Hi Paul, I have a draft document for the first chapter of a book I'm intending to write that includes a description of what Flex is. It might be more generic than what you want, but I can send it to you off list if you like.
Spike On 10/19/05, Paul Steven <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Thank you Andreas for a frank response > > I feel alot better not knowing anything about Flex now:) > > Cheers > > Paul > > -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Andreas > Rønning > Sent: 19 October 2005 14:25 > To: Flashcoders mailing list > Subject: Re: [Flashcoders] What is Flex? > > > http://www.macromedia.com/software/flex/productinfo/brz_overview/ > > Better description than my jaded cynical self could provide. Keep your > bs filter in the "on" position though. > > - Andreas > > Andreas Rønning wrote: > > > Paul Steven wrote: > > > >> Been using Flash now for many years to create online games, CDROMs and > >> websites. I have always used the Flash program itself to create all my > >> content because that was the only option I had available to me (with > the > >> exception of creating swfs in illustrator and the adobe flash program > >> (whatever it was called)) > >> > >> Anyway I see alot of talk about some program called "Flex" that seems > >> to be > >> something to do with Flash development. I have obviously had my head > >> in the > >> sand as it appears to have just appeared out of nowhere and everyone > >> seems > >> pretty clued up on it. > >> > >> So I am asking for a simple decription of what Flex is and for what > >> sort of > >> content I should be using it for and why. I am not that familiar with > >> the > >> terms RIA or IDE so please keep the explanation in laymans terms. > >> > >> I am about to begin developing a large website in Flash and was > >> planning on > >> just making it in Flash 8 in the way I normally create Flash stuff. > >> > >> If there is a better way to do things using a different application > >> then I > >> would really like to know. > >> > >> If there is a different list that would be more appropriate to my > >> question > >> then please let me know. > >> > >> Thanks in advance. > >> > >> Paul > >> > >> _______________________________________________ > >> Flashcoders mailing list > >> [email protected] > >> http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders > >> > >> > > RIA = fancy and completely useless buzzword that pisses me off to no > > end, mostly because it IS a buzzword, and developers who work in that > > field throw it around with insane abandon even though it means fuck > > all. "Rich Internet Application". To the "untrained eye" it could mean > > anything from a site with a video player through a flash game to a > > dhtml riddled search engine. It's such an open and generic term it > > actually angers me. It's the synergy craze all over again. > > > > In practical terms, Flex is a serverside compiler solution that lets > > you use actionscript in tandem with mxml (fancy pants xml) to throw > > components around. What it means for the end user is they get fancy > > alternatives to web shops and other things that might as well be > > handled with ajax or even old fashioned no frills html pages. It's a > > framework for stuffing sites full of components and things that go > > bing when you hit them, presumably to avoid reloading pages and give > > instant feedback, which is an attempt to improve usability, but in a > > lot of cases do the exact opposite by forcing users to be accustomed > > to YET ANOTHER set of buttons and sliders. > > > > Company line: "The Flex product line delivers a standards-based > > programming methodology and runtime services for developing and > > deploying the presentation tier of applications that combine the > > richness of the desktop with the reach of the web: Rich Internet > > Applications." > > > > What the hell does that mean, other than an attempt to get you to > > throw cash at them for the sake of cool. This reads to me like another > > ColdFusion, a syntax so contrived and painful it effectively locks the > > CFM developer to specialise in a platform that offers nothing to the > > greater good. When i do AS, that same script can be moved to php and > > java, even c++ and c# with little alteration. CFM syntax is an > > abomination. In some cases conformity is a good thing. Anyway, i > digress. > > > > By "presentation tier" they mean the user interface. In a web > > application like google, this is the part where you put in the search > > parameters and press "search". In RIA terms, this means the part where > > you put in the search parameters should glow when you're typing, and > > have audible sound effects for each keypress, in addition to a happy > > fanfare and a fade transition when you hit "search". Even "richer", > > let's add a dropdown menu for the last 10 searches, one that "unfolds" > > like a chinese fan with an accompanying rustle of feathers sound > > effect. I kid. But it's not completely untrue. The idea is to supply > > users with more intuitive and direct feedback to their choices through > > Flash. > > > > I think it's a completely unnecessary product line that propagates a > > design paradigm that's actually detrimental to the internet, in > > particular usability issues. You could say the same for Flash, but > > Flash isn't necessarily there to "improve" on the existing content as > > much as it's there to add to it. > > > > If you're comfy with the component framework and is willing to invest > > a lot of time in stuff you'll find no use for whatsoever in other > > languages, go Flex yourself out, i'm told it's great fun. > > > > - Andreas > > _______________________________________________ > > Flashcoders mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders > > > _______________________________________________ > Flashcoders mailing list > [email protected] > http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders > > _______________________________________________ > Flashcoders mailing list > [email protected] > http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders > -- -------------------------------------------- Stephen Milligan Do you do the Badger? http://www.yellowbadger.com Do you cfeclipse? http://www.cfeclipse.org _______________________________________________ Flashcoders mailing list [email protected] http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders
