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Archive for the Flex Category

MAX 2007 Recaps — THERMO

October 29, 2007 by g.

MAX 2007 has been a big event, traveling to 3 cities with over 6,000 attendees in all.  (This week is the last stop, in Tokyo.)

I caught MAX 2007 in Chicago.

I have been going to MAX since the Macromedia days.  MAX 2006 was the first Adobe MAX and came only 10 months after the acquisition of Macromedia had closed.  At MAX 2006 many of the big preview announcements centered on the integration of former Macromedia Studio products into Creative Suite (Dreamweaver, Flash, Fireworks and Contribute).  With the successful shipping earlier this year of the amazing CS3 I was interested to see what new surprise announcements our good friends at Adobe might have in store for us this year.

As time permits it is my goal to blog about six announcements by Adobe at MAX that I found most interesting and/or exciting.

  • Thermo
  • SaaS (Software as a Service):  Share, Pacifica, CoCoMo, Photoshop Express, Buzzword, Scene7
  • DRM in Video via FMRMS (Flash Media Rights Management Server)
  • AMP (Adobe Media Player)
  • Flash Player 10 (with advances for text and 3D)
  • Acrobat with Flash Player

First up, Thermo …

THERMO

Thermo may have been Adobe’s best kept surprise announcement for MAX 2007.  Thermo is basically a Designer IDE for generating MXML.  Wow!  The announcement and demonstration of the Thermo prototype was amazing.  Thermo really boosts the Flex designer/developer workflow. 

Videos of the demo of Thermo at MAX 2007 Chicago is up on YouTube in three parts (thanks Aral):

Following are two observations about Thermo.

AN MXML DESIGN TOOL BY THE BEST FOR THE BEST. 
Lightweight rich apps are the future.  It is a competitive world out there.  Adobe currently is dominant in the lightweight, rich app space and announcements like Thermo highlight brilliantly that Adobe is intent on not ceding any marketshare in this rapidly exploding space.  On the design side, my sense is that in the market for design software over 9 out of 10 designers choose products in the Creative Suite.  With CS3, Adobe added extensions in CS3 products to support design of MXML based applications (most notably extensions in Fireworks).  With Thermo Adobe is clearly applying its unparalled design expertise to bringing to market the best possible visual appplication design tool.  And as an FYI, one of the biggest Flex application design shops is none other than Adobe themselves (check back for my forthcoming post on SaaS).  So Thermo is an IDE Adobe is building both for the market and for themselves ;-)

MXML SYNTAX EVOLUTION. 
I am a Flex/Flash/ActionScript developer.  When the Thermo demo went into code view the tag syntax you see includes tags that are beyond those for the Flex Framework components (see in this recording at timecode 4:37:  http://youtube.com/watch?v=lGdr3dCmxe4).  WOW!  At MAX the presenters offered no discussion of the code syntax but clearly Adobe has in the works the articuation of new XML based schemas.  MXML offers a declarative, tag based syntax that serves as an alternative to code based ActionScript for instantiating the classes of the underlying Flex Framework.  So it appears Adobe is now creating additional classes and XML schemas. 
Note 1:  This new syntax has even made an appearance in the public Flex Bug and Issue Management System on an issue with the milestone "(Planning) SDK Post Moxie".  You can view the issue here: https://bugs.adobe.com/jira/browse/SDK-12636
Note 2:  Although outside of Flex and MXML, even Flash CS3 has introduced a limited XML schema to support copy-and-paste for timeline animations in the form of the Motion XML Elements.  See docs here or demo here.

For more on Thermo, watch the following placeholder page on labs:
http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/Thermo

Also Julie Campagna, who manages the Adobe Edge newsletter, will be recording a demo about Thermo soon (per comment here).

Posted in Flex | No Comments »

Flex eSeminar Series: Flex Video Integration

October 17, 2007 by g.

This coming Tuesday October 23, 2007 we will be delivering for Adobe an eSeminar on Flex Video Integration.  You can find further details about the eSeminar and register for it here:
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=detail&id=462539

This session will be a variation on a session delivered earlier this month at Adobe MAX 2007 in Chicago.

