T. Boch - Euro-VO 3rd Tech Forum -

1
WP8
Usage of Flex in the astronomical frame

• Thomas Boch
• Cédric Capoulun

2
Flex ?

• RIA (Rich Internet Application) framework
  developed by Adobe
• Flash programming for programmers
• Development
• ActionScript
• MXML (for GUI description)
• Execution
• Relies on Flash Player

3
Flex pros

• Flash Player everywhere (Flash Player 9 installed
  on 94 machines)
• Fast startup time (wrt. Java applets)
• High level of interactivity
• Easy learning curve for the developer

4
Flex cons

• Installation (of Flash Player) is compulsory
  (wrt. AJAX RIA)
• Can be painful, especially on Linux systems
  and/or with non-savvy users
• Breaks the browser logics
• Back/forward button
• Print

5
SimPlay (1/2)

• SimPlay (Simbad disPlay) a simple interactive
  viewer for Simbad objects
• Starting point replace the Simbad clickable map
• Example
• http//simbad.u-strasbg.fr/simbad/sim-id?Identngc
  7331radius.unitarcminRadius2lab_plot

6
SimPlay (2/2)

• Feature requirements
• Lightweight viewer
• From an object name/position load Simbad objects
  around this object on top of a DSS image
• Display/hide sources according to their object
  type
• Zoom/unzoom
• Display info of a selected source
• Localization

7
SimPlay architecture
Browser
CGI server
Server-side Aladin
8
SimPlay demo

• http//cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/boch/SimPlay/

9
SimPlay offline version

• Predefined list of targets
• Application packaged with
• Flash Player
• ImageVOTable data (corresponding to the
  predefined targets)
• Images chosen from HST and ESO Press Releases
• Astrometry retrieved through astrometry.net or
  manually in Aladin
• Aimed at Outreach public (WP5)

10
Other development

• Nomenclature dictionary revamped in Flex
• http//cdsweb.u-strasbg.fr/Dic9/