Top 10 Myths about Adobe Flex 2.0
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Published
Saturday, December 09, 2006
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1:46 PM
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I have visited lots of developers and each meeting has a standard question and answer period where I dispel the myths about Flex 2.0. Posting the list here will help clear the FUD (Fear-Uncertainty-Doubt) about getting started with Flex.
So here it goes, drum roll please.
Top 10 Myths about Flex 2.0
#1 - Flex requires a Flex Player!
WRONG!(BUZZER NOISE)
The Flex SDK creates SWF files that run in the Adobe Flash Player. A developer compiles MXML and ActionScript 3 into a SWF which can be deployed to any web server. Flex and Flash share the same runtime, Flash Player, to create rich Internet applications.
#2 - Flex requires a special server!
WRONG!(BUZZER NOISE)
Flex SDK creates SWF files that can be deployed to any web server. Yes, any web server, period. There is nothing special to install, configure, or manage server-side. The confusion here is that Flex 1.5 used to require a server and this myth is a legacy hangover from nearly 3 years of Macromedia product marketing. Flex 2 is different, no server required!
#3 - Flex costs a small fortune!
WRONG!(BUZZER NOISE)
The Flex product line starts with a low costs of FREE!!! Yes you can build RIA's with Flex SDK no strings attached, no fees, no hidden rules, nothing, nada. Flex SDK is free like beer folks (pretty good beer too!).
Flex SDK - 100% FREE LIKE BEER!
MXMLC Compiler - Compiles MXML and AS3 into SWF files.
COMPC Compiler - Compiles MXML and AS3 into SWC Libraries (precompilation/packaging)
Flex Framework - Classes containing all UI components (Less charting)
Debugger - Debug SWF files at runtime via the command line.
Compatibile with ANT - Fun for the whole family!
Flex Builder 2 (Eclipse Based IDE) - $499
Contains the Flex SDK
Coding tools - Syntax Highlighting, Statement Completion
Integrated compiler - inline errors and incremental compilation
Interactive Debugger - Breakpoints, variable inspector, expressions
Visual Layout - Drag and Drop components, Skinning Styling
Standalone or as a plugin to Eclipse
Flex Charting Components - $299
Killer charting components!
Flex Data Services Express (J2EE Server) - FREE like Beer (limit 1 CPU and minors under the age of 21)
If you have 1 web server, honestly, this is all you need.
Web Teir Compiler - Compile MXML and AS3 on the server.
Remoting - Remoting optimized for J2EE integration
Messaging - Distributed events from other users connected to this server.
Data Management - Data synchronization between connected clients and conflict resolution. Data management gets inside of the transactions and adds multi-user data exchange into applications.
No clustering or Failover on the Express Server. :(
Flex Data Services Departmental (J2EE Server) - $6K per CPU( limit 100 concurrent users. 100 concurrent is plenty for many apps)
This server will power a good sized application but is restricted at the user level. If you are doing important tasks that require multi-user data, this is a good fit.
Remoting - Remoting optimized for J2EE integration
Messaging - Distributed events from other users connected to this server.
Data Management - Data synchronization between connected clients and conflict resolution. Data management gets inside of the transactions and adds multi-user data exchange into applications.
Clustering or Failover! :)
Flex Data Services Enterprise (J2EE Server) - $20K per CPU(No limits, Lasers included)
This server can power applications of any size without breaking a sweat.
Remoting - Remoting optimized for J2EE integration
Messaging - Distributed events from other users connected to this server.
Data Management - Data synchronization between connected clients and conflict resolution. Data management gets inside of the transactions and adds multi-user data exchange into applications.
Clustering or Failover! :)
#4 - Flex applications can only exchange data with special servers.