Flex, as part of the Flash Platform, possesses all of the power for delivering and acquiring video on the Internet as has been done by YouTube, on major TV broadcasters’ websites, by UserPlane (now a division of AOL), and by countless others.  And with the Flash Platform now being extended to also target the Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR), Flex is also taking video into desktop applications.

At the vanguard in creating Flex based video apps is none other than Adobe themselves.  Flex based video products that Adobe is shipping or bringing to the market include:  Adobe Premiere Express, Adobe Media Player and a forthcoming hosted service for real-time collaboration and multi-user applications code named CoCoMo.

Next week’s eSeminar provides a whirlwind tour of resources for building Flex based Video apps.  We will start with introductory material, but will quickly move to showing video in the context of complex Flex applications. The eSeminar’s focus is on providing a roadmap to working code.  Full code is available for all examples, many of which are described in detail by other sources.  The eSeminar will be only 1 hour long, but we will provide you enough code to successfully build your own projects ;-)

Code demos in this eSeminar will include:

Regarding the Flex eSeminar Series, following are other titles remaining in this current series:

  • Flex for the PHP Developers  (Oct 30, 2007)
  • Flex for the Java Developers  (Nov 6, 2007)
  • Rich Internet Applications – The Big Payoffs  (Nov 13, 2007 & Dec 4, 2007)

For details for all of the sessions above, and to register, see the following page:
http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/event/index.cfm?event=detail&id=462539

 

Posted in Video on the Web, Flex | No Comments »

Flex For Newcomers

July 25, 2007 by g.

A topic came up yesterday on the Cairngorm list from a developer who described themself as a Flex newcomer.  The individual initially expressed frustration stating “I personally find the resources @ Adobe.com atrocious for new comers”.  Now I personally feel the quality of the resources that Adobe has produced for Flex to be pretty darned good.  So I listed them out and asked the original poster to comment on what they might suggest in terms of improvements.  (fyi, the Flex product team privately solicited input on this a couple of months ago.  If you have any suggestions, please post them in the comments here. I will be sure that the product team gets them.)

The newcomer replied “Perhaps I was just frustrated, let me change ‘atrocious’ to ‘overwhelming’ and leave it at that.”  Now overwhelming I can relate too.  And so I wrote the following.  (Note: my original post that includes a FLEX RESOURCES LIST follows below at the end.)

Hi x_eqtd, 

Oh, overwhelming!  Yeah, I am totally with you on that.  ;-) 

Be forewarned, it never stops being overwhelming.  lol.

Just when you think you are beginning to get your mind around the whole Flex thing, Adobe goes and starts adding things like modules, deep linking support, AIR extensions, framework caching and memory profiling (All Flex 3 features outlined here: http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/Flex_3:Feature_Introductions ).

Welcome to the revolution!  Adobe is innovating around these technologies and new features and improvements are going to continue to come fast and furious.  For instance, by this time next year Flex 3 will have been shipping for 6 months and we will be talking about the new features coming up in Flex 4 and how some of those new features will be leveraging the new functionality in Flash Player 10.  lol.

Back to your original observation about how big an undertaking Flex/AS/Cairngorm are for newcomers.  I see “Intro to Flex” as being more akin to “Intro to Calculus” than being an “Intro to Arithmetic”.  First, you have GUI development with all of intricacies of event driven programming.  Then Flex apps commonly are data driven, including all of the vagaries of network communications.  And then maybe you are actually involved in the back end coding too, creating webervices and doing SQL programming and database design.  Yikes!   With all that we are way, way, way beyond 1+1=2.  ;-)

In closing, one thing I accidentally left off of yesterday’s list of resources is Adobe’s support of Flex developer conferences.  If you might be attending 360Flex.org next month, or AdobeMAX2007.com in October please email me offlist.

