1. Chapter 1 Introducing Flex

   1. Understanding Flex Application Technologies

   2. Using Flex Elements

   3. Working with Data Services (Loading Data at Runtime)

   4. The Differences Between Traditional and Flex Web Applications

   5. Understanding How Flex Applications Work

   6. Understanding Flex and Flash Authoring

   7. What’s New in Flex 3

   8. Summary

2. Chapter 2 Building Applications with the Flex Framework

   1. Using Flex Tool Sets

   2. Creating Projects

   3. Building Applications

   4. Deploying Applications

   5. Summary

3. Chapter 3 MXML

   1. Understanding MXML Syntax and Structure

   2. Making MXML Interactive

   3. Summary

4. Chapter 4 ActionScript

   1. Using ActionScript

   2. MXML and ActionScript Correlations

   3. Understanding ActionScript Syntax

   4. Variables and Properties

   5. Inheritance

   6. Interfaces

   7. Handling Events

   8. Error Handling

   9. Using XML

   10. Reflection

   11. Summary

5. Chapter 5 Framework Fundamentals

   1. Understanding How Flex Applications Are Structured

   2. Loading and Initializing Flex Applications

   3. Understanding the Component Life Cycles

   4. Loading One Flex Application into Another Flex Application

   5. Differentiating Between Flash Player and the Flex Framework

   6. Caching the Framework

   7. Understanding Application Domains

   8. Localization

   9. Summary

6. Chapter 6 Managing Layout

   1. Flex Layout Overview

   2. Making Fluid Interfaces

   3. Putting It All Together

   4. Summary

7. Chapter 7 Working with UI Components

   1. Understanding UI Components

   2. Buttons

   3. Value Selectors

   4. Text Components

   5. List-Based Controls

   6. Pop-Up Controls

   7. Navigators

   8. Control Bars

   9. Summary

8. Chapter 8 Customizing Application Appearance

   1. Using Styles

   2. Skinning Components

   3. Customizing the Preloader

   4. Themes

   5. Runtime CSS

   6. Summary

9. Chapter 9 Application Components

   1. The Importance of Application Components

   2. MXML Component Basics

   3. Component Styles

   4. Summary

10. Chapter 10 Framework Utilities and Advanced Component Concepts

    1. Tool Tips

    2. Pop Ups

    3. Cursor Management

    4. Drag-and-Drop

    5. Customizing List-Based Controls

    6. Focus Management and Keyboard Control

    7. Summary

11. Chapter 11 Working with Media

    1. Overview

    2. Adding Media

    3. Working with the Different Media Types

    4. Summary

12. Chapter 12 Managing State

    1. Creating States

    2. Applying States

    3. Defining States Based on Existing States

    4. Adding and Removing Components

    5. Setting Properties

    6. Setting Styles

    7. Setting Event Handlers

    8. Using ActionScript to Define States

    9. Managing Object Creation Policies (Preloading Objects)

    10. Handling State Events

    11. Understanding State Life Cycles

    12. When to Use States

    13. Summary

13. Chapter 13 Using Effects and Transitions

    1. Using Effects

    2. Creating Custom Effects

    3. Using Transitions

    4. Creating Custom Transitions

    5. Summary

14. Chapter 14 Working with Data

    1. Using Data Models

    2. Data Binding

    3. Enabling Data Binding for Custom Classes

    4. Data Binding Examples

    5. Building Data Binding Proxies

    6. Summary

15. Chapter 15 Validating and Formatting Data

    1. Validating User Input

    2. Formatting Data

    3. Summary

16. Chapter 16 Client Data Communication

    1. Local Connections

    2. Persistent Data

    3. Communicating with the Host Application

    4. Summary

17. Chapter 17 Remote Data Communication

    1. Understanding Strategies for Data Communication

    2. Working with Request/Response Data Communication

    3. Web Services

    4. Real-Time/Socket Connection

    5. File Upload/Download

    6. Summary

18. Chapter 18 Application Debugging

    1. The Flash Debug Player

    2. Using FDB

    3. Debugging with Flex Builder

    4. Remote Debugging

    5. Logging Using trace() Within an Application

    6. The Logging Framework

    7. Debugging Remote Data

    8. Summary

19. Chapter 19 Building Custom Components

    1. Component Framework Overview

    2. Component Life Cycle

    3. Component Implementation

    4. Adding Custom Properties and Events

    5. Adding Styling Support

    6. Summary

20. Chapter 20 Embedding Flex Applications in a Web Browser

    1. Embedding a Flex Application in HTML

    2. Integrating with Browser Buttons and Deep Linking

    3. Flash Player Security

    4. Using Runtime Shared Libraries

    5. Summary

21. Chapter 21 Building AIR Applications

    1. Understanding AIR

    2. Building AIR Applications

    3. Working with AIR Features

    4. Distributing AIR Applications

    5. Summary

22. Chapter 22 Building a Flex Application

    1. Introducing the Sample Application

    2. Utilizing Best Practices

    3. Using Blueprints and Microarchitectures

    4. Abstracting Common Patterns

    5. Summary

1. Colophon

The animal on the cover of Programming Flex 3 is a krait snake. The krait (Bungarus caeruleus) is one of the deadliest venomous snakes in the world. Its native habitat is limited to Asia, and it's nocturnal. The snake's bands are white or yellow on a blue/ black body. A krait's head is narrow and it can grow to nearly three feet in length. Fairly common in the fields and jungles of India, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, the krait is also known to seek shelter in human encampments. It's fond of hiding out in sleeping bags, footwear, and piles of clothing or rags. Its venom contains a neuro-toxin that causes respiratory failure. Victims often feel little pain from the bite itself, but the death rate of victims is 85 percent without administration of anti-venom, and nearly 50 percent even when medication is available.

The 2006 film Snakes on a Plane features a snake smuggler named "Kraitler." The krait also makes an appearance in several Sherlock Holmes stories.

The cover image is from the Dover Pictorial Archive. The cover font is Adobe ITC Garamond. The text font is Linotype Birka; the heading font is Adobe Myriad Condensed; and the code font is LucasFont's TheSans Mono Condensed.