WRONG!(BUZZER NOISE)
The Flex application SWF files are capable of communicating with any HTTP/HTTPS or socket based server. Here is what you can do:
- Exchange any format of ASCII text (POST,GET,REST Headers Supported)
- Exchange any format of XML (POST,GET,REST Headers Supported)
- Talk to any server side language (.NET, RUBY, PYTHON, JAVA, PHP, PERL, XML)
- Exchange data using SOAP direct to the server (many soap encodings supported)
- Exchange binary AMF (Optimized data serialization format for remoting, paging). This is supported in ColdFusion and JRun by default and there are many free AMF libraries for .NET, JAVA, Ruby, PHP
- Exchange data in real-time using 2 way push over XMLSocket and BinarySocket. These features are unique to Flash Player (See #1 - Flex runs in Flash Player) and allow communication to socket based servers. I have seen Flash Player used to create clients for POP3,FTP,SVN,XMPP, and all existing socket based media servers. This can be done over low ports too provided that server permissions are used.
#5 - Flex doesn't play well with AJAX.
WRONG!(BUZZER NOISE)
A Flex SWF file can talk 2 way over JavaScript. We are seeing explosive growth of AJAX leveraging features in Flash Player to optimize/improve AJAX applications. Flex can leverage the Flex AJAX Bridge to make data exchange between Flex and AJAX seamless. The 2 top investment portals ( Yahoo and Google )use Flash Player for charting and AJAX for the user interface.
#6 - Flex apps can only be full screen.
WRONG!(BUZZER NOISE)
A Flex can be used to make widgets and panels within a larger HTML or AJAX application. Flex can be used to invisibly exchange data which is rendered using AJAX. Some are using Flash Player for XML parsing in AJAX or providing real time communication. There are several video companies providing Video player widgets in Flex 2. In some cases, full screen flex is ideal, in some it isn't.
#7 - Flex is hard to learn.
WRONG!(BUZZER NOISE)
The hardest part about learning Flex is understanding the component development model and the MXML translation paradigm. It took me a month before I felt comfortable coming from Flash to Flex. If a you have used PowerBuilder, VB, Delphi, Visual Studio, Java expierience, you will take to Flex like a duck to water. In Flex you work at the component and container level to build the user interface with XML markup. Events, functions, and bindings are used to wire the application together. When you compile, MXML is translated into ActionScript 3 classes and then compiled to a SWF for playback in Flash Player.
Just like any programming language, it takes time to master Flex. Rome was not built in a day and neither are great developers.
#8 - Few real projects are using Flex!
WRONG!(BUZZER NOISE)
There are many mission critical apps deployed within intranets around the world. Just because you haven't used an executive dashboard in Flex 2 doesn't mean they do not exist. Many of the top companies powering the world economy are using Flex internally for apps that run essential parts of their business. The first market for Flex is intranet applications and already there are many Flex 2 applications already deployed.
There are a few leading companies using Flex 2 for public facing applications. Given the Flash Player 9 adoption cycle, we are due to hit 80% in the first half of 2007. Currently the September statistics show 40% support for Flash Player 9. As with all players before, when the Flash Player adoption hits 80% there is always a flood of new public facing applications that arrive. What is interesting is that the Pikeo photo service launched on Flex 2 last week. I am seeing several companies shipping public facing Flex 2 applications and there are a ton in development.
Think of the Flex marketplace like an iceberg. There are a few public facing applications but the majority of the apps for Flex are below the waterline and out of public view.
#9 - Flex and Flash do not work together.
WRONG(BUZZER NOISE)
Flex and Flash both deploy to SWF and both run in the Flash Player. Becasue they share the same runtime, they both have the same DNA and thus are at a low level compatible. There are many ways to reuse Flash SWF content at both runtime and at compile-time within Flex applications. You can today import and reuse any Flash animations or vector graphics within Flex via the [Embed] Meta tag and this includes support for specifying 9-slice scale parameters too. When CS3 ships we will see many tools able to contribute more directly into the Flex development model.
Who knows, we might be working on some things for the next release as well. :)
#10 - Flex is slow.
