Flex usually refers to Adobe Flex, which was originally released by Macromedia in March 2004, based on its proprietary Macromedia Flash platform, which covers support for Ria (Rich Internet applications) The development and deployment of a series of technical combinations. Another meaning of flex is a tool that generates scanners that recognize the lexical patterns in text.
Flex is an efficient, free open source framework for building expressive Web applications that leverage Adobe Flash player and Adobe AIR to achieve a consistent deployment across browsers, desktops, and operating systems at run time. Although you can only build flex applications using the Flex framework, Adobe Flash Builder™ (previously known as Adobe Flex builder™) software accelerates development with smart coding, interactive traversal debugging, and visual design user interface layouts.
RIA created using Flex can be run in a browser that uses Adobe Flash Player software, or on Adobe Air running across the operating system from the browser, and they can be run consistently across all major browsers and on the desktop. More than 98% of the computers connected to the Internet are equipped with Flash Player, an enterprise-class client runtime whose advanced vector graphics can handle the highest-demanding, data-intensive applications while achieving the speed at which desktop applications are executed. Local data and system resources can be accessed by leveraging Air,flex applications.
Macromedia Flash is a powerful vector animation editing tool, after making a start in animation, Flash has been seeking RIA (Rich Internet application) rich client supremacy, the most influential is that object-oriented programming Scripting ActionScript3.0 has been introduced, and class libraries and corresponding component (components) similar to Java Swing have been built. Flex interprets the. mxml file organization components and generates the corresponding. swf file through a Java or. NET, and other non-flash approach. Flex's component is similar to Flash's component, but has improved. At present Macromedia Company has been acquired by Adobe Company. The Flex version currently (November 2011) is 4.6.
The use of Flash is completely able to achieve the effect of flex, why also need Flex? There are two reasons for this:
1: To cater to more developers (developers). Flash is born to designer (designer) design, interface and Flash animation concept and program developers out of tune, in order to attract more jsp/asp/php and other programmers, Macromedia launched a Flex, Use very simple. Mxml to describe the interface to jsp/asp/php program personnel. (x/d) HTML is very similar, and mxml more standardized and standardized.
2: For a standard. You must have heard of Microsoft OS Vista (followed by Win7 is also the same core), while Vista launched Microsoft also launched a new language XAML, an interface description language, with the corresponding smart Something very similar to client and flex (that is, Silverlight). Mxml and XAML are very similar ... This is an important embodiment of the progress of human-computer interaction technology, that is, internal logic and external interface are separated from each other.
Flex and J2ee/.net actually does not matter, Macromedia use Java to make a application to the Flash technology into Java, And then use the. NET technology to make a. NET application to integrate flash technology into the. NET; it should be said that flex solves the most tedious problem in the Java EE and. NET, which is the problem of Web clients.
Flex Growth History
Traditional programmers have difficulty in developing animation applications, and the Flex platform is the first to be created. Flex tries to improve the problem by providing a workflow and programming model that programmers already know well.
The relationship of Ria to each other
Flex was originally published as a Java 2 Platform, Enterprise Edition, or as a JSP (JavaServer Pages) tag Library. It compiles the running Mxml (Flex Markup Language) and ActionScript into Flash applications (that is, binary SWF files). The latest version of Flex supports the creation of a static file that can be deployed online using interpreted compilation and without the need to purchase a server license.
The goal of Flex is to make it easier for programmers to develop RIA applications faster and simpler. In the multilayer development model, the flex application belongs to the performance layer.
Flex is developed using a GUI interface and uses an xml-based mxml language. Flex has a variety of components, such as Web Services, remote objects, drag and drop, column sorting, charting, and other functions, flex built-in animation effects and other simple interactive interfaces. Compared to html-based applications such as PHP, ASP, JSP, ColdFusion, and CFMX, the server-side template is required for each request, and the workflow of the flex application is greatly improved because the client only needs to load it once. Flex's language and file structure also tries to isolate the logic of the application from the design.
A Flex server is also a path for communication between clients and XML Web services and Remote objects (Coldfusion CFCs, or Java classes, and other objects that support the action message format).
Generally considered to be Flex substitutes are OpenLaszlo and Ajax technologies.
