Why use Flex over Flash 8

I would like to know what makes Flex more useful than Flash
8? Is Flex basically replacing the Flash SDK? I looked into Flex a
little bit and it looks like it has an awesome integration of Flash
and XML. I was also wondering if Flex integrates other development
technologies with Flash, such as PHP.
Currently I am working for a gaming company and would like to
get Flex pretty soon.
-Thanks in Advance :)
Flash Development at
Vectorflash.net

i think it is not "more useful" but both got different
strength.
flash is for animation, presentation, interactive website
& etc but flex is more to web application.

Similar Messages

Why Use Flex?

Hello Flex Forum,
I must admit some curisoity about Flex. Seems Adobe is really
pushing it. Kind of reminds me of FoxPro and Access. There are so
many differerent ways to do things web-wise these days, I am
wondering why a developer might choose Flex over Flash
(actionscript), or some of the other (like dojo) language or
environment that does similar things. I am currently working on an
e-learning project that need to be CD based, because the company I
work for cannot support a server to allow users from outside the
firewall (I work for an Aerospace company) to access "intranet"
based training where Captivate, Flash, and even Flex based apps are
designed to run best.
I would be interested in any rationale for the use of Flex,
its strong points and weak points, etc.
Thanks,
eholz1

I'd ask: why use slow, browser dependent, bug prone, outdated
Ajax hacks or old-school generated HTML when you have Flex as an
alternative. I'd rather give up and become a sleeping mall security
guard than devolve to Ajax hackery.
Flex weak points? I'd say printing and reporting is the #1
that I can think of ATM, but of course competing technologies don't
do any better. They still rely on the same crummy tools and
techniques that Flex apps often seem to call on. And for
reporting/printing when your requirements are pretty simple, Flex
can probably deal with it natively anyway, to boot.
We're using a hybrid approach for reporting. Flex charting
and interactivity (good luck doing this as well Ajax hackers) is
great for small summary reporting, and simple table data can be
printed from inside Flex. For larger/bulky and more complex reports
we call on a servlet which uses a 3rd party reporting tool to
generate PDFs.
Flex integrates with a ton of other technologies pretty well.
You can also install a Flex app using AIR, which basically makes it
a standalone client application on your workstation. This could be
the ultimate bandwidth saver (no swf OR html/js transmitted), if
you don't mind the less convenient deployment method. AMF is much
faster than the crappy protocols Ajax uses.
BTW, running on an intranet is not going to be a problem, as
long as Flash 9 or higher is deployed everywhere, or users are
permitted to install it using an internal server download. It
doesn't need to come from Adobe's server off the internet..
BUT, Adobe better not get too confident here. MS and
Silverlight are doing to be tough competition, and I'll switch if
it steals the lead in maturity. JavaFX is junk, and too late to the
game, it'll fail. ^_^ I guess Ajax could even become less crummy,
but some of it's downsides will never be resolved.

When to use Flex Or Flash Or HTML-Javascript

I am Experimenting with Adobe AIR. I know AIR Applications
can be developed either using Html-Javascript Or Flex Or Flash.
But can anybody HELP me understand when do i exactly use Flex
or HTML-JS.
Well i know one of the reason to use Flex is to build
RIA's.What are the other Possible reasons ?? can i draw a Decision
Boundry between them??

The best reason to choose one tool over the other is that you
have something working in that language already, and are just
extending it into the AIR world.
If you're starting a new project, you then have to balance
tools you have and know how to use against the strengths of the
tools. A tool you don't know has to have some pretty compelling
strengths to make you take the time to learn it, unless you're just
doing it for fun. If not for fun, the effort has to pay off, yes?
Very generally speaking, here are the strengths of the tools,
as I see it.
For HTML + Javascript, just look at what you see on the web
today. People are pushing browsers pretty hard these days with web
apps, so that gives you a good first-order idea of the power of
this tool set. The AIR environment does give you some more power,
not just in the AIR APIs, but also in having a single modern
browser to develop for, so you don't have to limit yourself to IE6
compatible code. Still, it's not yet the equal of the other tools
in some areas.
Flash's main advantage over the others is in applications
with lots of graphics and animation. The reason for this is purely
because that's what the Flash authoring environment is geared to
produce. It's not got a very good ActionScript editor, and as a
consequence there's a practical limit on how much code you want to
write in a given project. It's not a question of whether you
can write a 20,000 line ActionScript program within the
Flash environment, it's a question of whether it's better done in
another tool.
One of the best "other tools" when you end up with lots of
code is Flex. With the "Builder", you get Ecipse, and without, you
are presumably using some other worthy programming environment.
But, you give up the graphic and animation tools from Flash, and
you give up a lot of the simplicity of HTML + Javascript.
You can combine them, of course. You could build a whizzy GUI
control in Flash to use in a Flex application which is hosted
inside a web page, for instance.