WRONG(BUZZER NOISE)
Flash Player 9 and ActionScript 3 was designed for speed, period. Flash Player 9 contains a JIT compiler that runs code over 20 times faster than prior versions. The performance gains are attributed to the player generating PPC and X86 machine code nativly at runtime. Yes, you read that correctly, when ActionScript 3 is being executed it executes as native machine code. It is not just faster, its blazing fast.
Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don't know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
Nigel Tufnel: [pause, blank look and snapping chewing gum] These go to eleven.
#11 - Adopt Flex and double your salary/rates.
TRUE(DING,DING,DING)
There are many world class companies building applications with Flex 2.0 and they need help. Consulting rates since the launch of Flex 2 had gone up over 50% in 6 months time. When I look around and see that every Flex developer I know is 110% booked with project work at very high rates, something great is happening. I have seen many developers that I know personally switch to Flex and double their income, it happened to me as well.
At every single customer visit the last question asked is either:
"Where can I find expierienced Flex developers?"
or
"Can you refer me a few developers/consultants that would be ideal for my project?"
Everyone is looking for Flex talent and developer salaries and rates are rising. If you want a better salary, learn Flex, join Flexcoders, and get a job developing Flex applications. It is still very very early for Flex as a technology and when Flash Player 9 adoption hits 80% and Apollo arrives, Flex project work is going to be everywhere. Flex has been building steadily since it launched but the next 12 months are going to be a very wild ride.
We should also see great things at the 360Flex Conference at Ebay March 5,6,7 in San Jose. The conference will hit at a very interesting time and there will be a lot to discuss. Make sure to register now this is almost sure to sell out.
Cheers,
Ted :)
So... if we identify what leads them to believe such things, that might help improve things in the future, agreed?
Some of these issues seem to be things that were true for "Flex 1.0", but not true for "Flex 2.0". Server requirement and cost, the performance of Flex apps in 2005, other past realities may have been why they're holding such understandings today.
But when I've seen people actually understand what's going on here, they go for it bigtime. There's not much resistance; more an unawareness of the improvements, and the new need to examine Flex again.
"Uses a high-performance clientside engine already on the world's machines... costs nothing to learn or use... works in a wide variety of serving situations... integrates great with JavaScript work... has rapidly rising demand in profitable jobs." These are some of the things we want them to walk away telling their friends now, right?
"It is still very very early for Flex as a technology and when Flash Player 9 adoption hits 80% and Apollo arrives, Flex project work is going to be everywhere. Flex has been building steadily since it launched but the next 12 months are going to be a very wild ride."
Absolutely agreed with you on that, thanks.
way to throw that spinal tap reference in there :)
Would be good to see some more examples of Flex in the enteprise in the Adobe Showcase section or as white papers.
Still a difficult sell to enterprise customers, who want high performing and rich intranet business web applications but insist on "Ajax".
Give a demo of the Flex charting components and then ask them if AJAX can do that. Reporting / charting has been and always will be a huge piece of enterprise application development and it's one of the key selling points for Flex 2 now.
Flex Data Services... 1 CPU = FREE like beer. 2 CPUs = more expensive than all the beer you'll drink in a lifetime. Sorry, but that's not a compelling story.
WebORB is one alternative, though currently more limited. Another alternative that aims for feature parity (and will be FREE as in all the beer you could drink) should be available before FP9 hits 80%. Too bad its not coming directly from Adobe.
It's worse than that with Flex Data Services (FDS). With the "free as in beer" license limited by CPUs, you pretty much can't use it in production if you aren't operating your own physical Web server. Many Web hosts already use multi-CPU machines, sometimes in concert with virtualization (Xen, etc.). Moreover, if they've done a good job of isolating you from the underlying hardware, you may not know when they move your Web site to a multi-CPU machine, at which point you're either illegally using FDS or it stops working (if it has multi-CPU detection logic as a license protection scheme...not sure if it does or not). The only way to be absolutely certain how many CPUs it is will be to run your own hardware. FDS is presumably aimed at internal applications, where you'd be running you own hardware anyway.
