Is there an easier way to build and deliver rich internet applications (RIAs) other than the Flash IDE or Ajax? Absolutely. With Adobe Flex 2, the Flex 2 SDK, and this book, you have all you need to build RIAs. "Programming Flex 2" offers you plenty of practical and useful examples that reveal how and why to use a particular feature of Flex 2, and when and when not to. As part of the Adobe Developer Library, "Programming Flex 2" is the authoritative guide to this new Adobe framework. You learn to use a markup language called MXML and a vast library of off-the-shelf and highly-configurable components to build Flash-based applications that combine the immediacy of the Web with the functionality and responsiveness of desktop applications. You also discover why - with the Flash Player runtime environment and the powerful ActionScript 3.0 programming language - the possibilities with Flex 2 are nearly limitless. The topics include: Managing Layout; Working with Components; Working with Media; Managing State; Using Transitions and Effects; Working with Data; Customizing Application Appearance; Client Data Communication and Remote Data Communication; Debugging Flex Framework Applications; and Creating Custom Components. Flex may be easier to learn than the Flash IDE, but you still need a reliable guide to the framework. "Programming Flex 2" not only serves as a reference, but provides valuable and practical insight into this new technology. As you learn how to build Flex applications, you'll also discover how Flex works. This book supplies all the information you need in one convenient place.

This practical, nuts-and-bolts toolkit puts theory into practice with ready-made answers to common Flash development questions. It's the perfect resource for Flash developers, as well as designers who are ready to start doing development work.

"Flash 8 Cookbook" offers quick look-up (and cross-referenced) recipes in four main categories: Creating Flash ContentBuilding Interactive Flash InterfacesAdding Multimedia and DataPlanning Flash Projects

Using O'Reilly's popular Problem/Solution/Discussion Cookbook format, this book offers 280 standalone recipes that include a brief explanation of how and why the solution works, so you can adapt it to similar situations you may run across in the future. For people who say, "I understand everything in theory, but I don't know where to start in practice," this book offers ready-to-use answers to real-world problems.

Joey Lott is the author of "ActionScript Cookbook" (O'Reilly) and co-author of "Flash MX 2004 ActionScript Bible" (Wiley). He's a leading speaker and consultant in the Flash development community.

Well before Ajax and Microsoft's Windows Presentation Foundation hit the scene, Macromedia offered the first method for building web pages with the responsiveness and functionality of desktop programs with its Flash-based "Rich Internet Applications". Now, new owner Adobe is taking Flash and its powerful capabilities beyond the Web and making it a full-fledged development environment. Rather than focus on theory, the ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook concentrates on the practical application of ActionScript, with more than 300 solutions you can use to solve a wide range of common coding dilemmas. You'll find recipes that show you how to: Detect the user's Flash Player version or their operating system Build custom classes Format dates and currency types Work with strings Build user interface components Work with audio and video Make remote procedure calls using Flash Remoting and web services Load, send, and search XML data And much, much more ...Each code recipe presents the Problem, Solution, and Discussion of how you can use it in other ways or personalize it for your own needs, and why it works. You can quickly locate the recipe that most closely matches your situation and get the solution without reading the whole book to understand the underlying code. Solutions progress from short recipes for small problems to more complex scripts for thornier riddles, and the discussions offer a deeper analysis for resolving similar issues in the future, along with possible design choices and ramifications. You'll even learn how to link modular ActionScript pieces together to create rock-solid solutions for Flex 2 and Flash applications. When you're not sure how ActionScript 3.0 works or how to approach a specific programming dilemma, you can simply pick up the book, flip to the relevant recipe(s), and quickly find the solution you're looking for. Adobe Developer Library is a co-publishing partnership between O'Reilly Media and Adobe Systems, Inc. and is designed to produce the number one information resources for developers who use Adobe technologies. Created in 2006, the Adobe Developer Library is the official source for comprehensive learning solutions to help developers create expressive and interactive web applications that can reach virtually anyone on any platform. With top-notch books and innovative online resources covering the latest in rich Internet application development, the Adobe Developer Library offers expert training and in-depth resources, straight from the source.