator3.4. Object-Oriented Programming3.4.1. The Class Object3.4.2. Packages and Classes3.4.3. Class Attributes3.4.4. Class Members3.4.4.1. Properties and Methods3.4.4.2. Method Parameters3.4.4.3. Constructor Methods3.4.4.4. Access Modifiers3.4.4.5. Namespaces3.4.4.6. Static versus Instance Members3.4.4.7. Constants3.4.4.8. Getters and Setters3.4.5. Interfaces and Inheritance3.5. Summary

4. Using ActionScript 3.0
4.1. The Flash Platform Framework4.2. Display Programming4.2.1. Understanding the Display Architecture4.3. The Event Model4.3.1. Event Classes and Types4.3.2. Event Process4.3.3. Event Flow4.3.4. The EventDispatcher Class4.4. The Flash Player APIs4.4.1. The Display API4.4.1.1. Manipulating the Display List4.4.1.2. Appearance and Spatial Properties4.4.1.3. Finding Display Objects4.4.1.4. Event Handling4.4.2. The Flash AIR APIs4.4.3. Flash 10 APIs4.4.3.1. 3D Graphics and Pixel Bender4.4.3.2. Flash Text Engine4.4.3.3. System Integration4.4.3.4. Media4.5. Summary
5. Introduction to Flex Builder 3
5.1. Getting Started with Flex Builder5.1.1. Flex Builder and Eclipse5.1.2. Learning Flex and Getting Help5.2. The Flex 3 Workbench5.2.1. Workspaces5.2.1.1. Creating and Switching Workspaces5.2.1.2. Workspace Configurations5.2.2. Editors5.2.3. Views5.2.4. Perspectives5.2.4.1. Creating a Custom Perspective5.3. What's New in Flex Builder 35.3.1. New Wizards5.3.2. Design Mode Enhancements5.3.3. Development Enhancements5.3.4. CS3 Suite Integration5.4. Summary
II. Developing with Flex 3
6. Using Flex Builder 3
6.1. The Flex Compilation Process6.1.1. Development6.1.2. Compilation6.1.3. Publishing6.2. About Projects6.2.1. Creating New Projects6.3. Creating a Flex Application6.3.1. Creating a Flex Project6.3.2. Using Design Mode6.3.2.1. Using the Components and Properties Views6.3.2.2. Using Layout Constraints6.3.2.3. Navigating the Design Area6.3.2.4. Viewing the Display Hierarchy6.3.2.5. Working with Fast Views6.3.3. Using Data Binding6.3.4. Using Triggers and Effects6.3.5. Compiling Your Application6.4. Creating an ActionScript Application6.4.1. Creating an ActionScript Project6.4.2. Comparing File Sizes6.5. The (Undocumented) [SWF] Metadata Tag6.5.1. [SWF] Metadata Properties6.6. Summary
7. MXML Fundamentals
7.1. Language Principles7.1.1. MXML Is XML7.1.2. Naming Conventions7.1.3. MXML Syntax7.1.4. Display Hierarchy7.1.5. MXML Namespaces7.1.5.1. Namespaces and URIs7.1.5.2. Namespaces and Packages7.1.5.3. The Local Namespace7.1.5.4. The Null Namespace7.2. Using MXML7.2.1. MXML Tags7.2.1.1. Component Tags7.2.1.2. Interpreted Tags7.2.1.3. Core Data types in MXML7.2.2. MXML Properties7.2.2.1. Property Attributes7.2.2.1.1. Typing in MXML Properties7.2.2.1.2. Text Properties7.2.2.2. Property Tags7.2.2.2.1. Escaping HTML Markup7.2.2.2.2. Objects as Values7.2.3. Using MXML and CSS7.2.3.1. Inline CSS7.2.3.2. The Style Tag7.2.3.3. Linking External CSS7.2.4. Using MXML and ActionScript7.2.4.1. Inline ActionScript7.2.4.1.1. Data Binding7.2.4.1.2. Inline Event Script7.2.4.1.3. Script in a Property Tag7.2.4.2. The Script Tag7.2.4.3. Functions in MXML7.2.4.3.1. Property Tag as Anonymous Function7.2.4.3.2. The Function Tag7.2.4.4. Linking External ActionScript7.2.4.5. Rules of Usage7.2.4.6. MXML or ActionScript?7.3. Summary
8. Developing with Flex Builder 3
8.1. Managing Projects8.1.1. Project Properties8.1.1.1. Project Settings Files8.1.1.2. Flex Applications Settings8.1.1.2.1. The Applications List8.1.1.3. Flex Build Path Settings8.1.1.4. Flex Compiler Settings8.1.1.5. Other Settings8.1.2. Exporting Projects8.1.3. Importing Projects8.1.3.1. Importing Single Projects8.1.3.2. Importing Multiple Projects8.1.3.2.1. From a ZIP Archive8.1.3.2.2. From a Directory8.1.3.2.3. From a Repository8.1.4. Navigating Projects8.1.4.1. Creating a Folder Structure8.1.4.2. Creating Folder Linkages8.1.4.3. Creating File Linkages8.1.4.4. "Go Into" Browsing8.1.4.5. Working Sets8.1.4.6. Navigator Filters8.1.4.7. Link With Editor8.2. Building Applications8.2.1. Creating a Debug Release8.2.2. Creating an Export Release8.2.3. Enabling Source View8.2.3.1. Using a Custom Source View URL8.3. Language Intelligence8.3.1. Code Editing8.3.1.1. ActionScript Code Assist8.3.1.2. Syntax Highlighting8.3.1.3. MXML Code Assist8.3.1.4. Mark Occurrences8.3.2. Code Preferences8.3.3. Code Introspection8.3.3.1. The Class Outline View8.3.3.2. Class Outline Sort Options8.3.3.3. Other Outline Views8.3.4. Keyboard Shortcuts8.3.4.1. Some Useful Shortcuts8.4. Summary
9. Customizing Flex Builder 3
9.1. Optimizing Flex Builder Performance9.1.1. Project Development Best Practices9.1.2. Eclipse Performance Management9.1.2.1. The Heap Status Indicator9.1.2.2. Why Compilation Slows Down9.1.2.3. Command-Line Startup Options9.1.2.3.1. Workbench Optimizations9.1.2.3.2. Memory Tuning9.1.2.3.3. Other Startup Arguments9.2. Customizing the Workbench9.2.1. Editing the Workspaces List9.2.2. Using Custom Shortcuts9.2.3. Layouts for Productivity9.2.3.1. Repositioning Views9.2.3.2. Creating Custom Perspectives9.2.4. Managing Workspace Preferences9.3. Using Code Repositories in Flex Builder9.3.1. Using the Local History9.3.1.1. Compare with Local History9.3.1.2. Local History Preferences9.3.1.3. Recovering Deleted Files9.3.2. Subclipse for Subversion Source Management9.3.2.1. Installing Subclipse9.3.2.2. The Subclipse Perspectives9.3.2.3. Establishing a Repository9.3.2.4. Creating a Repository Location in Subclipse9.3.2.5. Sharing a Project with the Repository9.3.2.6. Creating a Project from the Repository9.3.2.6.1. Check Out As New Project9.3.2.6.2. Check Out As Flex Builder Project9.3.2.7. Project Management for Multiple Repositories9.3.2.8. Disconnecting a Local Project9.3.2.9. Using Subclipse9.3.2.10. Subclipse Settings9.3.2.10.1. Secure Connectivity Made Simple9.3.2.10.2. Customizing Labels9.3.2.11. Migrating Subclipse Preferences9.3.2.12. Bug Tracking and Subclipse in Flex Builder9.4. Summary
III. Working with Components
10. The Component Life Cycle and Class Hierarchy
10.1. The Role of Flash in Flex Applications10.2. The Flex Framework Life Cycle10.2.1. Frame-by-Frame10.2.2. The Life Cycle10.3. Flex Class Hierarchy10.3.1. Flash and Flex Class Packages10.3.2. UIComponent10.3.3. Container Classes10.3.4. List Classes10.3.5. Formatters, Validators, and Collection Classes10.3.6. Framework Functions and Events10.4. Summary
11. Using Data Binding and Events
11.1. Using {Curly Braces}11.2. [Bindable] Metadata11.3. Events11.3.1. Capture Phase11.3.2. Target Phase11.3.3. Bubbling Phase11.4. Stopping Events11.5. Event Listeners11.5.1. Using MXML11.5.2. Using ActionScript11.6. Event Types11.7. Custom Events11.7.1. Creating Custom Events11.7.2. [Event] Metadata11.7.3. Strategies for Using Custom Events11.8. Summary
12. User Interface Controls and Containers
