Adobe Flex 4: Developing Rich Internet Applications ( DRIAs )

Duration: 5 days
Time: 10am - 6pm. Breaks are scheduled throughout the day and lunch is typically scheduled between 12-1pm
Course Materials: Vendor Authorized Courseware provided
Locations: Reston, VA / On-Site
Related Courses: Flash Catalyst
Cost: $1995
Registration: Click Here to Register

Description

This is a 4/5 day, hands-on introduction to Developing Rich Internet Applications ( DRIAs) for the Adobe Flash Platform using the Adobe Flex 4 framework. Emphasized topics include:

• Custom components and layout control
• Handling and extending events
• Validating and formatting data
• Navigation, animation, and visual state control
• Text and style control
• Spark component skinning
• Introduction to remote data access
• Working with typed data in DataGroup and DataGrid components
• Deploying Flex applications over the web and on AIR

Audience

This course is designed for application developers who want to bring the power of Rich Internet Applications to their web applications. To gain the most from this class, you should:

Be familiar with an object oriented programming language such as Java or C++.
Be familiar with XML terminology.

Prerequisites

Because of the amount of material we cover in class, we do require students to be comfortable using a mouse, opening and saving files, and the general operations of computers. While we will make every reasonable effort to help, students with insufficient skills may be required to observe the class lessons or do their best to keep up without slowing down the rest of the class.

Course Outline

Introducing the Course

• Introducing mastery learning
• Understanding the course format
• Reviewing the course prerequisites
• Reviewing the course outline

Introducing the Adobe Flash Platform

• Introducing the technologies
• Building Flex applications
• Experiencing web and desktop applications
• Learning more about Flex

Understanding Flex development technologies

• Understanding the Flex framework, SDK and tool
• Understanding Adobe Flash Builder 4

Understanding Flex application deployment

• Exploring the Flash Builder interface
• Grouping projects with workspaces
• Understanding the workbench
• Understanding editors
• Understanding views
• Understanding perspectives
• Adding and configuring components in Design mode
• Creating a Flex project
• Using the New Flex Project wizard

Understanding Flex 4 Fundamentals

• Understanding Adobe Flex namespaces
• Understanding how namespaces translate into Flex libraries
• Understanding Flex components
• Assigning component properties
• Laying out and styling with Flash Builder
• Setting component properties
• Setting styles using a CSS style sheet
• Compiling and running an application
• Compiling the application
• Running the application
• Creating custom components
• Controlling component layout in containers
• Defining and using a custom component

Introducing skinning

• Defining a skin class
• Applying a skin class
• Accessing and using structured data within a custom component
• Declaring non-visual objects in MXML
• Defining inline event handlers
• Generating event handler functions
• Introducing data binding
• Implementing data binding
• Declaring and using bindable properties
• Passing data to an embedded control through a custom component property
• Updating visual controls using dynamic data
• Capturing the current item in a list control
• Using data binding to dynamically update visual controls
• Adding and removing event listeners using ActionScript

Introducing Object Oriented Programming

• Introducing OOP terminology
• Understanding classes
• Understanding instances and objects
• Understanding class relationships
• Understanding MXML classes
• Exploring the Flex framework classes
• Creating class instances
• Extending the Flex framework classes
• Creating a class property
• Creating the property
• Controlling access
• Creating and using a public property
• Writing a class definition in ActionScript
• Creating a class
• Packaging a class
• Naming a class
• Understanding the constructor
• Creating class properties
• Assigning property values through the constructor
• Making properties or classes bindable
• Creating instances of an ActionScript class
• Creating class methods