Flex 1.0-March 2004
Flex 1.5-October 2004
Flex 2.0 (Alpha)-October 2005
Flex 2.0 Beta 1-2006 year February
Flex 2.0 Beta 2-2006 year March
Flex 2.0 Beta 3-2006 year May
Flex 2.0 Final-2006 Year June 28
Flex 2.0.1-2007 Year January 5
Flex 3.0 Beta 1-2007 Year January 11
Flex 3.0 Beta 2-2007 Year October 1
Flex 3.0 Beta 3-2007 Year December 12
Flex 3.0-February 25, 2008
Flex 3.1-August 15, 2008
Flex 3.2-November 17, 2008
Flex 3.3-March 4, 2009
Flex 3.4-August 18, 2009
Flex 3.5-December 16, 2009
Final official version of FLEX4-March 22, 2010
Flex Application Prospects
As a new generation of rich client Internet technology leader, Flex technology has been used by more and more companies, more and more users and programmers to accept. The following are the top ten advantages of Flex:
1, Flex and Flash: can allow ordinary programmers to develop the production of flash possible
2, the interface performance first-class.
3, RIA Rich client application, solve the asynchronous call, the interface without refreshing, browser compatibility and many other challenges
4, Streaming media support: Flex is recognized as streaming media technology to support the best applications
5. Availability of the platform: according to Adobe, Flash player installs 99.8% on half of the world's PC machines
6, Cross-platform: Flash player can run under Linux, can also run on the phone, so don't worry about tying to death on Windows
7, on the bottom of the operability: Flex can call the underlying things, such as the camera can be called to implement video, and the video itself is embedded in the Flex application, by the flex player directly play.
8, the platform's follow-up operation and development prospects: Flex is launched by Adobe and Open source
9, there is sufficient learning environment: Flex official Style Configuration tool, you can configure the flex application of the various control of the appearance style, the program is also written in Flex, we can imagine how the flex can be applied, and so beautiful interface, do not have to do any pictures and art, are implemented directly with the style.
10 You can use any familiar web programming platform as the background data access layer, you can work with the. Net,php,jsp,webservice.
Adobe Ria Technology
The development of traditional network program is based on the page, server-side data delivery mode, the network program's performance layer based on the HTML page, and HTML is suitable for text, the traditional web-based system has gradually failed to meet the network browser's higher, all-round experience requirements. The advent of rich Internet applications (Rich Internet applications, abbreviated as RIA) is to address this problem.
Rich Internet applications are the next generation of Web applications that combine the interactive user experience of desktop applications with the deployment flexibility and cost analysis of traditional Web applications. Rich customer technology in rich Internet applications by providing a running environment that can host compiled client applications (in file form, HTTP delivery), client applications use asynchronous client/server architectures to connect to existing backend application servers, a security, upgradeable, A new service-oriented model with good adaptability, driven by the adoption of Web services. Integrated communications technology, combined with sound, video and real-time conversations, makes rich Internet applications (RIA) an unprecedented online user experience.
The Adobe RIA Technology package makes the existing Web technology a great reserve, with the core value of greatly improving the "development experience" of product designers and development engineers, and consolidating the design and development side. Designers and development engineers can easily translate their own code onto new platforms, and publish and deploy more easily than any previous development tool, making RIA applications a broader developer base.
Adobe Ria Technology will also bring a new desktop revolution-"Desktop 2.0", from Flash, Html/css/js to PDF, which covers almost the most popular web content carriers. In addition, the "off-line" application model enables users to work and entertain more securely and comfortably. Users no longer have to complain about the loss of information caused by network failures, and can also use local resources to better conserve network resources. As a result, Adobe RIA technology allows users to bring Web 2.0 applications back to the desktop, creating more value for business applications and user experience than any previous technology.
November 2011, Adobe announced that Flash Player on mobile browsers no longer supports new version upgrades. Developers are also advised to use HTML5 instead of developing mobile programs.
by December 11, Adobe Commentary had moved some of its in-house developers to HTML5 research, but promised to continue to support flash technology. In the long run Adobe is now abandoning some areas in the future and may also gradually abandon other flex/flash traditional fields.
The ebay desktop is an application built on Adobe Air, and the program creates a persistent connection to ebay customers. The ebay desktop immediately publishes the product notification and auction updates directly to the buyer, so that users do not need to open their browsers to enter the ebay site to get the latest information.
2, Nasdaq Stock Market Company
NASDAQ Market Replay uses Adobe Flex and Adobe Air to publish an RIA on the desktop, allowing financial professionals to replay details of any point-in-time campaign.
