The key differences here are project complexity, compatibility, and maintenance.
AJAX applications are harder to develop and harder to maintain than Flex. There are details in using AJAX that produce compatibility problems as browsers vary in support DTML/XHTML/Javascript for AJAX rendering. AJAX requires allot of work to maintain a high level of compatibility and as WC3 Standard migrate and browsers implement them, AJAX backwards compatibility will be an issue. With Flash there is one standardized player that works compatibly cross-platform and cross-browser. The Flash player is also backward compatible in that future players will support legacy content. If you build an application in Flex 1.5 today, it will work in Flash Player 8.5, 9, 10 compatibly. One of the most hidden values of Flex is maintenance. Flex apps are surprisingly easy to maintain and change over time. You can restructure the presentation layer of a Flex application dramatically without breaking any of the core business logic. On LifeCoach (MAX Finalist), we had team members changing the look and feel of the app late in the development cycle and in several cases whole apps were repurposed and reskined in a short period of time. Truth be told, there are situations where both make allot of sense. In MXNA, the reporting charts features are a very good example of Flex and AJAX integration. http://weblogs.macromedia.com/mxna/reports/mostPopularPosts/index.cfm Flex interacts by modifying HTML information in an AJAX design and in turn HTML events cause the Flex UI to change as well. Also with Flash 8's support for External Interface, interaction with JavaScript (AJAX secret ingredient) is much more seamless and synchronous. The choice of which technology to use depends on your teams development skill set and overall development preference. There is also a problem in comparing Flex to AJAX in that one is a development tool and one is a set of techniques/loose apis. It would be more fair to compare ClearNova:ThinkCap to Macromedia:Flex. ThinkCap is a RAD tool for AJAX/J2EE development. http://www.clearnova.com/ Even comparing ThinkCap to Flex, you will find that Flex is dominant in compatibility and maintenance. Plus once you are working within the Flash Player, your creativity is more of a limitation than pure technology. If it were my choice Flex would win hands down. Then again I am biased towards the Flash Platform. My 2 Cents, Ted Patrick -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 0.0.344 / Virus Database: 267.12.4/146 - Release Date: 10/21/2005 ------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~--> Get Bzzzy! (real tools to help you find a job). Welcome to the Sweet Life. http://us.click.yahoo.com/A77XvD/vlQLAA/TtwFAA/nhFolB/TM --------------------------------------------------------------------~-> -- Flexcoders Mailing List FAQ: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/files/flexcodersFAQ.txt Search Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
