LFFS - 12: Flex Builder Part 2 - Getting Acquainted With The Workbench

The Learning Flex From Scratch series on InsideRIA has a new installment. We've been dedicating some posts to using the Flex Builder IDE. Previously, we covered the installation of Flex Builder, both as a standalone IDE, and as a plugin with Eclipse. We're taking it to the next step this time by exploring the workbench layout as we import the calculator application we've covered before.

Flex Calculator Beta

The last two installments in the Learning Flex From Scratch series on InsideRIA have focused on the programming of a calculator built in Flex. Adam created a non-functioning calculator, and as an assignment, I was to code the logic into it so it would work.

I got it to work, sort of, but there are a few bugs. Here is the version I came up with:

View Source - Download Source

And here is the version that Adam came up with after doing a code review and applying the principles of best practices:

View Source - Download Source

We'll post an updated version when we get the bugs fixed, so please be patient!

Cheers!

An Addition To "Helpful Resources"

I'm compelled to write about a very helpful resource that I've been all over lately. Safari books online has a HUGE collection of material available as a subscription. I tried the free trial and forgot to cancel. This was a very happy accident, since I've recently found tons of helpful information on stuff I'm trying to get a handle on. For example, Alaric Cole's excellent book, Learning Flex 3, has been a great help. I really think the monthly cost of $42.99 for unlimited access to their library is worth it. I know there's plenty of people like me who are jumping head first into a commitment of learning Flex, Flash, or whatever, and having a huge library of material to page through is really a big help. That's all for now...off to study!

Resources for Learning Flex

We've got another installment on InsideRIA, this time it diverges from the usual content and is simply a list of helpful resources that I've run across on my journey into Flex. There's tons of info out there, but it's often difficult keep the helpful stuff organized. I recommend a maintaining a clear starting point from which you can navigate to whatever content you need at the time. As I continue to learn more about being a Flex developer, I'll surely run across more great resources and my list will need to be updated. To keep a handle on this, I've created a del.icio.us account for Learning Flex From Scratch. This way, everyone can compare the resources I've found to their own and possibly come across something useful.

Arrays in Flex

Not long ago, the sixth installment of the Learning Flex From Scratch series on InsideRIA went up, and its subject was arrays. I would have to say that this was the most challenging one so far, but it seems to have been a hit with our fans in Indonesia, Spain, and the Netherlands, as Google Analytics would have us believe. We've dedicated a good amount time to ActionScript 3.0 in the series, covering such areas as Loops, Conditionals, and general object-oriented programming concepts. Soon, we'll have a post on MXML up to round out our coverage of the languages used in Flex, and then we'll move on to discussions of the tools used in creating rich internet applications in Flex.

Off and Running

So this marks the beginning (official) of my journey into Adobe's Flex. I'm lucky enough to be mentored by the great Adam Flater, and as such feel confident that my progress will be swift. Be aware that I'm a total noob, if not a boob, and there's plenty of really basic stuff I've got to learn. So I'm off, and will post again when there's something to say. Lates.