Category Archives: Flex

Open source Flex Mobile app for Flash Camps worldwide

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Posted by Igor Costa on April 25, 2011 – 4:55 pm
Filed under AIR, Android, Flash Builder, Flex, Flex Mobile, Open Source Stuffs

During FlashCamp Brasil RIACycle where I’m CTO was in charge of doing the Android version for the event.
Was quick tough because we had very little time to do, to be honest we just had 2 days to create the app, test, deploy and publish. But we did it Oo-arh!!!

Before you go throw download link, keep in mind that this project was done with latest available version of Flex 4.5 SDK release, isn’t available to download right now, but Adobe soon will release it. If you try with Flash Burrito it won’t work.

So, our challenge begun with who was in charge of doing such thing in so little time. Lapsed some hours planning, actually 2 hours planing of what we could include or not, than rest time was spend on coding efforts.

Our second challenge was to choose the available frameworks on the market, decisions on what type to create, web or native or third-party vendor. Currently there are plenty of options for Android devices, which is cool because you have to choose which is the best one.

Coding with Flex framework for mobile devices is pretty simple as you’re self-used to desktop or web apps, the only concern we have to deal is against memory consumption, screen resolution, re-use of Views (which is tricky) and finally the persistence.

Project was deployed successfully in the Android Market, but we decide as contest suggest to open source the app to worldwide, soon as you get your code, you’re able to work on your version for other flash camps worldwide.

I’m really excited with other apps based on our work and really looking forward new endeavors.

Check out the source code here. Be sure to read the GPL V3 license.

Best conversation about Flex 4.5

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Posted by Igor Costa on February 4, 2011 – 5:31 pm
Filed under Flash Builder, Flex

Andrew Shorten Group Manager Development Tools at Adobe talk with Dzone interviewer about Flex 4.5 codename “Hero”.

He pass me a high positive feedback on his words. Most of features he talks is already on Flex 4.1 SDK and Flash Builder, some are still in development process.

Adobe Flash Builder/Flex SDK Team, this time don’t accelerate the release, make it robust until you release the final version to the market.

One of main problems that I see today, since I’m developing with Flex in 2004. Is the segmentation of SDK.

Those releases was just in aprox 3 years long.
Flex 3 SDK we had 3.0 / x.1/x.2/x.3/x.4/x.5/x.5a/x.6
Flex Builder we had 3.0 and 3.2

In 6 months
Flex 4 SDK we had 4.0 / 4.1 and working version 4.5
Flash Builder 4 /4.1 and working version 4.5

What a heck! Some times management kill a great product. Andrew you’re a in charge of get back Flex beauty. I count on you.

Flex Mania 2010

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Posted by Igor Costa on June 7, 2010 – 1:14 pm
Filed under Flex, Personal, RIA

Yeah!, We have a whole event again happening on-line over 3 days to all Brazilians. This year we have many news to the developers down here.

This year we have new speakers, new topics and a bunch of raffle prizes that will be raffle to the attendees on event days.

We’re pretty have to have sponsors like: Adobe, PowerFlasher, O’Reilly, Mundo livre and RIACycle.

We still making this kind of event free of charge where you can apply to visit the sessions you want without paying to get the right knowledge you deserve. During the 3 days this year we’re going to show the audience the new features of Flash Platform, new endavors and challenges. It’s pretty excited to organize kind event with so many waiting to it. We’re doing the best to make best ever since the last 2009.

Right now; You my fellow english reader can reach the Flex Mania page www.flexmania.com.br where you can see the current Timezone 8-10 july (-03:00 GMT ) Brasilia time that is going to happen and see some sessions like Claus, Guilhem will be in English where you can watch over there and attend Flex Mania without getting out your country.
The event is happing all in Adobe Connect Pro, courstesy of Adobe US.

One of the going on moments of event I bet on raffle we have approxi. US$18k in prizes where for sure many of them will getting out event with professional licenses ready to start a new carreer or even know more about some products from trenchs of Adobe and Powerflasher.

