Using Macromedia Flash MX Components for Rapid Application Development

1
Using Macromedia Flash MX Components for Rapid
Application Development

• Jeff Tapper
• Chief Technologist
• Tapper.net Consulting

2
Introduction

• Jeff Tapper
• Chief Technologist Tapper.net Consulting
• Certified Macromedia Instructor
• Certified Macromedia Professional
• Co-Author
• Allaire Spectra e-Business Construction Kit
• Advanced Macromedia ColdFusion 5 Development,
• Dynamic Publishing with ColdFusion MX

3
Objectives of this session

• Recognize the Benefits of Components
• Identify Different Kinds of Components
• Use Components
• Accessing Properties and Methods
• Plugging in Data
• Changing Appearance through Skins Styles
• Accessing Component Documentation
• Component Tips and Tricks

4
Benefits of Flash Components

• Rapid Development
• Advanced Functionality easily available
• Drag and Drop behavior
• Customization through Properties Panel or
  ActionScript

5
Benefits of Flash Components

• Leverage Advanced Flash Developer Talents
• Satisfy complex tasks with existing components
• Empower Flash Community
• Bringing advanced functionality to designers and
  novice developers
• Consistent User Interfaces
• Industry standards for Flash UI

6
Benefits of Components

• Components vs. SmartClips
• SmartClips were great for Flash 5, but lacked
• Ability to reliably interact with other
  SmartClips
• Easy manipulation of properties
• Components extend the model of SmartClips, and
  offer completed, customizable functionality,
  rather than frameworks for building functionality

7
Available Components

• Macromedia has released 3 UI Toolkits, as well as
  Components for Datagrids, Communications,
  Charting, and Media
• Offer standard UI components to all Flash
  Developers

8
Available Components

• Components available on Macromedia Exchange.

9
Available Components

• Todays Featured Component
• Datagrid From the Developers Resource Kit
• Well examine the use and customization of this
  in the next section

10
Available Components

• Building your own components
• Each Component is built as a .fla file, so
  advanced developers can build their own.
• New Components inherit from the FUIComponent
  Class
• Component Creator Dialog Box

11
Customizing Components

• Properties
• Each component has properties which can be
  customized either via the properties panel in
  flash, or via ActionScript

12
Customizing Components

• Calling Methods
• Most methods of components are documented in
  reference files which are downloaded with the
  component.
• Action script can be used to call methods on
  instance of components, using the
  instanceName.methodName() syntax
• Methods are available from both Normal and Expert
  modes

13
Customizing Components

• Adding Data
• DataProvider Class
• Flash Remoting with DataGlue
• Many components have their own methods to add /
  edit content

14
Customizing Components

• Formatting and Skinning Components
• FUI Component Class
• Global and Granular Style Objects
• Re-skinning

15
Tips and Tricks

• Discovering undocumented properties and methods

for (i in songs_dg) trace (i ""
songs_dgi)
16
Tips and Tricks

• DataProvider and Recordset Classes

function getUpcoming_result( res_rs
) songs_dg.setDataProvider(res_rs)
17
Tips and Tricks

• Code Hint suffixes
• XML files for each set of components, includes
  codehint data
• ltuser rootgt \Application Data\Macromedia\Flash
  MX\Configuration\ActionsPanel\CustomActions\

18
Recap

• Components offer fully functional drag and drop
  pieces which can be used across all applications.
• Some components ship with Flash, many more are
  available
• Common API for interfacing with style elements
  for all components

19
Question and Answer