12.1. Static Controls12.1.1. mx.controls.Label and mx.controls.Text12.1.2. mx.controls.Image12.1.3. mx.controls.SWFLoader12.1.4. mx.controls.HRule and mx.controls.VRule12.1.5. mx.controls.ProgressBar12.2. Input Controls12.2.1. mx.controls.Button and mx.controls.LinkButton12.2.2. mx.controls.TextInput and mx.controls.TextArea12.2.3. mx.controls.NumericStepper12.2.4. mx.controls.DateChooser and mx.controls.DateField12.2.5. mx.controls.CheckBox12.2.6. mx.controls.ComboBox12.2.7. mx.controls.RadioButton and mx.controls.RadioButtonGroup12.2.8. mx.controls.HSlider and mx.controls.VSlider12.2.9. mx.controls.RichTextEditor12.2.10. mx.controls.PopUpButton12.2.11. mx.controls.PopUpMenuButton12.2.12. mx.controls.ColorPicker12.3. Layout Containers12.3.1. mx.containers.Canvas12.3.2. mx.container.VBox and mx.container.HBox12.3.3. mx.containers.HDividedBox and mx.containers.VDividedBox12.3.4. mx.core.Application, mx.containers.Panel, mx.containers.TitleWindow12.3.5. mx.containers.Grid12.3.6. mx.containers.Tile12.3.7. mx.containers.Form12.3.8. mx.containers.ControlBar12.3.9. mx.containers.ApplicationControlBar12.4. Navigation Components12.4.1. creationPolicy12.4.2. mx.containers.Accordion12.4.3. mx.containers.TabNavigator12.4.4. mx.containers.ViewStack12.4.5. mx.controls.LinkBar12.4.6. mx.controls.TabBar12.4.7. mx.containers.MenuBar and mx.controls.Menu12.4.8. mx.controls.ButtonBar and mx.controls.ToggleButtonBar12.5. List Controls12.6. Summary
13. Layout Strategies
13.1. Coordinate Positioning13.2. Constraint Positioning13.3. Positioning by Percentage13.4. Positioning by Alignment13.5. Advanced Constraints13.5.1. ConstraintColumns13.5.2. ConstraintRows13.5.3. Constraints in ActionScript13.5.4. Constraint Sizes13.6. Using includeInLayout13.7. Performance Considerations13.8. Summary
14. User Interface Integration
14.1. Creating Forms14.1.1. Submitting Form Content14.1.2. Building Forms with Flex Builder Design View14.1.3. Setting the defaultButton on the Form14.2. Customizing Tooltips14.2.1. Custom ToolTips14.3. Creating Pop-Ups14.3.1. Alerts14.3.2. Using the PopUpManager14.3.3. Interacting with Pop-Ups14.4. Custom Cursors14.4.1. Cursor Management14.4.2. Busy Cursors14.4.3. Hand Cursors14.4.4. Custom Cursors14.5. Summary
15. Getting Started with AIR
15.1. What Does AIR Provide?15.1.1. Why Use AIR?15.1.2. Applications That Can Be Built with AIR15.1.3. Requirements for AIR15.1.3.1. Developer Requirements15.1.3.2. The Command-Line Tools15.1.3.3. User Runtime Requirements15.2. Building an AIR Application15.2.1. The IntroToAIR.mxml File15.2.2. The IntroToAIR-app.xml Descriptor File15.3. The AIR Configuration File15.3.1.15.3.1.1. The Application Configuration Tags15.3.1.1.1. Id15.3.1.1.2. filename15.3.1.1.3. name15.3.1.1.4. version15.3.1.1.5. description15.3.1.1.6. copyright15.3.1.2. Initial Window Tags15.3.1.2.1. content15.3.1.2.2. title15.3.1.2.3. systemChrome15.3.1.2.4. transparent15.3.1.2.5. visible15.3.1.2.6. minimizable15.3.1.2.7. maximizable15.3.1.2.8. resizable15.3.1.2.9. width and height15.3.1.2.10. x and y15.3.1.2.11. minSize and maxSize15.3.1.3. The Remaining Configuration Tags15.3.1.3.1. installFolder15.3.1.3.2. programMenuFolder15.3.1.3.3. icon15.3.1.3.4. customUpdateUI15.3.1.3.5. allowBrowserInvocation15.3.1.3.6. fileTypes15.4. Building an AIR Application Part II15.4.1. Modifying the IntroToAIR.mxml Window15.4.2. The MainWindow.mxml File15.4.3. The IntroToAIR-app.xml Descriptor File15.5. Summary
IV. Advanced Component Development
16. Custom ActionScript Components
16.1. Company Logo Example16.1.1. UIComponent and IUIComponent16.1.2. CompanyLogo.as16.2. Component Structure16.2.1. Component Properties and the Flex Framework Life Cycle16.2.2. Invalidate Functions16.2.3. Adding Child Components16.2.4. Using invalidateProperties() and Applying Properties to the Component16.2.5. Measuring Components16.2.6. Component Layout16.2.7. Selecting the Base Class for Your Component16.2.8. Sizing Child Components16.3. RockerSwitch Example16.4. Summary
17. Custom MXML Components
17.1. MXML Versus ActionScript Components17.2. Customizing the Layout17.2.1. Overriding updateDisplayList()17.2.2. Overriding layoutChrome()17.2.3. Setting Up Metadata Tags17.3. Creating Template Components17.3.1. DefaultProperty Meta Tag17.3.2. Creating Custom Children17.4. Extending MXML Components17.5. Summary
18. Extending Flex Components
18.1. A Look at Composite Components18.2. Creating Composite Components18.2.1. Properties18.2.2. Events18.2.3. Layout18.3. Extending Existing Components18.3.1. Extending Button18.3.2. Extending TextInput18.3.3. Extending UIComponents versus Standard Components18.3.4. Appearance versus Behavior18.4. Custom Containers18.4.1. Applying the Flex Component Life Cycle18.4.2. Tag Cloud18.4.3. Customizing Composite Components18.5. Summary
19. Advanced Event Programming
19.1. Custom Events versus Standard Events19.1.1. Extending Standard Events19.1.2. One versus Many19.2. Adding Metadata to AS Class and MXML Files19.2.1. Adding Custom Events to Custom Components19.2.2. Handling Event Runtime Errors19.3. Event Flow19.3.1. Event Priority19.3.2. Preventing or Changing Default Behaviors19.3.3. Forwarding Events19.4. Custom Data Binding19.4.1. Using the Bindable Metadata Tag19.4.2. Custom Data Binding with the Bindable Metadata Tag19.5. Using BindingUtils19.5.1. Custom Data Binding in ActionScript19.5.2. ChangeWatcher19.6. Summary
20. State Management
20.1. What Are States?20.1.1. The States Property20.2. Adding States20.2.1. Creating States Using Flex Builder's Design View20.2.2. Changing States20.2.3. Testing the Example20.3. Understanding the MXML Tags20.3.1. Adding Components20.3.2. Removing Components20.3.3. Gone, But Not Destroyed20.3.4. Setting and Changing Properties and Styles20.3.5. Changing Event Handlers20.3.6. Data Binding20.4. Creating States in ActionScript20.5. Real Estate Management20.6. Common Problems20.6.1. States versus ViewStacks20.6.2. Optimization20.7. Anticipating Transitions20.8. Summary
21. Using Libraries
21.1. ActionScript Libraries21.1.1. Flash Player Library21.1.2. Flex Libraries21.2. SWCs versus SWFs21.2.1. Anatomy of a SWC21.3. Creating a Library with Flex Builder21.3.1. Creating a Library Project21.3.2. Adding Sources21.3.3. Creating the SWC21.4. Creating Libraries with COMPC21.4.1. COMPC Options21.4.2. Adding Assets21.4.3. Specifying the Manifest File21.5. Best Practices for Component Libraries21.5.1. Sharing Source Directories21.5.2. Build to Sell21.6. Using Libraries21.6.1. The libs Folder21.6.2. The Build Path21.6.3. Using Assets from Libraries21.6.4. Using SWC Files21.7. Summary
V. Visual Effects and Multimedia
22. Styles
22.1. What Are CSS Styles?22.1.1. Inline Styling Versus CSS22.1.2. Component Styles22.1.3. CSS Constraint-Based Layout22.1.4. CSS Styles and Class Inheritance22.1.5. CSS Styles and Subcomponents22.2. Summary
23. Skinning and Themes
23.1. What Are Skins?23.1.1. Embedded Assets23.1.2. Programmatic Skins23.1.3. Applying Skins23.1.4. Defining Skins per Object23.1.5. Defining Skins in Style Sheets23.1.6. Scaling and Scale-9 Grids23.1.7. Changing Styles at Runtime23.2. Themes23.2.1. Default Flex 3 Themes23.2.2. Applying Themes23.2.3. Creating Themes23.2.4. Separating Themes to Libraries23.3. Summary
24. Visual Effects
24.1. What Are Flex Effects?24.1.1. Built-In Flex Effects24.1.1.1. AnimateProperty24.1.1.2. Blur24.1.1.3. Dissolve24.1.1.4. Fade24.1.1.5. Glow24.1.1.6. Iris24.1.1.7. Move24.1.1.8. Pause24.1.1.9. Resize24.1.1.10. Rotate24.1.1.11. SoundEffect24.1.1.12. WipeLeft/WipeRight/WipeUp/WipeDown24.1.1.13. Zoom24.1.2. Applying Effects24.1.2.1. Event Triggers24.1.2.2. Manual Invocation24.1.3. Data Effects24.1.4. Easing Functions24.1.5. Composite Effects24.1.5.1. Parallel Effects24.1.5.2. Sequence Effects24.1.5.3. Nested Effects24.1.6. Transitions24.1.7. Effect Events24.1.8. 3D Effects24.1.9. Flex 4 Effects24.2. Summary
25. Dynamic Skinning and the Drawing API
25.1. Understanding the Drawing API25.1.1. Basic Programmatic Drawing25.1.1.1. Lines25.1.1.2. Curves25.1.1.3. Shapes25.1.1.4. Fills25.1.1.4.1. Solid Fills25.1.1.4.2. Gradient Fills25.1.1.4.3. Bitmap Fills25.1.1.4.4. Complex Fills25.2. Programmatic Skins25.2.1. Creating and Applying Programmatic Skins25.3. Additional Drawing API Capabilities25.3.1. Masks25.3.2. Filters25.3.3. Blend Modes25.3.4. Degrafa25.4. Summary
26. Flash Integration
26.1. Flash Platform Development Workflows26.2. The Flash-Flex Workflow26.3. Creating Flex Component Skins in Flash26.3.1. Using the Flex Skin Design Extension26.4. Skinning a Custom Flex Component26.4.1. Planning Your Custom Flex Component26.4.2. Building the Flex Component26.4.3. Building the Flash Skin26.4.4. Skinning the Flex Component26.4.4.1. Using the Import Skin Artwork Wizard26.4.4.2. Mapping Symbols to Subcomponent Styles26.4.4.3. Testing the Skin26.5. Summary
27. Loading External Assets
27.1. Loading Images27.2. The SWFLoader Class27.3. The Loader Class27.4. Runtime Shared Libraries27.5. Summary
28. Video and Sound
28.1. Methods for Bringing in Media28.1.1. Usable File Formats28.1.2. Integrating the Media Content28.1.2.1. Exercise 1: Embedding Sound in ActionScript28.1.2.2. Exercise 2: Embedding Sound in MXML28.2. Understanding Progressive Loading and Streaming28.2.1. The Sound Class28.2.2. The SoundLoaderContext Class28.2.3. Playing and Controlling Sound28.2.3.1. Exercise 3: Controlling Sound28.2.3.1.1. Loading Audio28.2.3.1.2. Controlling Sound28.2.3.1.3. Setting SoundTransforms28.2.4. Accessing ID3 Information28.2.4.1. Exercise 4: Accessing Sound Metadata28.2.5. The SoundMixer Class28.2.6. The Microphone Class28.3. Video28.3.1. Video Classes and Components28.3.1.1. Exercise 5: Displaying Video28.3.1.1.1. Loading Video28.3.1.1.2. Handling Metadata28.3.1.1.3. Controlling Video28.3.2. The VideoDisplay Component28.3.2.1. Exercise 6: Using the VideoDisplay Component28.3.2.1.1. Loading Video28.3.2.1.2. Controlling the Video28.3.3. Cue Points28.3.4. The Camera Class28.3.5. Undocumented Video Classes28.3.6. Flash Player MovieStar Update28.3.6.1. Exercise 7: Full-Screen Video Display28.3.6.1.1. Making the Video Display Full-Screen28.3.6.1.2. Loading Image Data from Metadata28.4. Summary
29. Advanced Flash Integration
29.1. Bringing Flex Classes into Flash29.1.1. Importing Custom Flex Classes through RSLs29.1.2. Importing Native Flex Classes29.2. Bringing Flash into Flex29.2.1. The Flex Component Kit for Flash CS329.2.1.1. Exercise 1: Using the Flex Component Kit For Flash CS329.2.1.1.1. Creating a Custom Flex Component Using the Flex Component Kit29.2.1.1.2. Using the Custom Component in a Flex Application29.2.1.1.3. Setting Up the Component Bounding Box29.2.2. Porting Flash Native Components into Flex29.2.2.1. FLVPlayback versus VideoDisplay29.2.2.2. Porting the FLVPlayback29.2.2.3. Exercise 2: Using the FLVPlayback Component in Flex29.2.2.4. Examining the FXFLVPlayback Compilation Process29.2.3. Custom States and Transitions in Flex Components29.2.3.1. Custom State and Transition Techniques29.2.3.2. Exercise 3: Adding Custom States and Transitions29.2.3.2.1. Adding Custom States29.2.3.2.2. Adding Transitions29.2.3.3. Exercise 4: Punkhead and Ticklehead — A Case Study29.2.3.3.1. Creating The Punkhead and Ticklehead Animations29.2.3.3.2. Adding The Animation States29.2.3.3.3. Adding The Transition States29.2.3.3.4. Creating Integrated Components29.2.3.3.5. Building the Punkhead Flex Application29.2.3.3.6. Building the Ticklehead Flex Application29.3. Summary
VI. Data Management
30. Working with Data
30.1. XML30.1.1. Quick XML Primer30.1.2. XML and ActionScript: Before E4X30.1.3. XML and ActionScript 3.0: Using E4X30.1.3.1. Classes of Interest30.1.3.1.1. The XML Class30.1.3.1.2. The XMLList Class30.1.3.1.3. The Namespace Class30.1.3.1.4. The QName Class30.1.3.2. Accessing XML30.1.3.2.1. Using XML Class Methods30.1.3.2.2. Using E4X Operators and Expressions30.1.3.3. Modifying XML30.1.3.3.1. Adding Elements to Your XML Object30.1.3.3.2. Modifying Elements in Your XML Object30.1.3.3.3. Deleting Elements in Your XML Object30.1.3.4. Miscellaneous Debris30.2. Collections API30.2.1. IList30.2.2. ICollectionView30.2.2.1. Sorting30.2.2.2. Filtering30.2.2.3. IViewCursor30.2.3. ListCollectionView30.2.3.1. ArrayCollection30.2.3.2. XMLListCollection30.2.3.3. A Source for Binding — dataProvider30.2.3.4. Working with CollectionEvent30.3. Associative Arrays/Dictionary30.3.1. Using Strings as Keys30.3.1.1. Dynamic Classes30.3.1.1.1. Object30.3.1.1.2. Dictionary30.3.2. Using Objects as Keys30.3.2.1. Not All Equality Is Equal30.3.2.2. Iteration30.3.2.3. Using Weak Keys30.4. Repeaters30.4.1. During Execution30.4.2. After Execution30.4.3. Handling Interaction30.4.4. When Not to Use Repeater30.5. Summary
31. Formatters and Validators
31.1. Overview31.2. Formatters31.2.1. Using Standard Formatters31.2.1.1. ZipCodeFormatter31.2.1.2. PhoneFormatter31.2.1.3. DateFormatter31.2.1.4. NumberFormatter31.2.1.5. CurrencyFormatter31.2.2. Handling Input Data Errors31.3. Validators31.3.1. Using Standard Validators31.3.1.1. Binding Controls to Validators31.3.1.2. Setting Validation Parameters31.3.2. Changing the Default Error Messages31.3.3. Triggering Validation31.3.3.1. Setting Trigger/TriggerEvent31.3.3.2. Utilizing Validator.validateAll() to Trigger Multiple Validators31.4. Regular Expressions in ActionScript 331.4.1. Common Regular Expression Use Cases31.4.2. A Regular Expression Primer31.5. RegExpValidator: A Validator's Validator31.6. Customizing and Centralizing Formatters and Validators31.6.1. Centralizing Formatters31.6.2. Centralizing Validators31.7. Summary
32. Using the List Components
32.1. ListBase Is Everywhere32.1.1. ListBase APIs32.1.1.1. Selection and Update API32.1.1.2. Drag and Drop API32.1.1.3. Additional Features32.1.1.3.1. Data Tips32.1.1.3.2. Icons32.1.1.3.3. Labels32.1.1.3.4. Item Renderers32.2. Working with the List Class32.2.1. Item-Editing Functionality in List32.2.2. List Descendents32.3. The Menu Class32.3.1. Creating Menu Objects32.3.2. Working with the Menu Class32.4. The TileBase Class32.4.1. HorizontalList32.4.2. TileList32.5. List, HorizontalList, and TileList — Optimized Memory Consumption32.6. Summary
33. Advanced Data Controls