Again, happy Flexing!  :-)

Best regards,

g

 

FLEX RESOURCES LIST

Hi x_eqtd,

I am glad to hear that you are rockin’ with Cairngorm and Flex!  :-)

Just curious about your experience that led you to state “I personally find the resources @ Adobe.com atrocious for new comers”.  Can you point out anything in particular that you find/found lacking?  With the Flex 3 release the product teams really want to be sure that they can get the support resources right, from new comers up to advanced.

Following are a few resources that I know can be helpful.

First regarding Cairngorm, are you familiar with http://cairngormdocs.org/ ?  This domain is a reasonably good entry point for the community’s collected information about Cairngorm.  I agree that Adobe has near next to no support for Cairngorm.  Though I may like to see more, I am skeptical that we ever will.  Basically Cairngorm is an open source project with very limited active development.

Now for resources regarding Flex and ActionScript in general, following are resources that I know Adobe is involved in making available.  Were you aware of them and found them deficient?  If so, please share your thoughts on what how how they can be improved or supplemented.  Really, the product team solicits this type of information.

Best regards,

g

Posted in Flex | 3 Comments »

Flex Flash Integration Resources

June 30, 2007 by g.

Flash CS3 has been shipping for 2½ months.  Flex 3 is now up on labs.  And also up on labs is the Flex Component Kit for Flash CS3.  Finally Adobe is releasing resources focusing on Flex/Flash integration.

Following are links to a few resources on the topic of integrating Flex and Flash.

NOTE:  If you see links for additional sources, please use the comments to add them in.  We will refresh this list in time at the list grows.

 

AdobeMAX2007.com

October 1, 2007
Session:  Using Flash and Flex Together
Presenter: Nick Velloff
http://www.adobemax2007.com/na/sessions/

 

Flex Component Kit for Flash CS3

Home Page:  Flex Component Kit for Flash CS3
http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/Flex_Component_Kit_for_Flash_CS3

June 25, 2007
What’s in store for Flex 3 beta
Video Interview of Glenn Ruehle, Engineer on the Flex SDK team
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flex/videos/flex_3_beta/

April 18, 2007
Acrobat Connection Presentation and Demonstration (Duration 30 Minutes)
Glenn Ruehle, Engineer on the Flex SDK team 
https://admin.adobe.acrobat.com/_a300965365/p75214263/

April 23, 2007
Blog Entry:  Example for Flex Component Kit for Flash CS3
Jesse Warden
http://jessewarden.com/2007/04/example-for-flex-component-kit-for-flash-cs3.html

 

Using Copy Motion to ActionScript 3 with Flex

June 28, 2007
Blog Entry:  Using Copy Motion to ActionScript 3 with Flex
Richard Galvan, Flash Technical Product Manager
http://blogs.adobe.com/rgalvan/2007/06/using_copy_motion_to_actionscr.html

 

Problems Integrating ActionScript 2 Content into Flex Projects

June 16, 2007
Blog Entry:  Flex Controlling Flash
Jesse Warden
http://jessewarden.com/2007/06/flex-controlling-flash.html

May 03, 2007
Blog Entry:  Controlling Flash Player 8 SWFs in Flash Player 9 SWFs
Jesse Warden
http://jessewarden.com/2007/05/controlling-flash-player-8-swfs-in-flash-player-9-swfs.html

December 17, 2006
Blog Entry:  Integrating a Flash Interface into Flex 2
Jesse Warden
http://jessewarden.com/2006/12/integrating-a-flash-interface-into-flex-2.html

 

Using Flex Builder 2 to write AS3 code for Flash CS3 Projects

April 17, 2007
Blog Entry:  Using Flex Builder 2 to write AS3 code for Flash CS3 Projects
Stefan Richter
http://www.flashcomguru.com/index.cfm/2007/4/17/Flex-Builder-2-to-write-AS3-code-for-Flash
 

Using Flash Authored SWFs in Flex

July 28, 2007
Blog Entry:  Flash Content in Flex Preso
Jesse Warden
http://jessewarden.com/2007/07/flash-content-in-flex-preso.html
Including link to Acrobat Connect presentation here:
http://adobechats.adobe.acrobat.com/p58397069/

