My reason for using FLEX was simple. It offered more functionality and control then I normally would with JavaScript and HTML. It provided a path forward where there was none at the time.
On 12/27/06, greg h <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
This post is somewhat related to the recently revived thread regarding "Flex Marketing <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/52413>". I recently wrote up a piece stating the case for why we are using Flex 2 (following below). And it got me wondering: What makes Flex 2 compelling for other developers? I know members of the Flex 2 team are on this list, so I thought as a year end holiday gift we might all sing the praises about why Flex 2 works for us. Then, hopefully, in 2007 they can go forth and sing our praises to the as yet unconverted :-) Note: In replying don't worry about duplicating previous posts. If you do then the Flex 2 team can tabulate dominant as well as lesser reasons :-) Note 2: Please don't hesitate to just reply with bullet lists, or any shorthand that works for you. Note 3: My reasons below were written with non-technical and semi-technical management in mind. So please excuse me if it seems a little "marketing" oriented. ------------------------------ We have committed to Flex 2 because it is an affordable, mature, comprehensive component framework for the rapid development of applications delivered over the Internet and beyond. Flex 2 has been an enormous benefit for our organization with its unique combination of: - Pre-built components - World class IDE - Commitment to SOA - Standards based - Great support - The power of targeting the Adobe Flash Player which delivers: - ease of deployment (through both its ubiquity and small footprint) - power as both a data and media platform. - Affordability - - Branding control Truly, no other application development environment offers such a universal, powerful and easy-to-deploy runtime. The Flex 2 family of products provide a comprehensive, end-to-end, service oriented data architecture. From the free Flex 2 SDK through to real time data delivery via Flex Data Services, the Flex 2 family of products is architected to enable developers to deliver award winning applications in record time. Importantly, Flex 2's open SOA easily leverages legacy backends based on Java and .NET through to PHP and ColdFusion. The Flex 2 framework is built on top of the most widely installed piece of software in the world: the Adobe Flash Player. Targeting the Adobe Flash Player provides Flex 2 several very substantial competitive advantages. 1) Ease of deployment; 2) Operating system independence; 3) Browser independence (in web environments); and, 4) the dominant platform for media delivery on the web. This last advantage enables Flex 2 applications to easily be extended beyond data to include video, audio, images, charting, animations, etc. Thus making Flex 2 the dominant platform for creating the next generation of applications providing users with rich experiences. Not to be under estimated, as a commercial product from one of the world's dominant software companies, Flex 2 includes all of the advantages traditionally provided by commercial vendors: 1) comprehensive documentation; 2) ongoing enhancements and development; 3) training programs; 4) product support from the vendor; and, 5) a network of third party professionals providing additional support. Flex 2 enables my organization to be on the leading edge of RAD (Rapid Application Development), and to be poised to support all application types for which we receive requests. Flex 2 is also based on an object oriented programming language, ActionScript 3, that is standards based (based on ECMA-262). With Flex 2, Adobe provides great tools for supporting RAD including the Flex Builder 2 IDE (built on Eclipse). Comprehensive documentation is integrated into the IDE and is also available in print, online and in Adobe Acrobat PDF format. (Flex Builder 2 pricing is $499 per seat before volume discounts. The underlying SDK and compilers are distributed free of charge.) Training is available through tutorials integrated into the Flex Builder 2 IDE and online at Adobe.com. Instructor led training is available through Adobe Solutions Network partners. Many third party books are available. And video based training is available through leading DVD and online video training partners such as Total Training and Lynda.com. Adobe also sponsors a very vibrant community for Flex 2 support via conferences, user groups and online support forums and websites. Last, but not least, when branding matters Flex 2 apps can be designed to look like your apps (not Adobe's). Flex 2 is the rapid application development piece of the larger Adobe Engagement Platform<http://www.adobe.com/devnet/platform/>. As Flash applications have consistently demonstrated, the Adobe Engagement Platform is optimized for your (or your clients') branding to be undiluted. As the preeminent provider of tools to the graphic design community, Adobe has architected Flex 2 with ways familiar to graphic designers enabling complete control over your applications' look-and-feel. Thus, applications created using Adobe Flex 2 convey the look and feel that you want to project, not a default look and feel dictated by the development tools. Flex 2 is our application development platform of choice for quickly delivering maintainable, industrial strength applications deployed both on the Internet and off.
-- Regards, Scott Barnes http://www.mossyblog.com