Curious to Know why use iCal over PalmDesktop

Hello all,
Please feel free to provide experiences and thoughts on the benefits of using iCal vs. PalmDesktop.
I have recently made the switch from PC - and am still in the new play phase with all of the programs avail. to Mac users. I am sure there are reasons both good and bad for using certain programs, just figured the crew here on the Apple forums would be great place to start.
Thanx,
-Al-
iBook & MBP

I needed a scheduler app a few months after iCal came out. It didn't do all the scheduler tasks I needed it to do that you can find in all the other apps but it looked like a great program, even though it was very rough around the edges. I decided to go with iCal over palm because I thought the palm app, though very advanced and did everything I needed it to do, would be discontinued soon and wouldn't be guaranteed to work in future Mac OS updates and because I thought even though iCal still needed a lot of work, it was just released so surely it would get much better soon. I made the wrong choice. Not only does palm do everything, it also still works and probably will continue to work for another decade. iCal on the other hand has not seen a significant update in a couple of years and is still almost as incomplete and rough around the edges as it ever was. Don't make my mistake man, now my workflow and event history is locked into iCal and it's too late to change. Palm is uglier but it does the job much better.
I come to this forum every few months to see if there's been any movement in iCal that I don't know about, but there never is. I've sent Apple a zillion messages and feedbacks telling them to give iCal a significant update already, but they seem to have all but abandoned this app. When I read about projects that are planned for newer versions of the Mac OS I never see any sign that they are doing any work on this app at all. If anybody has information to the contrary I'd love to hear it, but for now I'd have to advise you to not hitch your wagon to this program that Apple treats like a redheaded step child.

Why use int over double?

i am using the book beginning java 2. and there is a example showing how the math class works
the program calculates the radius of a circle in feet and inches given that the area is 100 square feet:
public class MathCalc
public static void main(String[]args)
double radius = 0.0;
double circlearea= 0.0;
int feet = 0;
int inches = 0;
radius = Math.sqrt(circleArea/Math.PI);
feet = (int)Math.floor(radius);
inches = (int)Math.round (12.0 * (radius-feet));
System.out.println( Feet + "feet" + inches + "inches");
the output will be 5 feet 8 inches.
my question is why bother with using 'int', why not simply use 'double' for all your variables?
in feet and inches 'int' has been used as the result would have been a floating value. so casting as been used. But doesnt that complicate things?cant one just use long for all variables and forgot about worrying whether the value will fit or not.
thanks
Ali

i am using the book beginning java 2. and there is a
example showing how the math class works
the program calculates the radius of a circle in feet
and inches given that the area is 100 square feet:
public class MathCalc
public static void main(String[]args)
double radius = 0.0;
double circlearea= 0.0;
int feet = 0;
int inches = 0;
radius = Math.sqrt(circleArea/Math.PI);
feet = (int)Math.floor(radius);
inches = (int)Math.round (12.0 *
d (12.0 * (radius-feet));
System.out.println( Feet + "feet" + inches +
"inches");
the output will be 5 feet 8 inches.
my question is why bother with using 'int', why not
simply use 'double' for all your variables?There are several reasons to use int (when appropriate) rather than double. More generally, there are several reasons to use integer arithmetic instead of floating point.
First, integer arithmetic is precise whereas floating point arithmetic is always subject to imprecision. E.g. 6 / 2 always equals 3, 6.0 / 2.0 may equal something like 3.000000000000001.
Second, (related to the above) the results of integer arithmetic operations will not vary from one machine to the next. The results of the same floating point operation may vary from one machine to the next.
Third, integer arithmetic is always faster than floating point.
>
in feet and inches 'int' has been used as the result
would have been a floating value. so casting as been
used. But doesnt that complicate things?The results are cast back to an int because it would look silly and meaningless to print a result of, for instance, 5.00000001 feet, 8.00045 inches.
cant one just
use long for all variables and forgot about worrying
whether the value will fit or not. No. You should never disregard whether the results of arithmetic operations will overflow the size of the word you are using. Even though a long type can contain a pretty huge number, you can still easily overflow it and get nonsensical results.
Also, a 32 bit word is the native size for most of the machines most of us use. This means that arithmetic operations are fastest on int types (for most of us). This shouldn't be a primary design consideration but it should be taken into account.