March 24, 2007
Blog Entry:  Using Flash Symbols with ActionScript in Flex
Grant Skinner
http://www.gskinner.com/blog/archives/2007/03/using_flash_sym.html

March 12, 2007
Blog Entry:  Flex Loves Flash?  Embed and Beyond.
Grant Skinner
http://www.gskinner.com/blog/archives/2007/03/flex_loves_flas.html
including link to related presentation at 360Flex.org
http://gskinner.com/talks/flexlovesflash/
 

Managing workflows between designers and developers in Flex projects

January 29, 2007
Article:  Managing workflows between designers and developers in Flex projects
Nick Velloff
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flex/articles/workflows.html

 

Flex Seminar Presentation, Flex and Flash

September 5, 2006
Video of Flex Seminar Presentation, Flex and Flash
Jesse Warden
http://www2.sys-con.com/webinararchive.cfm?registered=on&pid=wc_rwf6_s06warden 
Plus, related Blog Entry:
http://jessewarden.com/2006/09/flex-seminar-presentation-flex-and-flash-online.html

 

Posted in Flash, Flex | 2 Comments »

Extra! Extra! Read All About it!

June 7, 2007 by g.

These are times of great change and innovation in the networked application development space. We are now getting glimpses of what the future will look like. The foundations for the UIs on the applications of the future now are in place.

Take for instance “Street View” on maps.google.com. I will be over at Adobe next week. Here is a tinyurl into maps.google.com for Adobe’s address. http://tinyurl.com/2t7uwe On the top edge of the map itself, select the link for “Street View”. On this particular map (as of this particular date), clicking “Street View” adds clickable blue lines that bring up 360° views from street level.

I am highlighting “Street View” on maps.google.com for two reasons. First, it is simply amazing. This is yet another example of how the web is going beyond anything that previously existed before. Yes, in the old days we had maps. But no, the maps did not also have 360° photos of the street view. First San Jose, and then all the world! And a few decades hence we will have a back catalogue of historical views from that exact longitude and latitude. Simply amazing.

Secondly, this is yet another instance of Google, one of the powerhouse showcases of AJAX UIs, incrementally adding Flash Player based content (Flash/Flex). Google using Flash/Flex for “Street View” and charting on finance.google.com are major strategic commitments. And nobody knows better than Google the relative merits of AJAX vs Flash/Flex.

The rate of momentum now building in the swing to RIAs is very impressive. The two key technologies now widely employed for RIA UIs are AJAX and Flash/Flex. And Microsoft, the producer of a third would-be contender, Silverlight, is planning on coming on fast.

As a credit to technology publisher Sys-Con.com, yesterday they put up a very solid live “RIA Shoot-Out” that discusses AJAX, Flex, Silverlight, and JavaFX. The recording of the very intelligent roundtable discussion is on-line here:
http://tv.sys-con.com/read/385147.htm

Many on the panel are familiar to me: Mike Potter of Adobe, Yakov Fain of Farata Systems, and Coach Wei of Nexaweb. Overall I am very grateful to Sys-Con for producing this event. I hope that this will be the first of many.

Lastly, every day this week Adobe Evangelist Ted Patrick has been highlighting what is new in Flex 3. Monday: Designer/Developer Workflow; Tuesday: Code Enhancements; Wednesday: Components and SDK Enhancements; today architectural changes that will enable Flex 3 to deliver Dramatically Smaller Flex SWF Files; and tomorrow details regarding Apollo.

Ted has put a substantial amount of material up providing details, including lots of screen captures. Basically, Flex 3 includes features further bolstering Flex as the RIA UI technology of choice, and with Apollo extending Flash/Flex to a new runtime, Flex 3 is laying the foundation for yet another round of innovation in the networked application development space. When you have a chance, I highly encourage you to look through the great material that Ted has put up.

Posted in Flex | 3 Comments »

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