Advanced Flex Application Development: Building Rich Media X

CAST FROM A NEW MOLD Early in the history of the Adobe Flash Platform it was possible to read all of the great books on the subject because there were so few notable titles. However, now with the incredible popularity of Flash CS3 and Flex 3, the industry is flooded with training materials. While decent, most are rehashes of the introductory 'Welcome to Flash/Flex' perspective giving a broad overview without taking the bold position to teach pertinent topics and to teach them correctly. INTRODUCTION This book is a great well rounded resource, perfect for anyone serious about Flex application development. This book 1) features a blend of various learning styles, 2) it offers the right amount of depth to tease & inspire, as well as actually teach, but 3) it is not for all audiences (and I like that). LEARNING STYLES With technical literature the tone and style ranges from the dry dictionary-like reference to the micro-task-oriented recipe books. There is not often an editorial voice giving industry insight, technological context, and workflow experience. That is one of my favorite aspects of this AdvanceED book, it gives all that and more. There is a historical introduction to application development, deep coverage on the many steps of the software development lifecycle through the real-world application of techniques on the authors' RMX application project, as well as some relevant, isolated (albeit kinda' non sequitured) programming recipes that can be plucked from the greater project shown in the book and applied in your own projects with ease. The multiple-learning styles is refreshing for those who have been disappointed by reading many other books. Most of the audience for this book has surely done some reading of tech texts and should appreciate the change of pace. DEPTH AND SCOPE The book lacks the breadth of a thick reference book, but what subjects it covers it covers deeply. Don't expect to be able to crack open a chapter and a fresh Flex project in your Flex builder and get typing. The book doesn't work like that. Its more of a casual read in many parts, fit for any time you get away from your computer. Fit even for some of the less-technical personnel on your team who would like to see the big picture of application development. Project managers, executives, and any creative folks with an eye toward project leadership will get great value from the book, but of course the intended audience is developers. INTENDED AUDIENCE Perhaps rather than titling this section 'Intended' Audience, I should say suggested-by-me audience. Part of the appeal of this book and what sets it apart from what else is available on the subject is its unique perspective. The book focuses on building one application, RMX. This application has a specific purpose and a different one than any we'd likely make as the readers, but one that has components that are immediately relevant to our every day app-developer-lives; Styling, UI/UX + Nav

Is it worth buying? Yes, I think so. It's got something for everyone. But especially if you manage a user's group, are dealing with aggregating media and content, or doing something that relies on advertising and traffic. While they do not cover eCommerce in this book specifically, this is a really plus if you are building an eCommerce site in Flex. It outlines how to enhance a Flex-based online store. It covers SEO, OpenAds, and how to monetize your site. That information alone is worth the price of the book. RIAs are great, RIAs that make business better are a real step beyond.

i have been using this book for a couple of weeks now...oh my...its Excellent...there is alot to learn from this book BUT you have to have had some flex experience. even though every topic is approached as if you have no prior knowledge of it, their advancements(topic) builds up rapidly. if you want to take ur flex skills to advanced..this is a must get. definitely an eye opener. K

This book really puts the "plan" in pre-planning. I really love the way the developers take you through the process of building applications, especially when deciding on the different technologies to use. The choices they make and what they base it on is extraordinary. Not only does the book teach you cool stuff about Flex, but because they are a real development company they bring you into their world, sharing their tasks and how to overcome them. The second chapter was a goldmine for me as it revealed a lot of helpful tools for development. The book really shows you how to use Flex for advanced applications, and how to effectively plan it out for success.