Understanding Components and Layouts

• Introducing visual components
• Introducing Spark vs MX components
• Understanding components
• Introducing Spark layout classes
• Defining the layout property
• Understanding the BasicLayout class
• Understanding the HorizontalLayout class
• Understanding the VerticalLayout class
• Understanding the TileLayout class
• Custom layout classes
• Introducing the Spark container classes
• Understanding how the containers work
• Understanding the Spark containers
• Reviewing the Application container
• Introducing the Group container
• Introducing the Panel container
• Sample application layout
• Introducing the BorderContainer
• Using constraints to control component layout
• Understanding constraint-based layout basics
• Rules to control component layout
• Constraint-based vs. traditional container layout
• Visually assigning anchors
• Adding scrollbars to containers
• Implementing the Scroller class

Handling Events

• Understanding events
• Handling Framework events
• Handling user events
• Implementing event handlers
• Using inline ActionScript in MXML
• Creating ActionScript event handler functions
• Defining a function in an MXML document
• Creating functions in external files
• Understanding the event object
• Introducing the event object
• Exploring event object properties
• Datatyping the event object
• Understanding event bubbling
• Distinguishing currentTarget and target
• Introducing event bubbling
• Adding event listeners with ActionScript

Validating and Formatting Data

• Using the Form container
• Introducing the Form components
• Using form components
• Using the FormItem container
• Creating a Form custom component
• Using formatters
• Using formatters
• Validating form data
• Creating a Validator with MXML
• Creating a Validator with ActionScript
• Handling Required Values
• Triggering validation with events
• When validation fails
• Using the NumberValidator Class
• Triggering validation with ActionScript
• Suppressing automatic validation
• Using the validate() method
• Triggering multiple validators

Controlling Navigation

• Understanding MX navigator containers
• Controlling container display
• Introducing the MX navigator containers
• Using the ViewStack container
• Understanding ViewStack basics
• Navigating with the LinkBar control
• Navigating with the TabBar control
• Displaying and resizing the ViewStack child containers
• Deferring instantiation of ViewStack child containers
• Using a Spark container inside MX navigator containers
• Creating custom navigation for the ViewStack container
• Setting the active ViewStack child container
• Enabling buttons dynamically
• Using the TabNavigator container
• Using the Accordion container

Controlling Application State

• Understanding view states
• Introducing view states
• Creating view states in Design mode
• Creating view states with code
• Controlling view states
• Introducing the currentState property
• Switching between states

Animating Components and States

• Applying effects to components
• Interacting with users using animated effects
• Understanding effect basics
• Reviewing available effects
• Defining an effect
• Playing an effect
• Creating composite effects
• Applying transitions to application state changes
• Creating transitions
• Adding and removing components during animations

Controlling Visual Display with Styling

• Creating global application styles
• Generating the styles using the Appearance view in Design mode
• Flash Builder automatically creates CSS file
• Global vs Application selector
• Defining styles and skins for components
• Creating Flex component selectors
• Create custom component selectors
• Applying a component skin via CSS
• Introducing Advanced CSS selectors
• Descendent selector
• id selector
• Class selector
• Pseudo selector

Skinning Spark Components

• Introducing skinning
• Understanding Spark skins
• Setting styles inline in the MXML tags
• Introducing the skinnable Spark container classes
• Creating a skin for Spark components
• Incorporating visual elements drawn in other programs
• Introducing FXG
• Changing the default display of skin parts
• Reviewing the contentGroup skin part for containers
• Understanding a Button control’s skin part
• Understanding the Panel container’s skin parts
• Finding skin parts for any component
• Choosing a component to display the skin part

Implementing Advanced Skinning Techniques

• Implementing different visual states for a skin
• Understanding skin states in Button component
• Assigning properties for each state
• Animating the button states
• Accessing custom component properties from a skin
• Defining the custom property in the custom component
• Creating the skin and component contract
• Referencing the properties in the skin
• Adding scrollbars to skins
• Using the Scroller with nonskinnable containers
• Using the Scroller with skinnable containers

