Macromedia Flash MX 2004 for Rich Internet Applications
by Kerman, PhillipEdition: 1st
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2004-01-01
Publisher(s): New Riders Press
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Summary
The long-stale page metaphor for Web sites is finally dying out, replaced by the single-screen rich-Internet apps that Flash MX 2004 is at last bringing to the mainstream. To stay ahead of the curve¿and to start creating the kind of Web sites you used to only dream of¿you need this guide. In these pages you'll learn how to create the sites that more and more companies are demanding¿the kind that pull complex data from multiple sources for delivery via a single Web interface, so that users can perform multiple functions from a single screen. The focus here is on building the Flash MX 2004 front end to work with that complex data. You'll learn how to structure applications to eliminate page refreshes while reducing download time, build real-time and time-delayed applications with Flash Communication Server, integrate technologies like Flash Remoting and Macromedia Central, and more. You can even download all of the source files form the book's companion Web site.
Author Biography
Phillip Kerman is an independent programmer, teacher, and writer specializing in Macromedia products. He has a degree in Imaging and Photographic Technology from the Rochester Institute of Technology
Table of Contents
| Introduction | p. 1 |
| Development | p. 9 |
| Replacing Web Pages with Applications | p. 11 |
| The End of Web Pages | p. 12 |
| A Short History of Internet Applications | p. 13 |
| Milestones and Killer Apps | p. 13 |
| Flash's Standing | p. 16 |
| Flash's Coming of Age | p. 19 |
| Glossary | p. 22 |
| Places or Times | p. 22 |
| Things | p. 22 |
| Technologies | p. 23 |
| Hot Words | p. 23 |
| Makeovers | p. 24 |
| Broadmoor Hotel | p. 24 |
| XML News Aggregator | p. 25 |
| Stampede Cattle | p. 27 |
| Summary | p. 28 |
| Designing Flash Applications | p. 29 |
| Identifying the User Benefit | p. 30 |
| Objectives | p. 30 |
| Measuring Success | p. 31 |
| Considering Alternatives | p. 32 |
| Rationalizing "Rich Media" | p. 34 |
| Selecting Technologies | p. 35 |
| Tools | p. 36 |
| Media Formats | p. 38 |
| Deployment | p. 41 |
| Using Macromedia Central to Target Occasionally Connected Computers (OCCs) | p. 49 |
| Designing for Accessibility | p. 52 |
| General Issues | p. 52 |
| Vision | p. 53 |
| Motor Skills | p. 55 |
| Hearing | p. 56 |
| Summary | p. 57 |
| Technology | p. 59 |
| Technology Overview | p. 61 |
| Data Handling | p. 62 |
| Separating Code and Data | p. 62 |
| Structuring Data | p. 64 |
| Presenting Data | p. 65 |
| Data Exchanging | p. 66 |
| Loading | p. 66 |
| Parsing | p. 69 |
| Writing | p. 69 |
| Synchronizing | p. 70 |
| Ensuring Successful Data Exchange | p. 71 |
| Web Services | p. 72 |
| Application Servers | p. 73 |
| Basics | p. 73 |
| Concepts | p. 76 |
| Integrating Flash | p. 78 |
| Components | p. 79 |
| Using Components | p. 79 |
| Providing Data to Components | p. 81 |
| Data Components | p. 81 |
| How Flash Communication Server Works | p. 82 |
| Technology Map | p. 84 |
| Configuring Your Work Environment | p. 85 |
| Configuration Folders | p. 85 |
| Players | p. 87 |
| Understanding localhost | p. 88 |
| Publishing | p. 89 |
| Summary | p. 90 |
| Working with Complex Data | p. 91 |
| Structuring Data | p. 92 |
| Data Types | p. 93 |
| Homemade Objects Versus Arrays | p. 95 |
| Using Objects Like Arrays | p. 100 |
| Associating Functions with Event Properties | p. 102 |
| Comparison to DataProvider Object | p. 104 |
| Sorting Data | p. 105 |
| Building a Slide-Show Maker | p. 108 |
| Summary | p. 113 |
| Project Ideas | p. 114 |
| Presenting Data | p. 115 |
| Formatting Text | p. 116 |
| Using HTML Text | p. 116 |
| Using CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) | p. 122 |
| Using the TextFormat Object | p. 126 |
| Additional Layout Options | p. 129 |
| Summary | p. 134 |
| Basic Data Exchange | p. 135 |
| Saving Data with the Local Shared Object | p. 137 |
| Using the Local Shared Object | p. 138 |
| Practical Examples Involving Local Shared Objects | p. 143 |
| Limitations of the Local Shared Object | p. 148 |
| Sharing Data Using the Local Connection Object | p. 149 |
| Local Connection Fundamentals | p. 150 |
| Creating a Guided Tour Help Feature | p. 151 |
| Downloading Media into a Single Window | p. 154 |
| A Better Back Button | p. 158 |
| Flat Data | p. 165 |
| Formatting | p. 166 |
| Importing | p. 167 |
