Build your first Flex application! Discover MXML as a great markup language to quickly create a working app. Get acquainted with the Flash Builder IDE, then get your hands dirty with some Flex basics, a few components and some data service features in Flash Builder to build an application that will load and display data from RSS. Your First Information-Rich Application is the first of five articles that will be compiled in the book, Data Visualization with Flash Builder: Designing RIA and AIR Applications with Remote Data Sources. Each full-color article illustrates specific aspects of Flash Builder data visualization with techniques to employ them. The book, Data Visualization with Flash Builder, features exclusive material in the form of a related real-world tutorial project to go alongside each article. This article is equivalent to 55 print pages.

Understand the architecture of the AIR framework, the merits of AIR applications vs. Flex applications, and the capabilities of the framework including reading and writing files, interacting with local databases, and detecting and manipulate storage devices connected to the computer. Example projects demonstrate how to set up an AIR project, how AIR might be considered an extension to the Flex library to handle interaction with the operative system, and the variety of methods package an application for distribution. Building AIR Applications is the first of fourth articles that will be compiled in the book, Data Visualization with Flash Builder: Designing RIA and AIR Applications with Remote Data Sources. Each full-color article illustrates specific aspects of Flash Builder data visualization with techniques to employ them. The book, Data Visualization with Flash Builder, features exclusive material in the form of a related real-world tutorial project to go alongside each article. This article is equivalent to 43 print pages.

Personalize user interface components of your projects. Example projects are grouped together in an AIR application and the appearance is totally customized. Learn how to change visual properties by means of style directives or create brand new skins by knowing and exploiting their internal architecture.

Develop a working understanding of events and components, and containers and states so you can build and deploy RIAs in Flex. Work through a demo implementation of a login panel that employs feedback from the server side, to hone your understanding. Use the validators and the debugger to inspect your code execution. Building User Interaction is the second of five articles that will be compiled in the book, Data Visualization with Flash Builder: Designing RIA and AIR Applications with Remote Data Sources. Each full-color article illustrates specific aspects of Flash Builder data visualization with techniques to employ them. The book, Data Visualization with Flash Builder, features exclusive material in the form of a related real-world tutorial project to go alongside each article. This article is equivalent to 33 print pages.

Charting and multimedia are two vital tools for data-driven applications. Learn about the main components of the chart library included in Flash Builder, and see how to build and customize widely used charts. Turning your attention to the multimedia capabilities of the Flex framework, you will review the multimedia components built into the Flex library, and learn how to use ActionScript to manipulate video and audio files. Charting and Multimedia is the third of five articles that will be compiled in the book, Data Visualization with Flash Builder: Designing RIA and AIR Applications with Remote Data Sources. Each full-color article illustrates specific aspects of Flash Builder data visualization with techniques to employ them. The book, Data Visualization with Flash Builder, features exclusive material in the form of a related real-world tutorial project to go alongside each article. This article is equivalent to 37 print pages.

Develop a working understanding of events and components, and containers and states so you can build and deploy RIAs in Flex. Work through a demo implementation of a login panel that employs feedback from the server side, to hone your understanding. Use the validators and the debugger to inspect your code execution. Building User Interaction is the second of five articles that will be compiled in the book, Data Visualization with Flash Builder: Designing RIA and AIR Applications with Remote Data Sources. Each full-color article illustrates specific aspects of Flash Builder data visualization with techniques to employ them. The book, Data Visualization with Flash Builder, features exclusive material in the form of a related real-world tutorial project to go alongside each article. This article is equivalent to 33 print pages.

Two authors demonstrate techniques for controlling flash web front ends with data from database repositories.

A complete and thorough reference for developers on the new Flex 4 platform Create desktop applications that behave identically on Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux with Adobe's new Flash Builder 4 platform and this in-depth guide. The book's tutorials and explanations walk you step-by-step through Flash Builder's new, faster tools; the new framework for generating code; how to connect to popular application servers; upgrading from Flex 3; and much more. Shows you how to create rich applications for the Web and desktop with the very latest version of Flex, with detailed coverage for both new and veteran Flex application developers Walks you through Flex basics; upgrading from Flex 3; how to create desktop applications with AIR; and integrating Flex applications with the most popular application servers, including ColdFusion, ASP.NET, and PHP Includes extensive code samples of common tasks that you can use to jump-start your development projects Flex your development muscles with the Flex 4 and this comprehensive guide.

Learn Adobe Flex 4 in a fun and engaging way with this book's unique, hands-on approach. Using clear examples and step-by-step coaching from two experts, you'll create four applications that demonstrate fundamental Flex programming concepts. Throughout the course of this book, you’ll learn how to enhance user interaction with ActionScript, and create and skin a user interface with Flex’s UI components (MXML) and Adobe's new FXG graphics format. You'll also be trained to manage dynamic data, connect to a database using server-side script, and deploy applications to both the Web and the desktop. Learning Flex 4 offers tips and tricks the authors have collected from years of real-world experience, and straightforward explanations of object-oriented programming concepts to help you understand how Flex 4 works. Work with Flash Builder 4 and the Eclipse IDE Learn the basics of ActionScript, MXML, and FXG Design a Flex application layout Build an engaging user interface Add interactivity with ActionScript Handle user input with rich forms Link Flex to a server with PHP and MySQL Gather and display data Style applications and add effects, filters, and transitions Deploy applications to the Web, or to the desktop using Adobe AIR

Offering readers a fast, visual way to learn Flash MX, solve problems, and get work done, this guide's step-by-step instructions with accompanying visuals require less time reading and free more time for learning this popular Web authoring software. The new features icon highlights what is new in Flash MX as readers learn to perform everyday tasks.