Accessing Remote Data

• Using HTTPService to load remote data
• Using the HTTPService class
• Process for making HTTP requests
• Retrieving data with lastResult
• Understanding the ArrayCollection results
• Using results in data bindings
• Handling returned data and faults
• Handling results
• Handling faults
• Displaying messages with an Alert pop-up
• Using result and fault handlers example
• Making HTTP requests with parameters
• Using explicit parameter passing
• Using parameter binding
• Using the wizards
• Understanding the CallResponder class
• Creating a master/detail form

Creating a Typed Data Model

• Understanding the need for a typed data model
• Working with a model of generic data
• Creating a model of typed data
• Understanding value objects
• Creating value objects
• Creating an ActionScript class for typed data
• Reviewing classpaths and packages
• Creating class files
• Defining class access modifiers
• Creating class constructors
• Defining class properties
• Instantiating an ActionScript class
• Populating an ArrayCollection with value objects
• Comparing ArrayCollection with ArrayList
• Understanding data bindings with value objects
• Making ActionScript class properties bindable
• Binding the view to the model
• Binding two-way
• Refactoring value objects
• Downcasting object references

Extending Events

• Understanding the problem with bindings
• The problem of using bindings
• Creating loosely coupled components
• Defining the event type
• Defining the event in the dispatching component
• Triggering the event from a user or system event
• Instantiating the event
• Dispatching the event to the main application
• Handling the event in the main application
• Extending the Event class
• Creating the extended class
• Extending the Event class
• Adding properties
• Creating the constructor
• Using the extended event class
• Using the Metadata compiler directive
• Dispatch the extended event
• Handling the event in the main application
• Dispatching a value object with the extended event
• Accommodating a value object in the extended event
• Overriding the clone method
• Passing a parameter to toggle event bubbling

Rendering Content with the DataGroup Container

• Displaying string data in an item renderer
• Understanding DataGroup container basics
• Implementing the DataGroup container
• Using the default item renderer
• Passing UI components in the data provider
• Rendering visual controls
• Mixing data item types
• Creating a custom item renderer
• Understanding the limits of the default item renderer
• Creating a custom item renderer
• Creating a nested item renderer
• Referencing an external item renderer class
• Using data in an item renderer
• Using the SkinnableDataContainer
• Implementing the SkinnableDataContainer
• Creating the skin component

Displaying Data Using the DataGrid

• Using the DataGrid control
• Supplying data to a DataGrid control
• Specifying DataGrid control columns
• Formatting DataGrid control columns
• Creating reusable label functions
• Using item renderers and item editors
• Understanding Item renderers versus item editors
• Introducing the types of item renderers and item editors
• Inline item renderers and item editors
• Item renderer and item editor components
• Using Spark components in <mx:DataGrid> item renderers
• Using events and selected items with a DataGrid component

Deploying Flex and AIR Applications

• Compiling the Flex application
• Compiling automatically
• Modifying compiler settings
• Embedding the SWF in the HTML wrapper
• Understanding the runtime shared libraries
• Creating a Flex application production build
• Creating a release build
• Creating a desktop application
• Creating an AIR project
• Understanding some differences between Flex and AIR applications
• Exporting a release build

 

 

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Adobe Flex 4 and LiveCycle Data Services 3: Data Driven Development

Duration: 3 days
Time: 10am - 6pm. Breaks are scheduled throughout the day and lunch is typically scheduled between 12-1pm
Course Materials: Vendor Authorized Courseware provided
Locations: Reston, VA / On-Site
Related Courses: Flash Catalyst
Cost: $1495
Registration: Click Here to Register

Description

F4DDD is a 2/3 day comprehensive introduction to using LiveCycle Data Services 3 with the Adobe Flex 4 framework.  Emphasized topics include:

• Messaging, remoting, and web services
• Performance profiling and unit testing
• Client-side data manipulation
• Model-driven development using the Fiber Framework and Flash Builder 4

Audience

Developers wishing to extend their Flex knowledge and leverage LiveCycle Data Services in Flex applications