This year, cortesy of PowerFlasher all speakers will recieve a FULL Professional version of FDT IDE. Big WOW thank you to the guys.

A Special thank you to: Claus, Bruno Fronzi, Ricardo, Marsee, John, Rachel, Tammy, for supporting me to create such a event. I’m suspicious to talk, but the event of this year is really rocking’.

Hope to have you aboard this year.

Ps( Sorry to all website done in portuguese, we dedicated the content to Brazilians or who speaks our language, except the fact some sessions in english).

Enterprise development with Flex book review

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Posted by Igor Costa on May 22, 2010 – 8:58 pm
Filed under Flex, Flex Books, Flex with Java

entflex

Just finish reading the last book from Yakov Fain, Victor Rasputnis and Anatole Tartakovsky.
Book, is quite a bit of a new revamp from first book of same authors, I love the way they write and in a level of how they manage the subject of each chapter.
And as I know them since 2004 not good enough to retribution to them and to you a book review about it.

The book itself it’s worth enough just because of chapter 5,7 and 8. I will detail later bellow.

The Chapter 6 it’s interesting but doubt with some aspect for example a deep example of using GraniteDS, WebOrb for Java where has many options to who uses Java in the back-end. Code-gen, Data Sync, EBJ3 support, among other improvements that product changed from past years. It should show a much more examples of integration, not just WebOrb but cover also ColdFusion which is missing too in the chapter.

On Chapter 5 I liked the way they talk about resending the channel back which is not very well documented in the official BlazeDS developer guide. That’s made a chapter worth enough just to clarify that for anyone who buys this book.

On Chapter 7 will help you with modules, but don’t to except much from it, it’s still a thing that we need to handle it, but not 100% that will works fine. But this chapter definitely will help you pass throw some of basic and intermediate problems in real life projects, There’s also a just little detail that authors could added on the book where is the Potomac aka. OSGi in Flex application, where it’s a seamless integration OSGi on Flex apps, that could be added to the book, specially if you’re a Java developer, you’re used to use OSGi on yours first class projects.

Chapter 8 it’s a well written, and will help you understand process of reduce memory consumption, but has many limitations on describing the chapter, an example of that. I missed using FlexPMD to identify problems or bad practices on your code, which is very valuable to enterprise application and collaboration development. But one of pages that I most liked was, when they mentioned RSL for modules, which completes the chapter 7, that’s a must read part.

Printing in Flex is really hassle, and I believe on next release they could increase of easy access API to printing, in AIR 2.0 for example we gain a lot of new API improvements and new capabilities, but still missing some of it on Flash player way, Chapter 11 helps you to understand both sides of coin, on generating PDF on client side and server side.

There are many other subjects that might attract your attention, but for my needs, theses were most valuables chapters of book and my opinion on what I’ve get reading it. Authors does really have domain on the subject, but should added theses topics that I mentioned, to the developer who are border by non very useful Flex books titles.

Thanks Yakov, Victor and Anatole, you guys wrote a book that does really add value to the Flex community, specially for who uses Flex with Java back-end like me.

It’s worth to buy it? Sure, if you take seriously, not just hype, but seriously about development, theses chapters I mentioned will catch you up.

It’s worth to migrate my Flex 3 app to Flex 4 app?

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Posted by Igor Costa on March 24, 2010 – 6:35 pm
Filed under Flex, Flex 4, Flex Components

Got a question today on skype over a developer from US, asking me some other things and finally all explanation gave to him he asked me if it worth to migrate a current built app done in Flex 3.x SDK to Flex 4 SDK.
Besides the fact of corporate world, Homologate than start using for first class projects, it’s worth at all to start using Flex 4 SDK. And now why?

