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

Chapter 7. Flex Data Access Methods

So far in this book, you have learned the basics of Flex, such as how to lay out simple and complex user interfaces in your application, working with local data, using data binding, handling events, loading and working with XML data, and so on.

We have also discussed Adobe LiveCycle Data Services and BlazeDS that enable developers to leverage the existing server-side Java infrastructure. Flex takes care of the presentation part of your application, but it does not have native access to any databases.

Flex provides a range of data access components to work with server-side remote data. These components are also commonly called Remote Procedure Call or RPC services. The Remote Procedure Call allows you to execute remote or server-side procedure or method, either locally or remotely in another address space without having to write the details of that method explicitly. (For more information on RPC, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_procedure_call.)...