Tom, thank you for your feedback. yes Javascript is great, but Myspace, one of the most popular sites that allows widgets doesn't allow Javascript. This restricts us to Flash or Flex. Flex being the newer technology it made sense to try flex, especially for our plans to have more interactive widgets in the future.
Having said the above, I will admit, that the file size issue of the SWF is still almost a deal breaker in our company's efforts to use Flex. However, the info on using Framework caching could have been the saving grace that allows us to continue using Flex. Here is a break down of what I've learned from my little widget experiement: 1.)Before using Framework caching, or any compiler flags or Release to Export my widget SWF file had a size of: 577KB! 2.) After using compiler flags to optimize and looking at the link report (which had no big problems), the SWF file size went down to: 361KB...not bad, but still not small enough. (btw, the compiler flags I used are: -locale en_US -link-report matrixLinkReport -optimize=true -debug=false -strict=true) 3.) After using framework caching the SWF file size went down to: 121KB! This was a huge win! However, the caveat is that if the user has never visited a site that uses the Flex 3 framework, then an additional 540KB will be downloaded for the framework. I assume enough people have Flash player 9.0.115+, so I'm not worried about users having the ability to support framework caching. But, does anyone have any metrics whatsoever as to how many users might have visited a Flex 3 site where they would have downloaded the framework? Or, does anyone have any idea how many flex 3 sites/widgets are in existence so I can tell my superiors that there are XXX million flex 3 sites so this gives us a very good chance that users have the framework cached???? And finally, my application is currently built against the framework: framework_3.1.0.2710.swz framework_3.1.0.2710.swf Does Adobe support any backward compatibility for their various versions of the framework? So, in the future when framework_3.2.xxx.swz is released...will my application be able to leverage that? --Deven --- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com, Tom Chiverton <tom.chiver...@...> wrote: > > On Thursday 18 Dec 2008, Manish Jethani wrote: > > AS3 (without Flex) isn't going to buy you much. If you call your app a > > "widget" though, I agree Flex is too much for that. The world needs a > > mini-Flex, a widget development language. > > This is called JavaScript :-) > > -- > Tom Chiverton > Helping to evangelistically orchestrate market-driven front-end granular > infomediaries > > **************************************************** > > This email is sent for and on behalf of Halliwells LLP. > > Halliwells LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in England and Wales under registered number OC307980 whose registered office address is at Halliwells LLP, 3 Hardman Square, Spinningfields, Manchester, M3 3EB. A list of members is available for inspection at the registered office together with a list of those non members who are referred to as partners. We use the word ?partner? to refer to a member of the LLP, or an employee or consultant with equivalent standing and qualifications. Regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. > > CONFIDENTIALITY > > This email is intended only for the use of the addressee named above and may be confidential or legally privileged. If you are not the addressee you must not read it and must not use any information contained in nor copy it nor inform any person other than Halliwells LLP or the addressee of its existence or contents. If you have received this email in error please delete it and notify Halliwells LLP IT Department on 0870 365 2500. > > For more information about Halliwells LLP visit www.halliwells.com. >