33.1. Overview33.2. Tree33.2.1. Feeding the Tree33.2.2. Changing the Look of the Tree33.2.3. Working with the Tree Control33.2.3.1. Expanding and Collapsing Branches33.2.3.2. Handling Common Tree Events33.3. DataGrid33.3.1. Populating the DataGrid33.3.2. Working with Columns33.3.2.1. Introducing <mx:DataGridColumn/>33.3.2.2. Interacting with <mx:DataGridColumn/>33.3.3. Handling Events33.4. Customizing Renderers33.4.1. Customizing Cells33.4.1.1. Item Renderers33.4.1.1.1. Drop-In Item Renderers33.4.1.1.2. Inline Item Renderers33.4.1.1.3. Custom Component Item Renderers33.4.1.2. Item Editors33.4.1.3. Ever-Present Item Editors33.4.2. Headers33.5. AdvancedDataGrid33.5.1. Implementing the AdvancedDataGrid33.5.2. Grouping Data in the AdvancedDataGrid33.5.2.1. Grouping Columns under a Common Header33.5.2.2. Grouping Data Logically into Groups33.5.3. Hierarchical Data in the AdvancedDataGrid33.6. OLAPDataGrid33.6.1. An OLAP Primer33.6.2. Working with the OLAPDataGrid33.6.2.1. Creating an OLAP Schema for Your Data33.6.2.2. Creating an OLAP Query for Your Data33.6.2.3. Applying Aggregations to Your OLAPDataGrid33.7. Summary
34. Drag and Drop in Flex
34.1. Overview34.2. Working with Drag and Drop-Enabled Components34.2.1. Enabling a List for Drag and Drop34.2.2. Moving an Item34.2.3. Preventing Duplicates34.3. Working with Drag and Drop Events34.4. Adding Drag and Drop Support to Nonenabled Components34.4.1. Setting Up Your Component as a Drag Initiator34.4.2. Setting Up Your Component as a Drop Target34.5. Additional Drag and Drop Tips34.5.1. Custom DragSource Formats34.5.2. Custom Drag Proxy34.5.3. Maintaining Type Information34.6. Summary
35. Drag and Drop in AIR
35.1. Overview of AIR Drag and Drop35.1.1. The Clipboard35.1.1.1. Adding Data to the Clipboard35.1.1.2. Reading Data from the Clipboard35.1.1.3. Reading and Writing Custom Data from the Clipboard35.1.2. The NativeDragManager35.1.2.1. The Phases of Drag and Drop35.1.2.2. Events Used in Drag-Out Operations35.1.2.3. Events Used in Drag-In Operations35.2. Dragging Data from an AIR Application35.2.1. The Clipboard Data behind an Image35.2.1.1. Deferred Data35.3. Dragging Files to an AIR Application35.4. Summary
36. Using the Charting Components
36.1. Understanding Charting36.1.1. Assigning Data to a Chart36.1.2. Chart Types36.1.2.1. Area Charts36.1.2.2. Bar Charts36.1.2.3. Bubble Charts36.1.2.4. Candlestick Charts36.1.2.5. Column Charts36.1.2.6. HighLowOpenClose (HLOC) Charts36.1.2.7. Line Charts36.1.2.8. Pie Charts36.1.2.9. Plot Charts36.1.3. Chart Axes36.1.3.1. Axis Types36.1.3.2. Customizing Your Axis Label36.1.4. Chart Series36.1.4.1. Series Types36.1.5. Chart Data Tips36.1.6. Chart Legends36.2. Runtime Chart Interaction36.2.1. Handling User Interaction36.2.2. Programmatic Interaction36.3. Customizing a Chart's Look and Feel36.3.1. Custom Renderers36.3.2. Styling36.3.3. Effects36.4. Summary
37. Resource Bundles and Data Localization
37.1. Overview37.2. L10n Using Properties Files37.2.1. Understanding Properties Files37.2.2. Dealing with Character Encoding37.2.2.1. Eclipse and Character Encoding37.2.2.2. Changing the Default Encoding Type for Properties Files in Eclipse37.2.3. Setting Up Locales in Your Flex Project37.2.3.1. Project Settings37.2.3.2. Locale Chains37.2.3.3. Using the copylocale.exe Command-Line Tool37.3. Implementing i18n in Flex 337.3.1. Utilizing Your Resources37.3.1.1. Using @Resource37.3.1.2. Using ResourceBundle37.3.1.3. Using the Flex 3 ResourceManager37.3.1.3.1. Accessing Data Using ResourceManager37.3.1.3.2. Switching Locales at Runtime37.4. Loading Resources at Runtime37.4.1. Resource Modules37.4.2. Programmatically Generating ResourceBundle37.4.3. Pairing Resources with Modules37.5. Globalizing AIR Applications37.6. Summary
VII. Client Communications
38. Browser Communication in Flex
38.1. Understanding the Web Context38.2. Using flashVars to Pass Data into Flex38.3. Linking to an External Page URL38.4. Interacting with JavaScript38.4.1. Invoking JavaScript from Flex38.4.2. Invoking ActionScript from JavaScript38.4.3. Passing Data Between ActionScript and JavaScript38.4.3.1. Parameters38.4.3.2. Return Values38.4.3.3. Complex Objects38.5. Using the Flex-Ajax Bridge38.6. Disabling Browser Integration38.7. Summary
39. HTML Mashups with AIR
39.1. Why Embed HTML in an AIR Application?39.2. YouTube Sample39.3. Displaying HTML in AIR39.3.1. Loading Remote Content39.3.1.1. Working with Security Sandboxes39.3.1.2. Interacting between Different Sandboxes39.3.2. Loading In-Memory Content39.3.3. Loading Local File Content39.3.3.1. Examining EmbeddedPlayer.html Content39.4. Interacting with JavaScript39.4.1. Calling Embedded JavaScript from ActionScript39.4.2. Calling ActionScript from JavaScript39.4.3. Controlling the HTML DOM from ActionScript39.5. Summary
40. Deep Linking
40.1. Deep Linking on the Web40.2. Deep Linking with Flex40.2.1. Fragment Identifiers in URLs40.3. Flex 3 Support for Deep Linking40.3.1. Using the BrowserManager API40.3.1.1. Examining the Browser URL40.3.1.2. Example #1: The BrowserManager API in Action40.3.1.3. Encoding and Decoding URI Components40.3.2. Under the Hood: How Flex Deep Linking Works40.3.2.1. The Flex Deep-Linking Architecture40.3.2.2. Handling Changes in Navigational State40.3.2.3. Handling Changes in the Browser's URL40.3.2.4. Why history.js Is So Important40.4. Real-World Deep Linking: the Space Image Browser40.4.1. Example #2: Working with Navigational States40.4.1.1. What Is Navigational State?40.4.1.2. Encoding Navigational State40.4.1.3. A Basic Deep-Linking Architecture40.4.1.4. Adjusting the View State40.4.2. Example #3: A More Sophisticated Image Browser40.4.2.1. A Richer Notion of Navigational State ...40.4.2.2. And a Larger Number of Views ...40.4.2.3. Require a Richer Deep-Linking Architecture40.4.2.4. Adjusting the View State, Version 240.4.2.5. Using HTML Navigation to Change States40.5. Search Engine Indexing and Optimization40.6. Related Technologies and Tools40.6.1. SWFAddress40.6.2. UrlKit40.6.3. History Manager40.7. Summary
41. System Interactions in Flex
41.1. Detecting Client System Capabilities41.2. Going Full Screen41.3. Enabling Right-Click Context Menus41.3.1. Adding and Removing Context Menu Options41.3.2. Invoking Actions from Context Menus41.4. Limitations of System Interactions41.4.1. Limitations of Full-Screen Mode41.4.2. Limitations of Custom Context Menus41.5. Summary
42. Native Desktop Support with AIR
42.1. Working with Windows42.1.1. Creating a Native Window42.1.1.1. Important Properties for Rendering Windows42.1.1.1.1. The systemChrome Property42.1.1.1.2. The type Property42.1.1.1.3. The transparency Property42.1.1.1.4. The maximizable, minimizable, resizable Properties42.1.1.2. Using the NativeWindow Class42.1.1.3. Using the Window Class42.1.2. The Native Window Explorer42.2. Native Menus42.2.1. Context Menus42.2.1.1. Native Menu Events42.2.1.1.1. NativeFlexMenuEvent Properties42.2.1.2. Alternative Ways of Defining Menus42.2.2. Windows- and Application-Level Menus42.2.2.1. Determining AIR System Capabilities42.3. Interacting with the System Tray/Dock42.3.1. Sending Notifications42.4. Detecting User Presence42.5. Monitoring Network Connection42.6. AIR Capabilities and the Flash Runtime42.7. Enabling Full-Screen Mode42.8. Summary