| LoadVars Object Fundamentals | p. 167 |
| Advanced LoadVars Examples | p. 168 |
| Server Interaction | p. 172 |
| XML Structured Data | p. 177 |
| Loading XML | p. 178 |
| Parsing XML | p. 179 |
| Summary | p. 185 |
| Exchanging Data with Outside Services | p. 187 |
| Flash Remoting | p. 188 |
| How It Works | p. 189 |
| Basic Remoting | p. 190 |
| Writing the Remote Method | p. 194 |
| Remoting Tips | p. 195 |
| Data Management Components | p. 197 |
| The Data Component Concept | p. 198 |
| DataSet Component | p. 210 |
| Resolvers | p. 216 |
| Formatting Data | p. 218 |
| Additional Details | p. 223 |
| Summary | p. 226 |
| Foundation Communication Server | p. 227 |
| Configuration | p. 228 |
| Configuration Folders | p. 229 |
| Production Techniques | p. 232 |
| NetConnection | p. 236 |
| Basic Connecting | p. 236 |
| NetConnection Object Details | p. 237 |
| Remote Shared Objects | p. 240 |
| Setting and Accessing Data in Remote Shared Objects | p. 240 |
| Synchronizing Values | p. 242 |
| Architectural Decisions | p. 247 |
| Practical Examples | p. 250 |
| Streams | p. 255 |
| A Channel Inside Your NetConnection | p. 256 |
| Playing FLV Videos and MP3s | p. 258 |
| Publishing | p. 267 |
| Miscellaneous Tips When Publishing | p. 271 |
| Why Server-Side ActionScript | p. 274 |
| Summary | p. 274 |
| Advanced Communication Server | p. 275 |
| Managing Connections | p. 276 |
| Key Events | p. 277 |
| Application Object's Additional Features | p. 283 |
| Additional Client Object Information | p. 286 |
| Accessing Remote Shared Objects from the Server Side | p. 286 |
| Syntax Differences | p. 287 |
| Locking | p. 289 |
| Sending Messages on RSOs | p. 289 |
| Messaging | p. 290 |
| Using SharedObject.send() | p. 290 |
| Using NetConnection.call() | p. 293 |
| Optimizing | p. 296 |
| It's Still ActionScript | p. 296 |
| Using Messaging Sparingly | p. 298 |
| Server-Side Stream Object | p. 299 |
| Publishing Existing Streams from the Server Side | p. 299 |
| Republishing Portions of Client Streams | p. 301 |
| Using Server-Side Streams to Log Events | p. 303 |
| Integrating the Communication Components | p. 307 |
| Summary | p. 309 |
| Productivity | p. 311 |
| Production Techniques | p. 313 |
| Exploiting Flash MX 2004 Features | p. 314 |
| Find and Replace | p. 314 |
| Actions Panel Tricks | p. 314 |
| Commands | p. 318 |
| Project Panel | p. 320 |
| Library Management | p. 324 |
| Shared Library Items | p. 325 |
| Runtime Shared Libraries (RSLs) | p. 326 |
| Prototyping | p. 329 |
| Being Sloppy | p. 330 |
| Using Components | p. 330 |
| Staging and Deployment | p. 330 |
| Multimode Applications | p. 332 |
| Creating Dummy Data | p. 335 |
| Summary | p. 337 |
| Quality Assurance and Debugging | p. 339 |
| Evaluating Quality | p. 340 |
| Benefits to Client and Developer | p. 340 |
| Finding and Assessing Bugs | p. 340 |
| Taking a Deliberate Approach | p. 343 |
| Client Management | p. 344 |
| Ensuring Quality | p. 345 |
| Building Proofing Systems | p. 345 |
| Leaving Tracks As You Go | p. 350 |
| Defining Testing Procedures | p. 353 |
| Practical Debugging | p. 354 |
| Basic Approaches | p. 354 |
| Homemade Debuggers | p. 357 |
| Using the Debugger Panel | p. 361 |
| The Error Object | p. 367 |
| Summary | p. 370 |
| Using Components | p. 371 |
| V2 Components | p. 372 |
| Foundation Skills | p. 373 |
| Populating Manually | p. 374 |
| Populating with Script | p. 375 |
| Triggering Code | p. 381 |
| Applied Examples Using Components | p. 385 |
| Text (Label, TextArea, and TextInput) | p. 386 |
| ComboBox | p. 387 |
| Using the List | p. 388 |
| Advanced Components | p. 390 |
| Styles, Skinning, and Themes | p. 392 |
| Setting Styles | p. 393 |
| Replacing Skins | p. 396 |
| Summary | p. 399 |
| Building a Code Library | p. 401 |
| Homemade Components | p. 402 |
| Designing a Component | p. 402 |
| Making a Component | p. 403 |
| Enhancing Components | p. 404 |
| Distributing Components (MXI) | p. 406 |
| Your Script Style | p. 408 |
| Think Modularly | p. 409 |
| Advanced Techniques | p. 410 |
| Storing Scripts | p. 414 |
| AS Text Files | p. 414 |
| Homemade Behaviors | p. 415 |
| Beyond Flash | p. 418 |
| Intro to JSFL (JavaScript Flash) | p. 418 |
| Homemade Commands | p. 419 |
| WindowSWF Custom Panel | p. 421 |
| Other Uses for JSFL | p. 422 |
| Basic Class Packages in AS2 | p. 423 |
| Structure | p. 424 |
| Basic Skeleton | p. 426 |
| Summary | p. 430 |
| Index | p. 431 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
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