"Flash Player 9 contains a JIT compiler that runs code over 20 times faster than prior versions."
20 times faster isn't going to solve the problem of the flash player turning algorithms of (nlogn) into (n^2)
"20 times faster isn't going to solve the problem of the flash player turning algorithms of (nlogn) into (n^2)"
You should back up your claim with a link to an example. Otherwise, you're just trolling.
Assuming this claim is real, you should file a bug report with Adobe. If you include a good test case, it might even get fixed faster.
IF Flex is so easy solve this:
Show me how to use the click event to link a tree item on the left side of a hdivided box and have a form displayed on the right side of a hdivided box. Every time you select a different tree item the form associated with that tree item display on the right side of the hdivided box
It's proprietary, monopolistic, non-standard, anti-competitive, non-portable... sexy and pragmatic.
Josh, while I'm writing up a quick sort/merge sort for both Java, Python, and Flex and comparing their relative speeds, why don't you go and find an example where flex is actually useful.
great summary!I have translated it into chinse.
http://www.openria.cn/posts/list/73.page
One of my annoyances with Flex 2.0:
When a Flex client tries to call a remote Web Service on a different host, we have only one of two options:
1. The remote host has to provide a special file (in addition to the Web Service) that is specific for Flex clients. I think this is an unrealistic expectation when we want to call public Web Services. The Web Service provider should not care what type of client is calling it.
2. The Flex client Web Service call has to go through the FDS server, which will forward the call to the Web Service. I think this is an un-natural way to communicate with a Web Service. It also introduces a bottleneck at the FDS server. A conspiracy theorist may think that this is a way for Adobe to force us to use (and pay) FDS.
Please correct me if I am wrong.
ahabra,
The Flash Player contains a Cross-Domain Security model that delegates security to the server. Flash Player can thus only talk to servers that permission it via an XML file called crossdomain.xml. It is typically located in the root of the web server and is loaded prior to calling network operations on another domain. If you are calling server resoruces on the same server this is not needed, only when you call a server on another domain does this apply. It is rather security to prevent misuse of Flash Player.
You can implement a simple server side proxy for Web Services in any server based language. 100% of the Data Services proxy features are not needed there.
I need to post the PHP Web Service proxy that I use regularly for this purpose!
Regards,
Ted :)
#8 is the show-stopper for us. The best usage you can cite is an internal dashboard. Not compelling. "Heaps of big important companies use it internally, you just can't see it"? My reaction to that is along the lines of "coughbullsh*t". The burden is on the Flex evangelists such as yourself to PROVE this.
I recently asked on Adobe's own Flex forum "so... anyone got examples of Flex success stories?". Not ONE person did. NONE OF THEM.
I think Flex an improvement on FlashMX.exe in that it allows one to CODE Flash apps instead of draw stuff on a "stage" (snigger), but I'm yet to see much evidence where Flash is actually being adopted in a useful way beyond sites that already concede defeat by having a "skip intro" option.
I personally think Flash Player (and that which used to be Flash Communications Server) provides a way better web experience than the average web browser does, but... I'm not sure enough of the market actually *cares*.
Where's the proof that anyone gives a sh*t about Flex?
--
Adam
I run the app dev dept of a Fortune 50 company and can tell you we are driving hard to use Flex to compliment our AJAX applications and eventually move over entirely. The truth is, if you are using Ajax to build an enterprise app, you discover very quickly how CRAP it is when running on IE....particularly if you are running numerous asynchronous calls at the same time. Flex is a great way to mitigate the risk IE brings to the table when it comes to the movement of lots of xml back and forth.
>> Give a demo of the Flex charting components and then ask them if AJAX can do that.
I dont see how this is even remotely relevant. Of course AJAX cant do charting on its own, because its just a comms mechanism.
Learn the tech before you slate it :-)
Hi, I am a Adobe Flex programmer. Does any company wants to hire me? My pay rate would only be 5 USD per hour. My email is cogoing(AT)gmail.com. My website is http://www.exdoo.com
Thanks,
Andy
Can we create multimedia cd with flex?
Has anyone considered the fact that beer isn't actually free? If it was, I sure wouldn't be worried about making money as a web developer, since that's where my money keeps going anyway.
Alex, that should actually read "free as in free beer", which is a commonly used phrase used to distinguish freeware from open source software.
"Free - as in free beer" - means you can download freeware and use it for free, but you can't modify it or if you can, you can't pass it on with your changes.
"Free as in free speech" - you can download open source, use it, AND modify it and release the entire software with your changes added to it.
I guess the analogy was you can listen to a speech, get what you can out of it, then pass on the ideas to others. Normally, you can't consume beer AND pass it on. =)
My company, a small one, is moving all our web UI stuff to Flex. I would not expect premium rates for Flex developers to last for long because it is so easy for an experienced VB developer to figure out Flex. In two weeks, I've re-coded 50% of a major application's UI while learning the tool. It rocks.
OK, please refute this Flex myth: Adobe Flex Builder 2 can only be purchased online in the USA. I am situated in South Africa (Yes, we've got electricity, computers AND broadband Internet) and cannot purchase FB, importing the boxed product increases the price by a third. Please explain this warped logic!
didn't mention that many SWC component files that are being developed are meant for Flex and don't work with Flash CS3... so there are some cases of incompatibility....despite it's all actionscript...the ways to use actionscript have increased a lot and it's going to leave a lot of actionscript2 developers behind... and I still wouldn't count on Apollo as being something very popular... it's no different than Java. Why don't we have more desktop applications built in Java? You need the runtime, it's an extra step and same goes for Apollo -- the average person isn't going to want to deal with all that.
Also the whole make more money thing can be said about anything - and was said about AJAX. Certain things are hot but they taper off. I will agree though, it is relatively early and not too late to be in on the action...furthermore with Flash CS3 allowing people to work with AS2 just as easily (if not better than Flash9) Adobe isn't putting a big push out there to force or make people want to start working with AS3.
BUT -- don't get me wrong, I'm a very big fan of Flex and Actionscript3.
Just looking at the different samples of the adboe flex 2, I'm not really entousiastic about the data binding layer. Correct me if I'm wrong because I just had a sneak preview to see what the buzzing is all about, but defining data in a xml file and using this xml file in your mxml file sounds to timeconsuming to me. Isn't there a way to use your exusting data model, schema and drag-and-drop the elements you want to show in a table- or form-component? And of course if the schema changes, an attribute is added to the table, it should be very easy to propagate these changes to your mxml application.
Hi i am a back end developer as well as a web back end and front end developer developing in various languages across the board...
What i would like to know from you is how can one effectivly integrate flex and flash so to speak in delphi applications where flex would replace the delphi front end GUI and still integrate seemlesly into the delphi application back end utilizing already developed functionality in the application. I am currently faced to solve this issue for a big system that needs to be re-designed and implemented.
I have to make a choice as the head of development to either use flex integrated into our system which will save costs on our side or i need to develop a system like flex and flash from scratch creating the flexibility and scalability for such a system to integrate seemlesly into applications like delphi.
I would appreciate it if you can drop me a mail at: hein@site4biz.co.za
I want to find out how powerfull and scalable flex technology really are from a stand alone application point of view. i am not intristed in adobe AIR.. for this solution
Thanx.. Heinrich Labuschagne (AltimaBiz)
contact details: +27836308839
My experinece is few people are looking for flex, but are excited about what they see, once they experinece it. We do a lot of flex development at Friendlytek and even have our main homepage as a flex application.
Michael
Interested in a major company that is using Flex, check out www.fedex.com
they have redesigned their MyFedEx page in Flex. Very cool site (note: you will need to have a fedex account to view this, quick to set up.)
Bruce
good article, thank you.
~Nathalie-
"Isn't there a way to use your exusting data model, schema and drag-and-drop the elements you want to show in a table- or form-component?"
Well... yes. You use a gateway and/or webservice to dynamically transform your existing data model into XML on the fly and pass it into your Flex app. It's really quite simple. If you're talkin' a data model that uses a SQL database, there's even a third-party SWC called FlexSQL that will do everything automatically for you under ASP, PHP or ColdFusion. Defining the XML inside the MXML is really just for testing purposes. The real magic of Flex is the ability to completely separate the data from the presentation layer in an event-based architecture... and have it "just work".
For what it's worth, though, I think one of the real reasons that you don't see more interest in Flex is accessibility and SEM/SEO. If your content is presented in a Flex app, it's quite a bit more difficult to make it accessible to text browsers and search engines. You'll get lots of responses from Flex developers that say you can make Flex (and Flash, for that matter) fully accessible... but when you get right down to it, no one is quite sure how to do it.
Hi,
My experience and my view, of course; do not pretend to know it better.
Context: rich client, enterprise, messaging backbone, Java.
* As a summary. Flex is a a *very* good candidate. There are alternatives, no doubt. Flex is good.
* Adobe had high quality products, historically.
* Adobe has always made the price tag too high for small business and low for enterprise. Glad Adobe somewhat reconsidered it with Flex.
* Flex is worth your consideration, even despite Ted's unfortunate marketing push.
Set a weekend for it, read experiences, read User Guide, it's really good, skip details. Now, re-read it again, the parts you need, then, figure out what *you* actually need, try it again - the weekend is not over yet, make it a success - this is a must - get it running. If not, devote few more days - make it running, make it successful.
You used to get it with sliding bars and fonts - it's not forever, isn't it?
You were thinking it's is not right with JF client, or it's probably too risky the MS only way?
Give it a try.
* Going Flex means to marry Adobe virtual machine, Action Script. Will Adobe be successful with it?
Adobe wants you to use Flex services, as of time of writing, at least. Make your conclusions.
* If Adobe won't go closer to open source (even closer!), MS will take it over, while JF is not listening. If you feel so, better bet on "silver".
I've always disliked practical aspect of Flash (recall my context). I had to admit I was wrong with my attitude once with Flex 2+.
Give it a try. Good ideas, smart people behind. Even if you decide to not use it eventually, it's worth to try - you'll learn at the very least.
Hope, managers won't take it over again.
-
Serguei
i have some question, can you tell me the answer?
i want to generate MXML code in some cgi, php, pl or etc, and then send to swf file and then the swf file must start compile code?
is it possible?
I am basically a aspiring .net developer my company(a flex consulting firm) wants me to do couple of projects on flex. will it be a safe move? please help me! i am in big dilema..
All that did was make me want a beer!
i have some question, can you tell me the answer?
i want to generate MXML code in some cgi, php, pl or etc, and then send to swf file and then the swf file must start compile code?
is it possible?
--------------------
pass the output of cgi, to the mxmlc compiler, then run the swf file with the flash player. Its called pipelining
more like myscript.php >out.mxml; mxml out -your-custom-args > out.swf; flash_player out.swf
i hope that is what you asked for.
Hi All,
I m the one of Flex fan.... its really awesome. i have some really cool examples of Flex application which are using Ajax as well as PHP and mysql too.
you can
check a online t-shirt designer appplication made in Adobe Flex at:
http://www.craftystitch.com/
Here another one also at: http://wrappz.com/createyourown1.php.... this is an
Ipod and laptop skin designer application.
there are so many more on my fingertips but for now check out all above and have fun.
all these apps are lonely developed by me and i know its really a pleasure to use Flex for making RIch internet applications.
You guys can contact me at vikashshingh[at]gmail.com
Cheers & have fun!
Vikash