Why use XE?

Why use XE over the other versions of 10g?

i would suggest XE isnt that good for most development work as it doesnt incoude a lot of the features a lot of "enterprise people" needs.
Yuo should always develop and always test on the versions that you are going to deploy with.
Dont forget you can use Oracle for free gernally in development at no cost

Using Flex Code in Flash

Hi everyone,
I really hope you can help me with this. Here's my
situation...
I've developed a flex application that connects to another
java application using "BlazeDS". It works great!! The reason why I
did this is because I'm developing (along with a Flash designer) a
website of a music band, and I use java to connect to a database
that has all the "gigs", news and subscribers to the website.
Everything works great in Flex, my problem is I'm not a
designer, I'm a developer. So I wanted to know if there's a way I
can just give my designer friend a code so he can use it in Flash
CS3?? (Like to send him objects containing the info. For example,
give him a concerts object that contains the date and the location
so he can build the datagrids for the concerts page in Flash)
I think there must be a way to use Flex libraries in CS3, or
maybe create some kind of Flex class that will work as a
"communication interface" between the database and the flash code,
I'm really not sure...
In other words, I need to know how can my designer friend use
(in Flash) what I've developed in Flex.
Please let me know if there's a way...
Just in case you need to know, I use Flex's Eclipse plug in
(it's easier for me this way cause I have java and flex in the same
place!)
Thanks!!!!!!

No need then to use the LocalConnection. In a listener
function (add a listener function for the complete event of the
SWFLoader) you can retrieve a reference to the loaded swf and get
the two values from the swf if they are public and on frame 1 of
the main timeline.
private function onSWFLoaded():void
//retrieve a reference to the loaded swf
var loadedSWF:MovieClip = logn.content as MovieClip;
<mx:SWFLoader autoLoad="true" id="logn" source="main.swf"
horizontalCenter="8" verticalCenter="185" height="364" width="588"
complete="onSWFLoaded()"></mx:SWFLoader>

Using Flex SWC in Flash CS3 (ADOBE EXPERT NEEDED)

I've searched everywhere, and there is not one good answer to
the question: "How do I use a Flex AS3 Class Library in Flash CS3?"
So I decided to come to the source :)
This question has also been asked on this forum twice, but
got no answer.
Any help on this topic will be greatly appreciated
- Oz

If you're using Flex 2, there's a solution using a
manifest.xml file. Tim Walling details it on
his
blog, but I haven't found a way to get it to work for Flex
3.

Can i use flex components in flash?

hi all,
i recently downloaded flex and saw that the components have a
much better feel than the components which ship with flash 8 pro.
is there a way to use flex components in flash?
any help would be appreciated.
thanks,
gaurav

"rritchey" <[email protected]> wrote in
message
news:g8ua6d$qu6$[email protected]..
> bump: Was I not clear in my question? Or does no-one
know the answer?
You might want to try in the flexCoders Yahoo! group.

