Adobe Flex 3: Training from the Source

Chapter . Introduction

In March 2002, Macromedia coined the term rich Internet application. Back then, the idea felt somewhat futuristic; but, all that has changed. Rich Internet applications (RIAs) are today’s reality.

Macromedia introduced Flex in 2004 to make it possible for developers to write applications for the nearly ubiquitous Flash platform. These applications can benefit from improved design, usability, and portability, dramatically changing the user experience for web applications. This is a cornerstone of the concept of Web 2.0, a new generation of Internet applications focused on creativity and collaboration.

Since then, Macromedia—and now Adobe—has released versions 1.5, 2, and 3 of Flex. With each subsequent version, creating rich, ...