Learning Flex 3

Chapter 10. GATHERING AND DISPLAYING DATA

Few applications are complete without using some form of data. That is especially true with the advent of web applications. Just think of the web applications you may be using frequently. How many of them would serve you any purpose if they did not access some form of data? It is the ability to seamlessly connect to information that has really made the web what it is today.

Whether the information you send and receive is stored in an XML file, stored in a database, or gathered from one of the many Web services available, you can be sure that, with Flex, connecting to and displaying data is straightforward and simple.

Using List Controls

Flex offers a number of controls known as list controls, which make displaying a list of items very easy. All list controls have the ability to accept either a simple list of data or complex, structured data, and they have a number of features that help keep them customizable and reusable. Each list control provides scroll bars if the items cannot be viewed all at once at their current size. A few frequently used controls fall into the list category:

List

This is the backbone of all list controls. It orders its items in a vertical layout.

HorizontalList

This is a list control that arranges its items horizontally.

TileList

This list arranges its items in a tiled pattern.

ComboBox

This is similar to a TextInput, but it provides a drop-down list of possible values for filling the input field. This is similar to the HTML ...