Prerequisites

Flex 4: Developing Rich Iinternet Applications course or significant hands-on Adobe Flex experience

Course Outline

• Introducing the Course
• Introducing mastery learning
• Understanding the course format
• Reviewing the course prerequisites
• Reviewing the course outline

Accessing Web Services

• Using web services
• Process for calling web services
• Invoking web service methods and using the results
• Invoking the methods on a web service
• Understanding ArrayCollection class results
• Using web service results
• Handling results using an event handler
• Using the results event handler
• Handling faults
• Creating fault event handlers
• Displaying faults with an Alert pop-up
• Calling multiple methods from the same WebService object
• Using the <s:operation> tag
• Passing parameters to web services
• Passing parameters to a web service explicitly
• Passing parameters to a web service using parameter binding

Using Remote Object Connections

• Introducing LCDS / BlazeDS
• Surveying the LCDS feature set
• Introducing BlazeDS
• Compare and contrast LCDS and Blaze DS
• Understanding the Remoting Service
• The Remoting Service and AMF
• Configuring a Remoting Service destination
• Using <s:RemoteObject>
• Accessing data from a remote method
• Handling RPC events
• Handling successful remote calls
• Handling faults in remote calls
• Complex remote method calls
• Handling events of multiple methods
• Passing parameters
• Type conversion during data transfer between ActionScript and Java
• Converting data from Java to ActionScript
• Converting data from ActionScript to Java
• Converting custom object types
• Managing RemoteObject events using AsyncToken
• Understanding dynamic classes
• Remoting Service Runtime Configuration
• Selecting a channel at runtime

Managing Data on the Client

• Understanding collection classes
• Collection features
• Collection interfaces
• Specific collection classes
• Filtering data on the client
• Creating the filter function
• Using the function
• Sorting data on the client
• Understanding the sort classes
• Process for sorting data
• Simple sorting example
• Complex sorting example
• Using the IViewCursor interface
• Cursor operations
• Creating and using the cursor
• Code examples

Using the Message Service

• Introducing the message service
• Creating a messaging destination
• Sending messages
• Creating a messaging producer
• Using the AsyncMessage class
• Tracing message traffic
• Receiving and processing messages
• Creating a messaging consumer
• Subscribing and unsubscribing to a destination
• Receiving messages
• Sending and receiving complex data
• Implementing message filtering
• Using selectors
• Using subtopics

Using Flash Builder Development Tools

• Using logging
• Logging on the client
• Running the debugger
• Using breakpoints
• Introducing the profiler
• Introducing Flash Player garbage collection
• Profiling an application
• Using memory profiling
• Monitoring Flex RPC network traffic
• Using the Network Monitor

Developing applications using model driven development

• Introducing model driven development using LCDS 3
• LCDS model driven development benefits
• Comparing code- and model-driven development
• Preparing to use model driven development
• Setup details
• Creating and using the data model
• Table joins representation in the model
• Modeling language
• Editing generated ActionScript value objects
• Flash Builder functionality for MDD
• Adding properties to the model
• Creating a derived property
• Updating changes to the database schema
• Creating a method to calculate a derived property
• Using styles in a form
• Implementing validation through styles
• Using styles to change other form behaviors
• Using global styles
• Filtering returned data
• Implementing a filter

Implementing Advanced Model Driven Development Techniques

• Creating conditional properties with variants
• Implementing the variant in Flash Builder
• Selector expression
• Case
• Substructure
• Using resource bundles for localization
• Creating property files
• Compiling resources into the application
• Selecting a locale
• Altering the form generator template
• Extracting the client-side templates
• Generating the server side Java

Appendix A: Student Setup Guide

• System requirements
• Machine requirements
• Software requirements
• Setup instructions
• Installing Flash Builder 4
• Installing LiveCycle Data Services ES2
• Installing the course files
• Testing the LCDS installation
• Download the modeling plug-in

 

 

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