What’s in a CodeName? Flex 4 (Gumbo)

HELLO WORLD,

I love watching James Bond movies, especially the older ones. Bond is always equipped with  the latest in high-tech technology thanks to the efforts of MI6’s super geek, Q. As a fellow geek I loved it when Q would use “techno speak” to describe the various gadgets he has in store for Bond. So when Adobe announces another version of software or technology using some seemly meaningless codename, I muse over those days of “cloak and dagger”.

So what’s the word for today? …

GUMBO

This is the codename for Adobe’s next version of Flex. It seemed like Adobe just released Flex 3 … oh yeah, they did. Unlike Apollo (AIR 1.0), I don’t think that we will become so attached to Gumbo that we will start start creating web sites using that code name. Wait, let me go see if the domain is still available …. (2 minutes later) Darn! All gone.

So does this codename in any way reflect what we can expect to see in Flex 4? Well, what is a Gumbo?

Gumbo is a  soup that originated in Louisiana. It’s kinda a like a pot-luck soup containing a diverse choice of ingredients.

I love seafood gumbo – when it’s made properly. So can we expect to see a diverse choice of features added to the next release of Flex 4? Sorry, I don’t have the answer to this but we all can participate in its development.

If you haven’t already, join the Adobe Community and visit the Adobe Open Source Site to keep track of what’s going on and possible contribute. Ever since Adobe released Flex as Open Source, the direction and development of Flex has been in our hands. So we can either make this next version even better than the last OR we can end up with a “bad tasting gumbo”.

If you are interested, there is an interesting site that has documented the many codenames for Macromedia/Adobe products/technologies. You can find it here.

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My Entry in the Adobe AIR Marketplace!

HELLO WORLD,

My Flex/AIR application has finally made it into the Adobe AIR Marketplace listing. The app I created, originally for my FiftyTwoApps site, is called TurnAbout. You can view and download this app by going to the following url;

http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/exchange/index.cfm?event=extensionDetail&loc=en_us&extid=1449018

The app uses the Connection Manager and Update Manager library from the EverythingFlex site. Thanks Rich! That library saved me loads of development time. This means that as I make updates to the app (such as more levels), the app will prompt the user to get the newest version.

I really would like to thank Shikha for Adobe for helping me get through a few of the issues that was prevent this app from being listed. Adobe has some of the friendliest people in the industry working for and with them.

Download the app, Install it, and challenge yourself!

Thanks! Ciao.

An Introduction to Flex 3 – Full Day Class

HELLO WORLD,

Are you interested in learning Adobe Flex 3? Are you ready to jump start your career by becoming a Flex 3 developer?

On April 1st I will be teaching a full day, hands-on Adobe Flex 3 class. In this class I will teach you many of the fundamentals of creating Rich Internet aApplications using Adobe Flex 3. I even included a section on taking your Flex application to the desktop using AIR. Here is my agenda for the day;

Syllabus: 

I. An Introduction to Flex 3
        The Evolution of Applications
        What is Adobe Flex 3?
        The Flex Application Flow
II. Using Flex Builder 3
        Exploring the Flex Builder 3 Interface
        Creating a Project
        Anatomy of an Application
        Creating Your First Application
        Lab 1: Hello Flex
III. Flex 3 Fundamentals
        Visual Controls
        Text Controls
        Presenting Images
        Form controls
        Data Binding Expressions
        Lab 2: What's My Name?
IV. Flex 3 Layout and Navigation
        Using Containers
        Using Navigation Controls
        Nesting Containers
        Using Navigation Controls with Containers
        Understanding Constraint-based Layout
        Lab 3: Contact Manager layout
V. Understanding Flex 3 States and Transitions
        Understanding View States
        Controlling View States
        Understanding Transitions
        Lab 4: Sliding Doors
VI. Working With XML Data
        Retrieving and Parsing XML Data
        Handling XML Results
        Handling Errors
        Lab 5: My RSS Reader
VII. Using the DataGrid Control
        Using a DataGrid Control
        Specifying DataGrid Columns
        Formatting DataGrid Columns
        Using Item Renders and Item Editors
        Lab 6: Marching in Rows and Columns
VIII. Customizing the Application
        Using Cascading Styles
        Using the Flex Builder 3 Style Editor
        Applying Skins
        Lab 7: Putting it all Together
VIII. Taking it to the Desktop
        What is Adobe AIR?
        Deploying a Flex 3 Application as an AIR Application
        Lab 8: Living Outside the Browser

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The class is being held at the TeraTech training facility in Rockville, MD. In order to get more information and register for this class go to the following URL; http://www.teratech.com/go/training/class-schedule.

This class promises to be very informative and interactive. See you then!

Ciao