To better help you here’s a list of things that you will consider before and after choose Flex 4 SDK:

Flex 4 vs. Flex 3:
Each other does not compete with each other, they work together and smooth, guys from Flex SDK team and their manager (Deepa), did an amazing job putting this to work smooth. You can easy use both Spark components and Halo components together without hassle. Both products SDKs was built to distinct goals. When Flex 3 SDK was shipped to the market was consolidating itself to solve most problem in industry of RIA applications, the easiness of doing incredible products with desktop behavior and data-ware prospect. Which includes a hell lot of new components, new charts capabilites and until today you still uses those creations. Flex 4 SDK was built to help ensure that thinking before, help not just creating easyness UI for applications but, do them beauty.
Today worlds we don’t just have desktops to use, we have mobile devices, devices of any kind and with the current look and feel of Flex components it’s hard to keep code up to date and still working on those types of screen/hardware. Where Flex 4 SDK came to close this gap, making beauty, usefull and maintanable your work.

Composite vs. inheritance

Still today you can do both with Flex 3 SDK. the 3th version and his variants can support composite, as you know Flex 4 SDK still uses the inheritance but main goal of Flex 4 SDK is composite components, more easy and fun to code, increasing among many other things that you will see in your day-by-day job.
To illustrate the easy of creating new components in Flex, please see theses slides from Mrinal Wadhwa, his slides explanation will let you know more about what I’m talking to.

Code confort:

When you have a mature SDK that let you know what you’re doing, it’s hard to keep distance from it. Sample of that people missunderstand that an mature SDK is that SDK that it’s out of the box components, just drag and drop and it’s working. In some parts is cool programming in that way for small, prototype and presentations. But in a real world you will have to costumise each component, don’t you? In Flex 3 SDK you have to handle pretty well and know all the behavior of Flex 3 Component life cycle. Many developers are still facing on how is the better approach. I admit that it was usual hard to get working. But in Flex 4 SDK life cycle of a component get ridiculous simple. You now can have decouple UI, you can split the design and logic ui in two files. Letting you do the hard part of costumization easy to you. Never been so easy to create and deploy your own custom components without worry to meet the qualified classes or behavior methods to declare in order to properly work. This is the past, from now one you will see in your future Flex 4 SDK projects how this become easy.

Performance:
We have today a world that is slave of clock and everything that comes to you it’s for delivery yesterday, don’t happen with you? And to keep in track time and projects you need a tool, that facilitate all of these work, it’s basicly a give me what I want in the time I want. the new mxmlc compiler is twice fast than the old one in Flex 3 SDK. Part of that is to help the developer increase their producitivy and increasing that you have loved developers on your pocket. Team did a good job. In some cases for example I’ve notice that increased 4.3x times than before. It’s like I don’t need no more coffee break as sorry to producitivy.

Imaginable components:
Imaginated create that mo’ fc’ component you always wanted and don’t have the skills necessery to create? Simple, you can do design right? You have Flash Catalyst to do the dirt job to you. and it will compile to you a nicely tag component ready to be used for your developer. Their are still working on this tool to get worth using. But if you don’t want to wait, you can right now test a beta version of this tool in the Adobe Labs.

Migration Code:
One of the principal concern is motivation on gains to move code on to new workflow of Flex 4 SDK does. A worth looking is the documentation that specify straight to the point where show all new way of doing in Flex 4. It’s not hard to update your current code, you just have to adapt, a sample of that I bet you will only need 40% of your current code migrated to Flex 4 SDK standards. If you do much use of States,HBox,VBox. I increase this value to 50% of code migration.

All theses worth mention can help you understand if worth right now to migrate to Flex 4 SDK. There’s another indirect benefits of start using Flex 4 SDK, like direct access to the new API of Flash Player, AIR, code execution faster, less open bugs on the database,etc. It’s now up to you decide.

How the Flex community in Brazil really works

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Posted by Igor Costa on January 25, 2010 – 7:17 pm
Filed under Conferences, Flex, Personal, Web 2.0 with Flex

Simple, we enable dream’s of others with all we have in hands. It’s good when you’re capable of doing such thing for helping others to achieve their dreams with less pain.
The Flex for Kids is a first glance on-line event made for individuals and notable Flex stars in Brazil to collect money donations to help a institue called “Cotolengo” that helps Childrens with mental disabilities.
The hole event gonna be on-line in Portuguese only where I was fortune enough to talk about “Face off your jee application with Flex”. And other great crew of community members that really like to help.

