I would be interested to learn whether Flex 3 actually solves this issue. I have experience with a Flex 2 app which was around 200 kB, and took a huge amount of time to load. Too much for a consumer app.
Solution was to rewrite it in AS3 which brought it down to 2 kB.
The Flash Player caches Adobe signed frameworks, up to 20MB on a user's local machine; and that can be bumped up if the user wants. Like the comment before mentioned, you'd be using things like Modules and RSL's (Runtime Shared Libraries) to split up your application but at the minimum is the player's support for caching that not tied to the browser cache is what's propelling Flex into the next realm of adoption.
Chris Charlton, Author & Drupal Community Leader, Enterprise Level Consultant
Yeah - I knew about the other two features. Forgot HD, the fact that it supports H.264 video in any container is the coolest thing, to my mind. .mov with H.264? No problem. Cell phone .3gpp with H.264? Same deal.
The next FLV format will be a based on a subset of H.264, like 3GP (which is supported as well), and we got M4V, MOV, MP4, M4A/AAC audio too(!), and of course the standard MP3, SWF, and FLV.
Someone did an AIR app that reads AIFF.
Chris Charlton, Author & Drupal Community Leader, Enterprise Level Consultant
we've had such horrible experience with maintaining flash applications (horrible dev environment, difficult to see changes within VCS, etc.), we're trying to move as much as possible to JS and DOM. With things like: http://excanvas.sourceforge.net/
there's very little we need it for. We contain it pretty easily to video--and then just use JS hooks to that.
mostly AS files, but some things need to stay attached to objects in the UI (even if just the import) which ends up the the FLA. switching between them and code searching makes for very frustrating development.
Oh, we've done the opposite. We've successfully migrated even most of our very interactive pieces to html/css/js. Our designers and programmers are working much more easily together, since tandem work is possible.
I don't think you know what you're talking about if you think javascript is not OO. Actionscript is an implementation of javascript, after all.
For objects within Flash/Flex, version control does NOT work the same. you get a binary blob and no diff. compare that to html/css.
Posted by purrin (not verified) on February 27, 2008 at 12:18am
purrin's picture
oh excellent... so we'll see each other. we gotta hang out and have some beers or something again.. I know almost zero flash so I'm not sure I'd learn anything in the class, but we'll definitely see each other around the conference.
I've tried Flex a few months ago and realized that it's not practical to use it. If you can create forms using Flash CS3, have knowledge of AMFPHP/XML-RPC then there isn't much problem about creating a flash interface for drupal.
I personally choose Flash CS3 over Flex.
Even a clock that does not tick is right twice in a day.
Comments
Too heavy
Flex is nice eye candy, but it's too heavy on resources for my taste.
Web design, Drupal theming, and logo design:
http://www.translationdesigns.com
Drupal theming, Module development and logo design:
http://www.PixelClever.com
I would be interested to
I would be interested to learn whether Flex 3 actually solves this issue. I have experience with a Flex 2 app which was around 200 kB, and took a huge amount of time to load. Too much for a consumer app.
Solution was to rewrite it in AS3 which brought it down to 2 kB.
There has been some changes
There has been some changes in Flex 3 to make loading faster ... Modules is an important part ...
More info on : http://livedocs.adobe.com/flex/3/html/help.html?content=Part3_Build_Depl... (Then Application Design --> Improving Startup Performance).
Framework Caching
The Flash Player caches Adobe signed frameworks, up to 20MB on a user's local machine; and that can be bumped up if the user wants. Like the comment before mentioned, you'd be using things like Modules and RSL's (Runtime Shared Libraries) to split up your application but at the minimum is the player's support for caching that not tied to the browser cache is what's propelling Flex into the next realm of adoption.
Chris Charlton, Author & Drupal Community Leader, Enterprise Level Consultant
I teach you how to build Drupal Themes http://tinyurl.com/theme-drupal and provide add-on software at http://xtnd.us
It should be much nicer in
It should be much nicer in the next version of Flash Player when the framework is already included in the player.
That's this version
That's the version that's out already. Does HD (fullscreen) and dual-core support.