Live video feed using Flex/Flash

Hi,
I have a question if someone doesn't mind giving me a "yes"
or "no" answer, please.
My developers have created a program for me that lets me
broadcast my LIVE web cam feed right on my web site in real time so
I can provide customer support and allow me to engage with web site
visitors. We are using Flash, Flex, and Adobe AIR.
The broadcast window size is 320 x 240 pixels. The problem is
the frame rate. I am only able to broadcast between 5 - 9 frames
per second whereas other people have been able to broadcast at
around 14 FPS.
Question: is it possible to use these applications
(Flash/Flex/Adobe AIR) to stream live video at 320 X 240 at frame
rates at least 24 or higher?
Thanks in advance for an answer. I don't expect a solution.
Just a yes or no from some experience(d) developer(s).
All the best.
Rodney

Lucas,
Here's what I do for multi-camera live shoots:
1. Connect all cameras to a switcher/DVE (looped through preview monitors) - I use a Panasonic WJ-MX50 or Sony DFS-300 Since you have five cameras, you'll obviously need a switcher with more inputs, or gang two of the above together. You'll need a switcher capable of the signal output your cameras offer, ie: composite, Y/C, component, triax .. whatever.
2a. Output of switcher goes to DVCam VTR.
2b. Audio is fed through a mixer and output to the VTR.
3. Firewire out from the VTR to the Mac/FCP.
4. In FCP, choose "Non-Controllable Device" and use Capture Now.
5. Use one of the analog outputs from the VTR to feed the projector(s) and the another analog output to a program monitor for the TD.
I always run safety tapes in each camera while the VTR is recording a switched master tape in case there's a problem with the capture in FCP (it can happen).
I also equip each cam-op with a 8" or 9" monitor, typically using the camera's composite output. And everyone is able to communicate using a Clear-Com system.
In 5 years, doing several shows per year, the capture in FCP has only failed three times and all of those times were when I was using a laptop. Whenever I've used my old G4 tower, capturing to one of the internal drives, its worked flawlessly each time. Fortunately, having a Master DVCam tape saved the day. The camera safety tapes are used just in case of a bad switch by the TD (usually me).
-DH
PS I should add that if you're feeding multiple projectors, you'll need a simple DA.

Why use mail client over web site mail inteface?

Hello.
I had question to all emial client user's:
Why use mail client over web site mail inteface?
And I have one more question.
Is there any option to backup/compress your mail in mutt or thunderbird?

brisbin33 wrote:
briest wrote:
brisbin33 wrote:Also, imap in mutt for me is sooooo slow (proportional to the size of the mailbox of course)
Do you use header caching? It can accelerate remote imap access, but is disabled by default. Also playing with imap_idle (yes, if server supports), imap_keepalive (low) and timeout (high) may produce nice results.
i've tried everything (always caching, and setting various imap_* options). trust me. it's funny, it wasn't bad at first, then one day i'd hit j/k and 3 seconds later the indicator would move... that's when i set up offlineimap.
I'm very happy with this maildir setup now . thanks anyway tho.
OMG, mutt is flying right now! Even with header and message cache is mutt + imap not the fastest. I reccomend offlineimap for everyone.

How to use Flex Components with Flash?

Hi!!
I found a lot of very useful components in the web, but they are all for Flex, is it possible to use Flex Components with Flash IDE?
Thanks !!!
jenry
PS: this is one of the components I need to use (a tree with checkbox nodes)
http://www.sephiroth.it/file_detail.php?pageNum_comments=30&id=151
another one:
http://www.darronschall.com/weblog/2006/09/a-flex-2-checked-tree-control-component.cfm

Flex components are delivered as SWCs just like Flash components, but the
SWC format is incompatible with the Flash IDE.
Also, the default fl.. components in the Flash IDE are incompatible with
Flex components.
You should be able to load a Flex SWF into a Flash SWF as long as you aren't
using fl.. components in the Flash SWF. If the Flex SWF overlays things
in your Flash SWF then it might block interaction, but otherwise it
shouldn't. I don't think the statement you quoted is true for all
configurations.
But loading a Flex SWF into a Flash SWF isn't going to help you use those
Flex components from your Flash IDE. Try Flash Builder 4 to build out the
Flex portion of your application. I haven't tried it myself, but it I think
it is supposed to have better integration with Flash.