I’m pretty happy with all speakers that donate their time for a noble moment in the children’s life.

Watch the Video preso we did to help you understand why we did this event. And what’s the brick wall that we have in dayly basis.

Visit the Flex for Kids website. Sorry but doesn’t have English version.

Flex Component Kit CS3 not working on Flash CS4, how to fix?

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Posted by Igor Costa on November 20, 2009 – 5:20 pm
Filed under Flash, Flash CS3, Flex

If you’re like me right now dealing with this problem. you might take a look bellow to to fix this annoying problem. Specially if you’re running Flash 10.0.2.

When you upgrade to Flash IDE 10.0.2 the Adobe Flash Team has a bug that doesn’t really shows even on Bugbase I searched there and found nothing.

How to fix that?

1. Open up Flash IDE CS4
2. Go to menu Help > Manage Extension
3. Search for the Flash Component Kit CS3.mxp instalation file, even if you’re going to look at CS4 will not find, but it works with CS4 version.
4. Install and activate.

But if you already installed the FCK and didn’t workout do the same as steps above except number 4. To work just mark the installed FCK.

Simple as that, It toked me an our to figure out that.

Flex Mania 2009 The Loud voice from Brazil

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Posted by Igor Costa on July 3, 2009 – 6:34 pm
Filed under Conferences, Flex

Yes. After 5 years working hard, teaching people, spreading the word and trying to share code, samples, passion about a technology we’re going to have our first ever Flex/Flash Event in Brazil.

Flex Mania is a Brazilian developer/design event for those who works with Flash Platform and specially Flex and speaks Portuguese.
It’s an open and free conference for Brazilians or people who speak Portuguese to participate. Even with a little slot for 300 capacity. All sessions will be in Portuguese and three in English. In total will be 20 sessions mostly of them for Flex and some for Flash.

I would love to share with you the aspects evolved in organize such event.

Isn’t easy to organize a event even if it’s on-line. You have to delegate many tasks and keep track of little details. And this is getting me very excited and happy. I’m learning a lot and for sure this is going to be a calendar event for next years to come.

The Challenge:

The Supporters

The Adobe presence in Brazil isn’t equal in US, Europe and India. Where they have a big budget, evangelists and a team to take care about the RIA aspect. For lucky in life I met people that can help out me a lot in this field. From US I have Matt Chottin, Rachel Luxemburg, Stacy Sison, J. Randy all crew from Adobe. And I must say to them a HUGE thank for supporting me in this event. They are for sure the bigger suppliers.

The Economy:

We’re living a economy crisis, and in Brazil we’re not different from other countries. In this field We would like to have sponsors and more companies evolved. But thinking a little bit, the first cuts in companies are sponsors and marketing things, all over the world. And this couldn’t fit well in the event. We had the guarantee from our supporters that I could arrange the event and the infra-structure was complete. Why do i need for this first time a sponsor? Who knows on the next edition.

The Location and geographical aspect:

Brazil is huge, a country with so many different locations, cultures and behaviors. To arrange a event in presence mode we had to create a local community big. Mostly city in Brazil to organize IT events are in São Paulo. But São Paulo is so suture about events that become expensive enough to anyone who lives outside to participate in a event. Then the most sense decision was to include the event on-line and free. Where no matter where you are in Brazil or outside in Brazil and you can understand Portuguese, you can participate.
Two rabbits killed on one shot. We did.

The Sessions, content:

I’ve get so inspired about 360 Conferences and Head Conference that I dream to include the same content in sessions spoken from brazilians communitiers. I’ve search a little bit to find out some that have a high capacity on those Flex fields. And to include more speaks on the list and give a thank for those who visit this blog. I invited some gurus of World Flex community to speak. I’m pleased to have Stephen Downs(Tink), Laura Arguello, Iiley Chen and Mrinal Wadhwa. They had contribute to the community since I met Flash player and so long. Thank you guys you rock.

Those three speakers are going to speak in english where is good enough for those who want to learn more about their sessions titles.