3, the New York Times Company
The New York Times Company is starting to SHIFD, an RIA that allows users to switch content between their computers and mobile devices. SHIFD works on Web sites and mobile devices and between them, providing a way for people to appreciate mobile media through a downloadable air application.
4, CCTV network TV Olympic platform
An unprecedented web experience delivered by Adobe Flex and Adobe Flash technology. It includes the Olympic Games performance, statistics, and diverse background data, competition rules and expert analysis provided by CCTV Olympic Media team. At the same time, through social networking functions, sports fans and friends can share the views and views of various Olympic Games in real time.
the relationship between Flex and Flash
The first thing to say here is that Flash is not just a simple vector animation authoring tool, but a Web application development tool that relies on scripting language ActionScript for its evolving functions and positioning. As early as Flash MX has become the Macromedia to promote RIA strategy tools. But after all, the original location of Flash is for the art animation designer's Vector animation authoring tool, not suitable for traditional developers. So flex becomes the developer's first choice.
Both Flex and Flash use ActionScript as their core programming language and are compiled into SWF files running in the Flashplayer virtual machine. Therefore, Flex also inherits the sense of congenital beauty in the presentation layer of Flash, in addition to the visual comfort, but also naturally has convenient vector graphics, animation and media processing interface.
Although there are many similarities between Flex and Flash, there are still a lot of different things:
1. Although public ActionScript is not exactly the same as the libraries used, it is more appropriate to use two sets of libraries with a large "functional overlap" range.
2.Flash to the art animation designers, so it is easier to play the advantages of special effects processing, flex biased towards developers, so easy to make a rich interactive function of the application.
3.Flash can only be developed in the form of ActionScript scripts (the stage is associated with a class called document Class), and the stage element can also bind script, but it is not recommended from a software engineering standpoint. Flex can also use a markup language called Mxml to describe the look and behavior of an application, and Mxml can embed ActionScript scripts directly.
4. As a result of the 3rd, the two market positioning is different, Flex is enterprise-oriented network applications, Flash is oriented to such as graphic animation, advertising design and other multimedia display programs.
5. The use of Flash Lite this mobile device on the Flashplayer,flash can develop mobile applications, Flex is not.
The 6.Flash programming model is based on the timeline, and Flex is based on the form, although it runs on the Web page.
Technical framework of FLEX technology composition
Flex technology includes the following key technical frameworks:
1. XML language describing the application interface (MXML);
2. scripting language (ActionScript), which conforms to the ECMA specification, handles user and system events and constructs complex data models;
3. A base Class library;
4. Instant service at run time;
5. Compiler that generates SWF files from Mxml and ActionScript files.
The following help files come directly from Flex 2.0 Beta 3:
Define a development interface using a System predefined component (window, button, etc.).
Organize the components and now customize the user interface design.
Use styles and themes to define visible designs.
Add dynamic actions, such as interaction between applications.
Define and connect to the previous data service as needed.
Generates a SWF file that runs in the Flash Player from the source code.
Flex Related Certification Introduction
Adobe Ria Development Engineer
Development Engineer Certification is adobe for the domestic computer software and digital arts, digital media and other related professional college students, graduate students and practitioners, in order to cultivate the development of RIA personnel to fully build professional education solutions.
Learn about Adobe Ria profiles and the overall technical framework of the Adobe Flash Platform, and achieve basic RIA project development through the Adobe Flash Platform's main development tools. Through the Adobe Professional Examination platform for the candidates technical mastery and practice of professional assessment, the candidate will obtain the qualified results by Adobe "Adobe RIA Development engineer" certification.
Adobe Ria Technology Overview. Adobe Flex Technology Foundation. Use of Adobe Flash Builder 4.0. Adobe Air Foundation. Reference materials: Flex 4: Development of rich media applications
Adobe Flex ACE
Flex 4 ACE Exam is based upon the most critical job activities that a Flex develop ER performs. The skills and knowledge certified by-examination represent a professional level of expertise for a certified ual.
Adobe Rich Internet application ACE
Adobe Certified Expert-rich Internet application-At least three aces are allowed
Specialist (v.1) Complete all.
electives Complete 1. adobe certified expert-advanced ColdFusion 8 adobe certified expert-coldfusion 8 adobe certified Expert-dreamweaver CS4 adobe certified expert-illustrator CS4 adobe Certified-expert-photoshop CS4 Requirements all. adobe certified Expert-flash CS4 adobe certified Expert-flex 3 with AIR