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Learning Flex 4: Getting Up to Speed with Rich Internet Application Design and Development--New from O'Reilly

November 11, 2010

Learning Flex 4
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Sebastopol, CA—Master an important application in a fun and engaging way with the unique, hands-on approach of Learning Flex 4 (O'Reilly Media, $44.99 USD). Using clear examples and step-by-step coaching from two experts, you'll create four applications that demonstrate fundamental Flex programming concepts.

"We blended Flex basics with concepts and tactics that are essential for intermediate to advanced Flex projects," says coauthor Elijah Robison. "For instance, Learning Flex 4 offers?decent?coverage of ActionScript 3, which is essential to making decisions programmatically and facilitating user interaction.?We targeted the book at beginning programmers,?but?we added a few card tricks here and there to catalyze their transition into complex projects involving external source code,?third-party libraries, and/or multiple technologies."

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.

This book will show you how to:

  • 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

For a review copy or more information please email gretchen@oreilly.com. Please include your delivery address and contact information.

About the Authors

Alaric Cole has worked with the Flash Platform since the introduction of ActionScript itself. An early adopter of Flex, he has created rich enterprise applications, interactive media, and advanced framework components. A former Yahoo! employee, Alaric worked on the YUI team to bring the power of Flash to JavaScript. His current ventures have been developing mobile apps, designing for his bicycle company, and revolutionizing digital cinema.

View Alaric Cole's full profile page.

Elijah Robison is completing a Master of Science degree in Geospatial Sciences from Missouri State University. As a graduate assistant, he built several hydrologic assessment utilities for ESRI's ArcGIS platform. Currently he works as a programmer with VillaGIS, Inc., where he helps develop mapping applications using Adobe Flex and Adobe AIR. Elijah brings a fresh perspective in Flex that helps to demystify the technology.

View Elijah Robison's full profile page.

Additional Resources
For more information about the book, including table of contents, author bios, and cover graphic, see: http://oreilly.com/catalog/9780596805647

Learning Flex 4 Learning Flex 4
Publisher: O'Reilly Media
By Alaric Cole, Elijah Robison
Print ISBN: 9780596805630   Ebook ISBN: 9781449399375  
Pages: 480 (est.)
Print Price: $44.99   Ebook Price: $38.99  
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
1-707-827-7000

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