The last but not Least:

Everything not come to free or easy. Become this event true, is a high emotion for many people, for Brazil, for participants, for speakers, for me. We brazilians deserve such event. Even with all those limitations I’ve wrote above. I love challenge and this is a excited challenge. Because what motivates us keep going is the passion about a community. Happy enough.

Doing Flex 3 components in actionscript the right way

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Posted by Igor Costa on May 22, 2009 – 3:10 pm
Filed under 3.0, Flex, Flex 3, Flex Components

One of the big problems I had in the past was developing kick ass components in actionscript format, where you see by proven simple basic component done for Google Maps.
Most of applications I did before was using only mxml format and this is straight forward way that 9 of 10 Flex developers does in usual ways.
I was doing pretty well, but for sure if you’re trying to get better and better as a developer you see that a long way to do and write stuffs like bytearray.org, mchambers, gskinner. Most of theses developers love and breath the development process, respecting the framework and the way they flow.

Six months ago I had this as goal, achieve a development senior level for custom components in actionscript format. The best way to do that was reading the Flex SDK source code, and see how I could learn from them. I must say you to not do that right now if you don’t have a big experience in Flex development, has a lot of way to go.

It’s hard enough to learn this path and get a level of that. The pursuit of happiness was very clear for me after three months of study and internal tests, samples. I personally don’t like read I most enjoy see in action examples of some framework then I read later the docs.

In fact was hard months, because I just got 3 or 2 hours a day to study. I needed as anyone needs to work and put grant the food for home. And some times I would think in give up and keep going doing mxml code and some little utility classes. But when everytime I saw a bug logged in the Flex bug base and example of work from those guys I mentioned earlier. I draw back and keeping fire to learn theses process.

There’s a bunch of information out there today after those 5 years of working with Flex framework and for sure this might be one of the best time to learn Flex and even getting deep to learn from the source. Many resources, slides, samples you can find on internet that are better worth then the livedocs, where today in my point of view are getting better and better with days to come.(Randy is doing a great job there).

But you’re very lucky today after I saw a simple, direct to point white paper to learn the process of doing components in Flex. Kudos to James Polanco and Aaron Pedersen . They’ve released a documentation that is worth to read for any developer that reads this blog or works with Flex development, with simple words any dummy developer that has a minimum of 6 months of experience in Flex framework can learn on the component live cycle in Flex.

Here’s the direct link for the PDF file where you can print and read in home even if you’re not in front of PC or MAC(who knows?!).

For others document I’ve collected before when I was learning this is the comprehensive list of sources I’ve got to kick ass in as3 components for Flex, in a TOP of 10 resources sites:

1. Slide share collection of slides that get you ahead in this field.
2. Live Docs on Advanced Flex Components
3. For who without free time to learn and want learn fast.
4. Like a to-do-check-list for any developer who wants to check your component before use it.

5. A nice review that was my second text on learning.
6. A nice diagram and complete diagram of workflow where you can print and never forgot.
7.Implementing accessibility on to your flex components.
8. How to write non-visual Flex components.
9. A nice one read for non-visual flex components.
10. And the last but no least a great white paper of doing Flex 3 Components int he right way. (This is recent and didn’t had the lucky to read in that time).

Enforce your development skills with this little list, has a lot of other resources like Jessen Warden blog and gets a lot of boiler list of tips and tricks for flash platform developers, google code, with a 1.333 projects tags as Flex and you save time in light up new ideas of components, check that before.

Hope you enjoy.

GraniteDS answers to GAE/J, will it play?

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Posted by Igor Costa on April 21, 2009 – 4:36 pm
Filed under Flex, Flex Hacks, Flex with Java, Google, Granite Data Services

GraniteDS is fully working with GAE/J according to their blog post.

http://graniteds.blogspot.com/2009/04/graniteds-20-on-google-app-engine.html

Quick Post, but you should read the aspects of functionality and pretty awesome see the community reactions against the white list of Google classes and putting complex serializations to work.
For sure GraniteDS works nice like Weborb for Java. No sign of light from BlazeDS team or even blog post from James Ward that I blogged before.