Chris Charlton, Author & Drupal Community Leader, Enterprise Level Consultant
I teach you how to build Drupal Themes http://tinyurl.com/theme-drupal and provide add-on software at http://xtnd.us
Yeah - I knew about the
Yeah - I knew about the other two features. Forgot HD, the fact that it supports H.264 video in any container is the coolest thing, to my mind. .mov with H.264? No problem. Cell phone .3gpp with H.264? Same deal.
Couple other formats too
The next FLV format will be a based on a subset of H.264, like 3GP (which is supported as well), and we got M4V, MOV, MP4, M4A/AAC audio too(!), and of course the standard MP3, SWF, and FLV.
Someone did an AIR app that reads AIFF.
Chris Charlton, Author & Drupal Community Leader, Enterprise Level Consultant
I teach you how to build Drupal Themes http://tinyurl.com/theme-drupal and provide add-on software at http://xtnd.us
we've had such horrible
we've had such horrible experience with maintaining flash applications (horrible dev environment, difficult to see changes within VCS, etc.), we're trying to move as much as possible to JS and DOM. With things like:
http://excanvas.sourceforge.net/
there's very little we need it for. We contain it pretty easily to video--and then just use JS hooks to that.
More FLA than AS?
Did you rely on an FLA to house your code? Or did you develop them with pure external AS files?
Chris Charlton, Author & Drupal Community Leader, Enterprise Level Consultant
I teach you how to build Drupal Themes http://tinyurl.com/theme-drupal and provide add-on software at http://xtnd.us
mostly AS files, but some
mostly AS files, but some things need to stay attached to objects in the UI (even if just the import) which ends up the the FLA. switching between them and code searching makes for very frustrating development.
Just use Flex
Just use Flex. Version control works just like any other project and everything is OO. Don't go back to HTML/CSS!
Oh, we've done the opposite.
Oh, we've done the opposite. We've successfully migrated even most of our very interactive pieces to html/css/js. Our designers and programmers are working much more easily together, since tandem work is possible.
I don't think you know what you're talking about if you think javascript is not OO. Actionscript is an implementation of javascript, after all.
For objects within Flash/Flex, version control does NOT work the same. you get a binary blob and no diff. compare that to html/css.
ECMA script
cough * ECMA script * cough
;)
Chris Charlton, Author & Drupal Community Leader, Enterprise Level Consultant
I teach you how to build Drupal Themes http://tinyurl.com/theme-drupal and provide add-on software at http://xtnd.us
since this is already a
since this is already a trollish thread, I'll wonder out loud why the we're stuck with a name that sounds like a disease. (cough cough cough :-)
Depends.
Are you offering to teach?
I'm "teaching" at Drupalcon Boston 2008
I'm "teaching" at Drupalcon Boston 2008. Are you coming?
Chris Charlton, Author & Drupal Community Leader, Enterprise Level Consultant
I teach you how to build Drupal Themes http://tinyurl.com/theme-drupal and provide add-on software at http://xtnd.us
oh excellent... so we'll see
oh excellent... so we'll see each other. we gotta hang out and have some beers or something again.. I know almost zero flash so I'm not sure I'd learn anything in the class, but we'll definitely see each other around the conference.
-=- christopher
Great session at Drupalcon Boston
Also, great meeting you.
If anyone can, check out Brian McMurray's session on Wednesday... great guy with tons of knowledge!!!!!
Want to do Flash with Services...AS3
modules
Check out the Services module and the AMFPHP module.
Chris Charlton, Author & Drupal Community Leader, Enterprise Level Consultant
I teach you how to build Drupal Themes http://tinyurl.com/theme-drupal and provide add-on software at http://xtnd.us
Screencast
Any chance to have some screencast from Drupalcon Boston 2008
here you can find some video
here you can find some video from drupalcon boston 2008.
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=drupalconboston2008%20AND%20subj...
I've tried Flex a few months
I've tried Flex a few months ago and realized that it's not practical to use it. If you can create forms using Flash CS3, have knowledge of AMFPHP/XML-RPC then there isn't much problem about creating a flash interface for drupal.
I personally choose Flash CS3 over Flex.
Even a clock that does not tick is right twice in a day.