43. LocalConnection and Shared Objects
43.1. Overview43.2. The LocalConnection Class43.2.1. SWF-to-SWF Communication43.2.1.1. Working with a LocalConnection Receiver43.2.1.2. Working with a LocalConnection Sender43.2.2. Crossing Domain Boundaries43.2.2.1. Specifying the Connection Name43.2.2.2. Allowing Domains43.2.3. Working with Data43.2.4. Working around the 40KB Limit43.2.5. Standard LocalConnection Errors43.3. Working with Local Shared Objects43.3.1. Creating or Retrieving Local Shared Objects43.3.2. Storing Data in Local Shared Objects43.3.3. Retrieving Data from Local Shared Objects43.3.4. Explicitly Saving Local Shared Objects43.3.5. Deleting Properties and Destroying Local Shared Objects43.3.6. Additional Information43.3.6.1. Flash Player Settings Manager43.3.6.2. Directory Locations43.3.6.2.1. Operating System Defaults43.3.6.2.2. Custom Locations43.3.7. Serializing Custom Classes43.3.7.1. Using registerClassAlias()43.3.7.1.1. Using registerClassAlias() with LocalConnection43.3.7.1.2. Using registerClassAlias() with SharedObject43.3.7.1.3. Cons of Using registerClassAlias() with LocalConnection43.4. Summary
44. File Management with Flex
44.1. Overview44.1.1. Prerequisites44.2. Using the FileReference Class44.2.1. Handling FileReference Events44.2.2. Uploading Files44.2.2.1. Client-Side Code44.2.2.2. Server-Side Code44.2.3. Downloading Files with FileReference44.2.4. Canceling a File Upload or Download44.3. Working with Multiple Files44.4. Server-Side Considerations44.5. Summary
45. Local File Management with AIR
45.1. File Operations45.1.1. Referencing Directories45.1.2. Referencing Files45.1.3. Navigating Paths45.2. Synchronous versus Asynchronous API45.2.1. Copying a File Synchronously45.2.2. Copying a File Asynchronously45.3. Other File and Directory Operations45.3.1. Checking for Existence45.3.2. Deleting Files and Directories45.3.3. Moving Files and Directories45.3.4. Enumerating a Directory45.3.5. Creating Temporary Directories and Files45.4. Working with Native File Dialogs45.4.1. Native Directory Browser45.4.2. Native Browse for Open Dialog45.4.3. Native Browse for Open Multiple Dialogs45.4.4. Native File Save Dialog45.5. Reading and Writing File Data45.5.1. Saving Bitmap Data as a JPEG File45.5.2. Reading XML Data from a File45.6. Filesystem Controls45.7. Encrypted Local Data45.7.1. Writing Data45.7.2. Reading Data45.7.3. Deleting Data45.8. Summary
VIII. Server Integration
46. Introduction to RPC Services
46.1. Overview46.2. The mx.rpc Libraries46.2.1. Differences between MXML and ActionScript Classes46.2.1.1. The showBusyCursor Property46.2.1.2. The concurrency Property46.2.2. Parameter Binding versus Explicit Parameter Passing46.3. Working with the HTTPService Component46.4. Working with the WebService Component46.4.1. Using a WebService in MXML46.4.1.1. Converting WSDL Operations to MXML Requests46.4.2. Calling a WebService in ActionScript46.5. Debugging Remote Service Calls46.5.1. Network Packet Sniffing46.5.2. Debug Tracing in mx.rpc46.5.2.1. Logging an HTTPService Request46.5.2.2. Logging a WebService Initialization46.5.2.3. Logging a Call to a Web Service Operation46.6. Choosing a Protocol and Server Implementation46.7. Alternative Server Implementations for AMF46.8. Summary
47. Error Handling
47.1. Exception Handling with Synchronous Code47.1.1. Flash Debug Player versus Release Player47.1.2. Try/Catch/Finally47.1.3. Exception Bubbling47.1.4. Custom Error Types47.1.4.1. Throw47.1.4.2. Handling Errors in Functions47.2. Asynchronous Error Handling with Events47.2.1. Important Error Events47.2.2. Asynchronous Events in the Debug Player47.3. Summary
48. Flex and Flash Media Server
48.1. Benefits of Streaming Video with the FMS48.1.1. Exercise 1: Playing Video On Demand48.1.1.1. Playing an FLV File48.1.1.2. Playing an MP4 File48.1.1.3. Playing a MP3 File48.2. Setting Up Applications and Understanding Instances48.3. Developing for the Flash Media Server in Flex48.3.1. Exercise 2: Using the Bandwidth Check System of the Flash Media Server48.4. Understanding the Netstream with FMS48.5. Buffer Control48.6. Publishing Video48.6.1. Exercise 3: Using the Flash Media Server for Live and Recorded Streams48.6.1.1. Setting Up the FMS Application48.6.1.2. Streaming a Preexisting Video48.6.1.3. Publishing and Recording a Live Stream48.7. Data with the Stream48.7.1. Exercise 4: Flash Media Server48.7.1.1. Adding Data to the FMS Stream48.7.1.2. Using the Data as It Arrives in the FMS Stream48.8. Summary
49. RESTful Web Services with Flex and the Zend Framework
49.1. What Is a RESTful Web Service?49.2. The Routes Sample RESTful API49.2.1. Setting Up the Server and Development Environment49.2.1.1. Server Software Requirements49.2.1.1.1. Configuring Apache and MySQL49.2.1.1.2. Configuring the Zend Framework49.2.1.1.3. Configuring MySQL49.2.2. Client Software You Might Need49.3. How Zend Works49.4. The Flex Sample Application49.4.1. Retrieving Data from a RESTful Service49.4.1.1. The HTTPService Declaration49.4.1.2. Requesting All Routes49.4.1.2.1. Working with AsyncToken49.4.1.2.2. Managing Client State during Server Requests49.4.1.3. Processing the Results49.4.1.4. Managing Errors49.4.1.4.1. The Fault Handler49.4.1.4.2. Server-Side Business Errors49.4.2. Creating and Updating Data with a RESTful Service49.4.3. Deleting Data from a RESTful Service49.5. Summary
50. Integrating Flex and Java
50.1. Introduction to the Routes Web Service50.2. Setting Up the Server and Development Environment50.2.1. Server Software Requirements50.2.1.1. Configuring Java, Grails, Groovy, and MySQL50.2.1.2. Running the Server50.2.2. Client Software You Might Need50.3. The Grails Routes Web Service50.3.1. Grails Code Supporting the Web Service50.3.1.1. The Route.groovy Domain Class50.3.1.2. RouteService.Groovy50.3.1.3. Web Service Fault Handling50.3.1.4. Enabling Flex to Receive SOAP Faults50.4. The Flex Sample Application50.4.1. The RouteService.as Service Class50.4.2. Using IResponder50.4.3. Working with Custom Server-Side Errors50.4.3.1. Serialization with SchemaTypeManager50.4.3.2. Mapping ActionScript types to XML Schema types50.4.3.3. Strict Nillability50.4.3.4. Calling Web Services from Other Servers50.5. Summary
51. Web Services with .NET and Flex
51.1. Introduction to the Routes Web Service51.2. Setting Up the Server and Development Environment51.2.1. Server Software Requirements51.2.1.1. Configuring Visual Studio and MySQL51.2.2. Client Software You Might Need51.3. The .NET Routes Web Service51.3.1. .NET Code Supporting the Web Service51.3.1.1. The IRouteService Interface51.3.1.2. Route DTO versus Route persistence51.3.1.3. RouteService.asmx51.3.1.4. Web Service Fault Handling51.3.1.4.1. Enabling Flex to Receive ASP.NET SoapExceptions51.4. The Flex Sample Application51.4.1. The Import Web Service (WSDL) Tool51.4.2. Accessing the Web Service51.4.2.1. Using the Web Service from ActionScript51.4.2.2. Using the Web Service from MXML51.4.3. Working with Custom Server-Side Errors51.4.3.1. Calling Web Services from Other Servers51.5. Summary
52. Offline Data Access with AIR
