>> But to do so will require considerably more code, and is harder to read. >>Similarly for the UI - yes, you can replicate everything in MXML's >>layout in AS3, but it also requires more code and is harder to read. >>Consider this simple layout example in MXML:
Very well said and exampled Ian! Jason Merrill Bank of America Instructional Technology & Media · GCIB & Staff Support L&LD Interested in Flash Platform technologies? Join the Bank of America Flash Platform Developer Community Interested in innovative ideas in Learning? Check out the Innovative Learning Blog and subscribe. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Ian Thomas Sent: Thursday, November 20, 2008 3:54 AM To: Flash Coders List Subject: Re: [Flashcoders] Flex vs. Flash On Thu, Nov 20, 2008 at 8:30 AM, Elia Morling <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > The language itself lends itself to spaghetti coding, because MXML can > easily turn into nesting hell. , unless the coders know what they are doing. > The benefits of Flex databinding and UI are bogus, if you are an OOP > programmer reusability exists with any OOP language. Bogus? Not at all. The benefits are in speed of development and clarity. It is perfectly possible to replicate databinding in AS3 (after all, the underlying implementation _is_ AS3). But to do so will require considerably more code, and is harder to read. Similarly for the UI - yes, you can replicate everything in MXML's layout in AS3, but it also requires more code and is harder to read. Consider this simple layout example in MXML: <mx:VBox width="100%" horizontalAlign="center"> <mx:Label text="Testing"/> <mx:Button label="Cancel" click="dispatchEvent(new UserEvent(UserEvent.CANCEL,true))"/> </mx:VBox> And in AS3: var vbox:VBox=new VBox(); vbox.percentWidth=100; vbox.setStyle("horizontalAlign","center"); var label:Label=new Label(); label.text="Testing"; vbox.addChild(label); var button:Button=new Button(); button.label="Cancel"; button.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,onCancelClicked,false,0,true); vbox.addChild(button); addChild(vbox); private function onCancelClicked(ev:MouseEvent):void { dispatchEvent(new UserEvent(UserEvent.CANCEL,true)); } In what way is the AS3 clearer? In what way is it easier to maintain? In what way is it easier to see how the objects are laid out on the screen just by looking at the code? In what way is it _faster to develop_? In what way is the MXML more spaghetti-like? I agree that - as with any layout language - you can get tangled up by burying the implementation inside the layout. That's the same sort of issue that exists in other languages - for example, PHP. But that's simply about learning how to use it correctly. I think it's foolish to entirely write off a useful syntax/language based on examples written by people who don't understand how to use it properly. But then, I find MXML a useful tool for layout. It's your loss if you don't use it. Ian _______________________________________________ Flashcoders mailing list [email protected] http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders _______________________________________________ Flashcoders mailing list [email protected] http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders
