Book Image

Flex 3 with Java

Book Image

Flex 3 with Java

Overview of this book

Flex 3 is a great technology for developing Rich Internet Applications for the Web as well as for the desktop. If you are a developer looking to design great-looking and sophisticated user interfaces that resemble desktop-based applications, and want to utilize an existing server technology such as Java to develop RIAs, this book is for you. Targeting developers who want to get started with Adobe Flex 3 programming, this simple and clear handbook introduces Flex technology quickly and straightforwardly. Utilizing your existing knowledge of Java, it gives you the insight and hands-on experience to program with Flex 3. This book provides comprehensive information on various aspects of Flex 3 and ActionScript 3.0. These include developing simple applications, handling events, creating custom components and events, using RPC services, integration with Java and BlazeDS, styling and formatting, and how to package and deploy Flex applications. You will start with downloading, installing and configuring Flex 3 SDK and Flex Builder 3 and learn basic concepts such as what MXML and ActionScript are, understanding UI components, controls, compilers, and more. Further you will develop simple applications and slowly advance into more depth where you will learn advanced concepts such as creating custom components, debugging, integrating with Java, using RPC services, styling, internationalizing, and deploying Flex applications, and more. One of the things you're really going to love about this book is that you will develop a full-blown e-commerce application using a combination of Flex 3, ActionScript 3.0, BlazeDS 3.2, and Java. At the end of the book you will have the knowledge and experience needed to develop Rich Internet Applications.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
Flex 3 with Java
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
Preface
8
Communicating with Server-side Java

Using external CSS files


The default Flex application look is called Halo. Flex includes a default stylesheet (default.css) that defines the default look of your Flex application in the framework.swc file found under the FLEX_HOME \frameworks\libs folder. The default.css file defines the look and feel of all Flex components, and is explicitly bundled with your application when you compile it.

The default Flex application color theme is called haloBlue. A color theme defines the default color scheme used for Flex components, such as a Button's mouse over, mouse click text color, focus rectangle color, and so on. You can change the default theme color by using Application tag's themeColor property, for example themeColor="haloGreen", themeColor="haloOrange", or themeColor="haloSilver", or you can set it to the color of your own choice.

Flex supports the use of external CSS. You can define your own stylesheet file with the .css extension. The general style declaration syntax is as follows...