52.1. Introduction to SQLite52.1.1. SQLite versus XML52.2. Synchronous versus Asynchronous52.3. Creating a Database52.3.1. Opening a Database Asynchronously52.3.2. Opening a Database Synchronously52.3.3. Working with Data Definition Language52.4. Working with Data52.4.1. Creating Data52.4.1.1. Retrieving the Primary Key Field ID52.4.1.2. Why Use Parameters?52.4.1.2.1. VALUES ('A Favorite Boston Run', 'Winding route along river', 6.2 )52.4.2. Retrieving Data52.4.3. Updating Data52.4.4. Deleting Data52.5. Using Transactions to Import Data52.6. Making Online Data Available for Offline Access52.6.1. Importing XML into a SQLite Database52.6.1.1. Creating a Table Based on XML Data52.6.1.2. Inserting XML Data into the Database52.6.2. Improving the XML to SQLite Importer52.7. Using Third-Party SQLite Database Management Applications52.8. Summary
IX. Data Services
53. Introduction to LCDS
53.1. Overview of LCDS53.1.1. LCDS Resources53.2. Understanding LCDS53.2.1. Data Service Solutions53.2.2. Client Architecture53.2.3. Server Architecture53.2.4. The Service Types53.2.4.1. The Remoting Service53.2.4.2. The Proxy Service53.2.4.3. The Message Service53.2.4.4. The Data Management Service53.2.4.5. PDF Generation53.2.5. Communication Channels53.2.5.1. Choosing the Best Channels53.2.6. Action Message Format (AMF)53.3. Creating an LCDS Project in Flex Builder53.3.1. The New Flex Project Wizard53.3.1.1. Stage 1: Name and Server Technology53.3.1.2. Stage 2: J2EE Settings53.3.1.3. Stage 3: The Build Path53.3.2. Configuring the Application Server53.3.2.1. Installing the Transaction Manager53.4. Troubleshooting53.4.1. Logging53.4.1.1. Client-Side Logging53.4.1.2. Server-Side Logging53.4.2. Server-Side Debugging53.5. Summary
54. LCDS and ColdFusion
54.1. ColdFusion 8 and Integrated LCDS54.1.1. LCDS-Specific ColdFusion Installation Screens54.1.1.1. Subcomponent Selection Screen54.1.1.2. LCDS ES License Acceptance Screen54.1.1.3. LCDS ES Serial Number Screen54.1.1.4. Complete the Installation54.1.2. LCDS-Specific ColdFusion Administrator Screens54.1.2.1. Data & Services Flex Integration54.1.2.2. Event Gateway Configuration54.1.2.2.1. Event Gateways Gateway Types54.1.2.2.2. Event Gateways Gateway Instances54.2. Event Gateways54.2.1. DataServicesMessaging54.2.2. DataManagement54.3. Data Management54.4. Summary
55. The Message Service
55.1. Message Service Overview55.2. Message Service Technology Explained55.2.1. Publish and Subscribe55.2.2. Producers and Consumers55.2.3. Messages Travel through a Channel55.2.4. Pushing Messages from the Server55.3. Using the Message Service55.3.1. Configuring a Destination on the Server55.3.1.1. Enabling Subtopics55.3.1.2. Expiring Messages55.3.1.3. Message Queue Processing55.3.2. Creating Messages on the Client55.3.3. Sending Messages55.3.3.1. Acknowledgment and Fault Events55.3.4. Receiving Messages55.3.4.1. Handling Message Events55.3.4.2. Extracting Message Data55.3.5. Declaring Producers and Consumers in MXML55.3.6. Filtering Messages55.3.6.1. Filtering by Message Selector55.3.6.2. Filtering by Subtopic55.3.7. Detecting Connectivity55.3.8. Publishing from the Server55.3.8.1. Constructing Messages55.3.8.2. Routing Messages to a Destination55.3.8.3. Pushing Messages to Specific Clients55.4. Message Service Applications55.4.1. Example 1: Chat Rooms55.4.1.1. The Chat Destination55.4.1.2. The ChatRoom Class55.4.1.3. The Chat Rooms Application55.4.1.4. Chat Rooms Summary55.4.2. Example 2: Stock Price Ticker55.4.2.1. The Java Stock Feed55.4.2.2. The Stock Feed Destination55.4.2.3. The Flex Prices Model55.4.2.4. The Stock Price Ticker Application55.4.2.5. Stock Prices Summary55.4.3. Example 3: Generating a PDF55.4.3.1. PDF Generation Overview55.4.3.2. Preparing the Project55.4.3.3. Configuring the JMS Queue55.4.3.4. Configuring the Message Service Destination55.4.3.5. Defining the Resource References55.4.3.6. Creating the PDF Generator55.4.3.7. Creating the JMS Queue Listener55.4.3.8. Create the Flex PDF Generation Client55.4.3.9. PDF Generation Summary55.5. Summary
56. The Data Management Service
56.1. Overview of the DMS56.2. Why Use the DMS?56.2.1. All about Domain Modeling56.2.2. Create, Read, Update, Delete56.2.3. Sharing Data Among Users56.2.4. Paging Large Data Sets56.2.5. Occasional Connectivity56.3. Seeing Is Believing: The Six-Line Demo56.3.1. Line 1: Declaring a Data Service56.3.2. Line 2: Declaring a Collection for the Managed Data56.3.3. Line 3: Providing Managed Data to a Data Grid56.3.4. Line 4: Filling the Collection56.3.5. Line 5: Committing Changes and Synchronizing Clients56.3.6. Line 6: Reverting Changes56.3.7. Behind the Scenes56.4. DMS Technology Explained56.4.1. Client and Server Components56.4.2. Managed Data56.4.3. Managed Relationships56.4.4. Client Programming56.4.5. Server Integration56.4.5.1. DMS Adapters56.4.5.2. DMS Assemblers56.4.6. Client and Server Collaboration56.5. Example Application: DMS Fleet Tracker56.5.1. Domain Modeling56.5.1.1. The Vehicle Class56.5.1.2. The Parcel Class56.5.2. DMS Configuration56.5.2.1. The Vehicle Destination56.5.2.2. The Parcel Destination56.5.3. Custom Assemblers56.5.3.1. The Vehicle Assembler56.5.3.2. The Parcel Assembler56.5.4. Client Coding56.5.4.1. Filling Collections with Vehicles and Parcels56.5.4.2. Visualizing the Vehicle Movements56.5.4.3. Filtering the Parcel List56.5.4.4. Creating a New Parcel56.5.5. Further Considerations56.6. Summary
57. Advanced Data Management Services
57.1. Overview of DMS57.2. Summary-to-Details Modeling57.2.1. Replace Lazy Relationship with Get Item57.3. Overcoming Item-Pending Errors57.3.1. Repeated Attacks57.4. Managing Shared and User-Specific Data57.4.1. A Simple Instant Messaging System57.4.2. Creating a New MessageDetails Item57.4.3. Creating and Delivering the User Messages57.4.4. Streaming AMF to an NIO End Point57.5. Learning More57.6. Summary
58. The Data Services Stress Testing Framework
58.1. Overview58.2. Stress Testing a Data Management Service Application58.2.1. Prerequisites58.2.2. Writing the Test Application58.2.2.1. Starting the Test Scenario58.2.2.2. Counting Success and Failure58.2.2.3. Stopping the Test58.2.3. Configuring the Server58.2.3.1. Adding the Separate End Point58.2.3.2. Adding the DMS Destination for Result Data58.2.3.3. Adding the Remote Object for Logging58.2.3.4. Configuring the Default Proxy Service58.2.4. Configuring and Starting the Browser Servers58.2.5. Compiling the Test Administrator58.2.6. Running the Stress Test58.3. Further Topics58.3.1. Parameterizing Test Applications58.3.2. Preconfiguring the Test Administrator58.3.3. Creating Customized Test Reports58.4. Summary
59. Using BlazeDS
59.1. Overview59.2. BlazeDS Features59.2.1. Services and Client Components59.2.2. Channels of Communication59.2.3. Integration Points59.3. Developing a BlazeDS Project59.3.1. Installing the BlazeDS Turnkey59.3.2. Creating a Combined Flex/Java Project59.3.2.1. Deploying the Project to Tomcat59.3.2.2. Enabling Client- and Server-Side Logging59.3.3. Using a Remote Object59.3.3.1. Creating a RemoteObject Instance59.3.3.2. Invoking a Remote Method59.3.3.3. Handling the Results of a Remote Method Call59.3.3.4. Handling a Fault Generated by a Remote Method Call59.3.3.5. Configuring the Remoting Service59.3.3.6. Coding the Remote Java Object59.3.3.7. Object Mapping59.3.4. HTTP and Web Services59.3.4.1. Configuring a Proxy Service Destination59.3.4.2. Connecting a Flex Client via the Proxy Service59.3.4.3. Requesting Data59.4. Summary