Flash Builder 4: "Flex 2 is not supported; use Flex 3.0.0 or higher "

In our project we have to maintain an application developed in Flex 2, but we have licensed Flash Builder 4, which is now available for Adobe only. When we tried to configure Flash Builder 4 with Flex 2 SDK we get the following error: "Flex 2 is not supported; use Flex 3.0.0 or higher "
What should we do to work with Flex 2 in Flash Builder 4?
Thanks for the help

In our project we have to maintain an application developed in Flex 2, but we have licensed Flash Builder 4, which is now available for Adobe only. When we tried to configure Flash Builder 4 with Flex 2 SDK we get the following error: "Flex 2 is not supported; use Flex 3.0.0 or higher "
What should we do to work with Flex 2 in Flash Builder 4?
Thanks for the help

Why was there over ten thousand file in my "All My Files" on my new MBP. I'm very new at using ICloud. I don't understand syncing vs time vs time vs syncing! I simply have not idea how to manage my file now.

Why is there over ten thousand file in my "All My Files" on my new MBP. I'm very new at using ICloud. I don't understand syncing vs time vs time vs syncing! I simply have not idea how to manage my files now. I read short comments & how to's in the support sections, but nothing I've read so far explains"best practices" or turning iCloud off to get a grip on managing files. I have 250gb fast storage on the MBP itself, and 200gb in the ICloud, one would thing that's enough. The files seem too be multiplying like rabbits. IPhoto's Faces has created hundereds of "somethings" not sure what. I am sure I am very frustrated! Please comment with kindness.

gf raines wrote:
Yes,I am confused. To say its just another drive is a "buzz statement".
OK, for example. If I download a document, song, or photo from ICloud, as I understand, it goes to Download in Finder. If I want to move it to a local folder of my choice on the solid state drive in my new MBP, does a copy always stay in ICloud? How do you housekeep? I have always used to a physical drive. What is different about the mind set. I used ICloud to store the contents of my old MBP. Once I download all the files I need, should I turn off ICloud and manage the file locally? I don't like the automatic movement of files when I don't understand the locations.
Nope, you don't understand it.
If you download a song from the iTunes cloud storage (which is not iCloud) it goes into the iTunes music folder (generally to a subfolder therein)
If you download a document from the iCloud drive it will go wherever you chose to put it.
If you download a photo from the iCloud Photo library it will also go wherever you choose to put it.*
If you move something you have not copied it, if you want to keep a copy on the iCloud drive and in a local folder, you would copy, not move it.
There is no 'automatic' movement, you decide what to store on the iCloud drive (exactly like any other drive) and what to remove.
The iCloud drive appears as a folder in Finder, you use it just like any other, copy/paste, save, delete etc.
You can turn the iCloud drive off whenever you like, download the content to a local drive first.
* Because the iCloud drive appears as a folder in Finder there is in fact no need to ever download anything to your Mac, everything on the drive is already on your Mac.

How can I Access the Flash "Slide class" using flex and ActionScript 3?

Hi,
I hope someone can help me solve a problem...
I'm using the flex SwfLoader to load a flash side
presentation as follows...
<mx:SWFLoader id="ss_slides" source="ss_slides.swf"
width="320" height="240"/>
I would like to access the flash "Slide Class" using flex so
I can make the following call...
Slide.gotoNextSlide();
Anyone know how I can do that?
Would it be through the SwfLoader Object?
Is there another way?
F.Y.I. Here is a snippets about the Slide class from the
Flash 8 help...
Using the Slide class (Flash Professional only)
You use the methods and properties of the Slide class to
control slide
presentations you create using the Screen Outline pane for a
Flash Slide
Presentation, to get information about a slide presentation
(for example, to
determine the number of child slides contained by parent
slide), or to navigate
between slides in a slide presentation (for example, to
create "Next slide" and
"Previous slide" buttons).
You can also use the built-in behaviors that are available
in the Behaviors
panel to control slide presentations. For more information,
see Adding controls
to screens using behaviors (Flash Professional only) in Using
Flash.
Thanks,
Chris S.

Hi Chris,
You cannot access the methods of the Flash 8 movie from Flex.
And you can't do it the other way around either.
The only way to communicate is to create a LocalConnection on
each side.
M.

Why use Flex over Flash 8

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