X. Using Cairngorm
60. MVC Frameworks
60.1. What Is MVC?60.2. MVC Components60.2.1. Understanding the Data Model60.2.2. Understanding the View60.2.3. Understanding the Controller60.2.4. Putting the Pieces Together60.3. Why MVC?60.3.1. Abstraction60.3.2. Component Reuse60.3.3. Distributed Development60.3.4. Maintenance60.3.5. Is There a Definitive MVC?60.4. An MVC Approach to Component Architecture60.5. Summary
61. Introduction to Cairngorm
61.1. Overview61.2. The Steps of a Cairngorm Interaction61.2.1. The User Gestures61.2.2. An Event Is Dispatched61.2.3. A Command Executes61.2.4. A Business Function Is Delegated61.2.5. A Service Is Located and Invoked61.2.6. The Model Is Located and Updated61.2.7. The View Reflects the Changes61.3. Summary
62. Applied Cairngorm
62.1. Getting Started62.2. The Main Players62.2.1. Model Locator62.2.1.1. Single Point of Access62.2.1.2. Self-Documenting Code62.2.1.3. Modeling the Application62.2.1.4. Binding the View to the Model62.2.1.4.1. Controlling View Navigation62.2.1.5. Minimizing Dependencies62.2.1.5.1. Favor Dependency Injection over Singleton Access62.2.2. Front Controller62.2.2.1. Inside the Front Controller62.2.2.2. The ShopController62.2.2.3. Declaring the Front Controller62.2.3. Cairngorm Events62.2.3.1. Event Classes62.2.3.2. Event Types62.2.3.3. Events as Parameter Objects62.2.3.4. Self-Dispatching Events62.2.4. Cairngorm Commands62.2.4.1. Command Execution62.2.4.1.1. Synchronous Commands62.2.4.1.2. Asynchronous Commands62.2.5. Business Delegates62.2.5.1. Using a Business Delegate in a Command62.2.5.2. Creating a Business Delegate62.2.5.3. Stubbing the Service Layer62.2.6. Service Locator62.2.6.1. Creating a Service Locator62.2.6.2. Locating a Service62.2.6.3. What about REST?62.2.7. Value Objects62.2.7.1. Creating a Value Object62.2.7.2. Receiving Value Objects62.2.7.3. Sending Value Objects62.3. Summary
63. Advanced Cairngorm
63.1. The Presentation Model Pattern63.1.1. Using Cairngorm with Presentation Models63.1.2. Sample Cairngorm Presentation Model Application63.1.2.1. Nothing to Break63.1.2.2. Models Dispatch Cairngorm Events63.1.2.3. Command Callbacks63.1.3. Domain Models63.1.4. Taking Things Further63.2. Organizing Cairngorm Projects63.2.1. Small Cairngorm Projects63.2.2. Large Cairngorm Projects63.3. Cairngorm Anti-Patterns63.3.1. The Fat Controller63.3.1.1. Bad Practice63.3.1.2. Good Practice63.3.2. Model Locator Landfill63.3.2.1. Bad Practice63.3.2.2. Good Practice63.3.3. Chains of Dependency63.3.3.1. Bad Practice63.3.3.2. Good Practice63.4. Customizing Cairngorm63.4.1. Logging Cairngorm Events and Commands63.4.2. Timing Asynchronous Commands63.4.3. Injecting Dependencies into Commands63.4.3.1. Manual Injection63.4.3.2. Framework Injection63.4.4. Stubbing the Service Layer63.4.4.1. Stubbing the Command, Business Delegate, or Service Locator63.4.4.1.1. Further Considerations63.4.5. Decentralized Controllers63.4.6. Disposable Controller63.5. Summary
XI. Application Development Strategies
64. Best Practices
64.1. Coding Standards64.1.1. Consistency64.1.2. Clarity64.1.3. Cleanliness64.1.3.1. Naming Conventions64.1.3.2. Namespaces64.1.3.3. Classes64.1.3.4. Variables and Functions64.1.3.5. Code Syntax64.1.3.5.1. Proper Indentation64.1.3.5.2. Ternary Operators64.1.3.5.3. Constant and Static Members64.1.3.5.4. Typed versus Dynamic Objects64.1.3.5.5. Dictionaries and Associative Arrays64.2. Object-Oriented Principles64.2.1. Encapsulation64.2.2. When to Use Public/Private/Protected/Final Functions64.2.2.1. Public Functions64.2.2.2. Private Functions64.2.2.3. Protected Functions64.2.2.4. Internal Functions64.2.3. Inheritance64.2.3.1. Overriding Functions64.2.3.2. When to Use Getter and Setter Methods64.2.3.2.1. Public Variables versus Getters/Setters64.2.3.3. Polymorphism and Interfaces64.2.4. Code Behind64.3. Summary
65. The Security Model
65.1. Understanding the Security Sandbox65.1.1. Understanding the Security Sandbox65.1.2. What Is crossdomain.xml?65.1.2.1. allow-access-from65.1.2.2. allow-http-request-headers-from65.1.2.3. site-control and Meta-Policies65.1.3. Local Sandboxes65.1.3.1. local-with-filesystem65.1.3.2. local-with-networking65.1.3.3. local-trusted65.2. Summary
66. Modular Application Development
66.1. Overview66.2. Why Modular Development?66.3. Building Components66.4. Runtime Shared Libraries66.5. Using the Module and ModuleLoader Classes66.5.1. Cross-Module Communication66.5.2. Cross-Module Data Access66.6. Summary
67. Application Performance Strategies
67.1. Understanding Object Creation Policies67.2. Structuring Data for Performance67.2.1. Lazy Loading Data67.2.2. Impacts of Multiple Service Invocations67.3. Managing Event Listeners and Data Bindings67.3.1. Collection Events67.3.2. Cleaning Up Unused Event Listeners67.3.3. Weak Referenced Event Listeners67.3.4. Cleaning Up Event Listeners Manually67.4. Associative Arrays and Dictionaries67.5. Working with Graphics67.5.1. Frame Rates67.5.2. Using Bitmap Caching67.5.3. Managing External SWF Content67.5.4. Object Caching and Recycling67.6. Summary
68. Project Documenting with ASDoc
68.1. What Is ASDoc?68.2. Using ASDoc68.3. ASDoc Comments and Formatting68.3.1. ASDoc Tags68.3.1.1. @return68.3.1.2. @param68.3.1.3. @see68.3.1.4. @private68.3.2. Classes68.3.3. Functions68.3.4. Properties68.3.5. Getters and Setters68.3.6. Metadata68.3.7. Formatting with HTML68.3.8. Referencing Outside Elements68.3.9. Excluding Classes from Generated Output68.3.10. Applying Custom Templates68.4. Summary
69. Desktop Deployment with AIR
69.1. Code Signing and Certificates69.1.1. Acquiring a Certificate69.1.1.1. Purchasing a Certificate from Thawte69.1.1.2. Exporting the Thawte Certificate from Firefox69.1.2. Creating and Signing an AIR Package in Flex Builder69.1.3. Code Signing with a Developer Certificate69.2. Packaging and Signing AIR Applications with the Command Line69.3. Distributing AIR Applications69.3.1. Web Page Badge Installation69.3.2. Using the Web Badge SDK69.3.2.1. Customizing the Installation69.3.2.2. Launching Installed Applications from a Web Page69.3.3. Silent Installations69.4. Updating AIR Applications69.5. Summary
70. Dual Deployment for Flex and AIR
70.1. Coding by Interface70.1.1. Pros70.1.2. Cons70.1.3. Setting Up the Flex Builder Projects70.1.4. Referencing the MainAppEntryPoint Component70.1.5. Working with the IApplicationPersistence Interface70.1.6. Working with the ApplicationPersistenceFactory70.2. Using Conditional Compilation70.2.1. Pros70.2.2. Cons70.2.3. Overview of the Conditional Compilation Approach70.2.4. Looking at the ApplicationPersistence File70.2.5. Configuring the Flex Compiler70.3. Summary
XII. Testing and Debugging
71. Debugging Flex Applications
71.1. Overview71.2. Flash Debug Player71.3. The Flex Builder Debugging Perspective71.3.1. Placing Breakpoints71.3.1.1. Breakpoints in MXML71.3.1.2. Conditional and Counting Breakpoints71.3.1.3. Managing Breakpoints at Runtime71.3.2. Launching an Application in Debug Mode71.3.3. Stepping through Code71.3.3.1. Step In (F5)71.3.3.2. Step Over (F6)71.3.3.3. Step Return (F7)71.3.4. Examining Application State71.3.4.1. The Variables View71.3.4.1.1. The Find Dialog71.3.4.1.2. The Variables Menu and Other Options71.3.4.2. The Expressions View71.3.4.2.1. Adding and Editing a Watch Expression71.4. The Command-Line Debugger71.5. Additional Debugging Techniques71.5.1. Debugging Java Server-Side Code71.5.1.1. The Java Debug Perspective71.5.1.2. The Servers View71.5.1.3. The Process of Debugging Server-Side Code71.5.2. Monitoring Internet Traffic71.5.2.1. Using Charles to View AMF Message Details71.5.3. Application-Specific Debugging71.5.4. Making the Most of Logging71.5.4.1. Logging Objects71.5.5. Debugging Bindings71.5.5.1. The BindingManager Class71.5.5.2. The Observe and ObserveValue Tags71.5.6. Adobe Public Bug Database and Issue Reporting System71.5.6.1. Registering and Logging In71.5.6.2. Before Reporting a Bug71.5.6.3. Creating a Good Bug Report71.5.6.3.1. Example Bug Report: Transition Flashes the Target State before Executing71.5.6.4. Watching a Bug Report71.6. Summary
72. Using the Flex Profiler
72.1. Overview72.2. Before You Get Started72.3. Profiling Basics72.3.1. Performance Profiling and Optimization Best Practices72.3.2. Memory Profiling Basics72.3.3. Performance Profiling Basics72.3.4. Sampling Profiler Basics72.4. Flex Builder 3 Profiling72.4.1. The Profiling Perspective72.4.2. Launching the Profiler72.4.2.1. Launching from the Project72.4.2.2. Launching from the Run Menu72.4.2.3. Launching from Keyboard Shortcuts72.4.2.4. Launching from the Flex Builder toolbar72.4.2.5. Launching External Applications72.4.3. Using the Memory Profiler72.4.3.1. The Memory Usage Graph72.4.3.2. Viewing Live Objects72.4.3.3. Taking Memory Snapshots72.4.3.4. Examining Object References72.4.3.5. Inspecting the Cause of an Object Instantiation72.4.3.6. Views That Require Two Memory Snapshots72.4.4. Using the Performance Profiler72.4.4.1. Taking a Performance Snapshot72.4.4.2. Viewing Method Statistics72.4.4.3. Clearing Accumulated Performance Data72.4.5. Filtering in the Profiler72.4.6. Saving and Loading Profiling Data72.4.7. Other Useful Features72.4.7.1. Profiler Preferences72.4.7.2. Running Garbage Collection Manually72.4.7.3. Viewing Zero Time Methods72.4.7.4. Viewing Source Code72.4.7.5. Navigating between Views72.5. The Profilers in Action72.5.1. Using the Memory Profiler to Detect Leaks72.5.2. Using the Performance Profiler to Optimize an Algorithm72.6. Creating Your Own Profiler72.7. Summary
73. Unit Testing and Test-Driven Development with FlexUnit
73.1. Overview73.2. Why Write Tests?73.2.1. Preventing Bugs in the First Place73.2.2. Gaining the Confidence to Refactor73.2.3. Driving Improvements in Design73.2.4. Writing Testable Software73.2.5. Happy Developers and Effortless Documentation73.3. Technology and Terminology73.3.1. The FlexUnit Library73.3.2. Unit Tests, Test Cases, and Test Suites73.3.3. Running Tests73.4. Test-Driven Development by Example73.4.1. Preparing for Unit Testing73.4.1.1. Download FlexUnit73.4.1.2. Adding the Library73.4.1.3. Creating the Test Folder73.4.2. Creating a Test Case73.4.3. Assembling a Test Suite73.4.4. Failing the Test!73.4.5. Prepare, Invoke, Assert73.4.5.1. Assertion Functions73.4.5.2. Examining Actual Values73.4.5.3. Failure Messages73.4.5.4. Fleshing Out the Test Case73.4.5.5. Some Real Coding73.4.6. Happy and Unhappy Paths73.4.6.1. Strengthening the Tests73.4.6.2. Strengthening the Code73.4.6.3. Enough Is Enough73.4.6.4. The Virtuous Cycle73.4.7. Setting Up and Tearing Down73.4.8. White Belt in Testing73.5. Further Topics73.5.1. Organizing Test Suites73.5.2. Removing Dependencies with Mock Objects73.5.2.1. The Collaborating Class73.5.2.2. The Delegate Interface73.5.2.3. The Real and Mock Implementations73.5.2.4. Unit Testing with the Mock Delegate73.5.2.5. Don't Make a Mockery of Your Unit Tests73.5.3. Continuous Integration with Ant and Maven73.5.4. Eventful Test Cases73.5.5. Test Coverage73.5.6. Behavior-Driven Development73.6. Summary
74. The Logging Framework
74.1. Overview74.2. Using the Logging Framework74.2.1. Creating a Logging Target74.2.2. Getting the Right Logger74.2.3. Logging at Different Levels74.2.4. Filtering Log Statements74.2.5. Log Only When Necessary74.3. Customizing the Logging Framework74.3.1. Implementing a Remote Logging Target74.3.2. Implementing the Java Remote Logger74.3.3. Creating a Client that Logs Remotely74.4. Further Topics74.4.1. Embedded Log Viewer74.4.2. Stopwatch Logging74.4.3. Logging to Firebug with ThunderBolt74.4.4. Removing Logging from Production Code74.4.4.1. Removing Logging and Trace Using Ant74.5. Summary
75. The Automation Framework
75.1. Overview75.2. The Technology Explained75.2.1. Recording and Playback75.2.2. The Automation Libraries75.2.3. Runtime or Compile-Time Automation75.2.4. Component Identification75.3. Automating a Simple Application75.3.1. Installing an Automation Tool75.3.2. Creating a Testable Application75.3.3. Compiling for Automation75.3.4. Recording a Test Script75.3.4.1. Creating an RIATest Project75.3.4.2. Creating a Test Script75.3.4.3. Starting Recording75.3.4.4. Recording Checkpoints and Interactions75.3.4.5. Stopping Recording75.3.5. Replaying a Test Script75.4. Further Topics75.4.1. Automating Custom Components75.4.2. Creating a Custom Agent75.5. Summary
A. ActionScript Language Comparison
A.1. Runtime Environment ConcernsA.1.1. CompilationA.1.2. Runtime EnginesA.1.3. Memory ManagementA.1.3.1. Automatic versus ExplicitA.1.3.2. The Delete KeywordA.1.4. Block-Level ScopingA.1.5. The Notion of Global VariablesA.1.6. Using Console OutputA.2. Language DifferencesA.2.1. Working with Data TypesA.2.1.1. Simple TypesA.2.1.2. Complex TypesA.2.1.3. ConstantsA.2.1.4. UndeclaredA.2.1.5. EnumerationA.2.1.6. The Object Data TypeA.2.1.6.1. Runtime Type CheckingA.2.1.6.2. Object EqualityA.2.2. Type CastingA.2.3. DeclarationsA.2.4. Statement TerminationA.2.5. Regular ExpressionsA.3. OOP DifferencesA.3.1. Classes, Filenames, and PackagesA.3.2. PolymorphismA.3.2.1. Method PolymorphismA.3.2.2. Abstract Classes and InterfacesA.3.3. InheritanceA.3.4. Access ModifiersA.3.5. Dynamic ClassesA.4. Summary

Overview

With Professional Adobe Flex 3, put your prior experience with Flash, ActionScript and XML-based languages to good use and learn how to use the Flex 3 platform to create Rich Internet Applications and AIR applications. Understand the potential of the Flex 3 platform through practical examples and hands-on advice on topics like desktop deployment, developing applications in MXML, creating custom flex components, charting, targeting AIR, and data interconnectivity.

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