poll: v2 components

[sneeuwitje]

I noticed the mx2004 components forum is not the best visited on as.org, and developing-oriented questions are rare ... [ everybody should know how to handle the focusManager on TextField comps now ;) ] ...

I was wondering how popular (and in what way) components really are. Are we mainly 'end-users' out-here, or are the 'developing-visitors' putting there threads up on other boards ... [ yep, that means coming out ] ... or are we just not ready for that yet, because Colin Moock's AS2 book is not yet out ;)

Make your pick and put up comments here, please. Just so we know what to expect from ourselves.

[farafiro]

hmmmmmmmm
I must say, if I'd build a site with flash, I'd hardly use a component
why: first and last for the loadingtime of the swf

[sneeuwitje]

yeah farafiro
Well that was true ofcourse with v1 components, but [ mind u iv'e not practiced and tested it yet ] v2 architecture offers (class/component) loading in other than 1st frame, isn't it ... so that should get you interested, if components do at all ... only looking at the world of possibilities the standard component-set of mx2004 lay at *everybody's* feet.

Anyone read [ and understood ] Chafic Kazoun's tutorial @ ultrashock (http://www.ultrashock.com/tutorials/flashmx2004/v2a-01.php) ... that should put you on track for component developing.

[sneeuwitje]

also farafiro, i should have incuded the option 'no-user, no-developer' ...? sorry I left that out.

moderators, could you make that option happen?

[stealthelephant]

i just dont use components although i am thinking i should start

[sneeuwitje]

although i am thinking i should startyou should, it's amazing how use of (good) components can streamline the flow of your movie and save you tons chain-of-command-programming ... and writing them is great fun

[stealthelephant]

i always figured they would take up way to much bandwidth for the little guys so i started doing as much as possible with AS2.0's capabilities and creating everything at runtime

[McGiver]

well the best (and only) component I have installed is zoomify...
not really a fan of components

[Warrior]

I haven't even studied Flash MX ActionScript concept and new codes with all the OnRollOver = Function stuff. Don't really know where to begin? Flash 5 is more then enough for me. As long as I can do great websites with rich content using different programmes and skills, I don't need to learn the advanced version. I think that MM screwed up Flash when they decided to take Flash towards programming path instead of 3D. Adobe is very clever when they updated Photoshop without changing anything.

I lost my interest in webdesign when Flash 2004 came out.

Worst Programme Ever.

[sneeuwitje]

McGiver: too busy coding the hard way? Last edited by McGiver : Tomorrow at 25:00 PM *serious*: I'm not happy using most components either (incl. MM's) ... to difficult to 'bend' ... *everybody's* feet was meant as a joke really (or to those who don't care what things look like, or how they behave) ...

still ... sofar it seems it's all hard-coders outhere that have withstood the temptation ... am i really the only one interested in easing my (future ;)) workflow with home-built components? ... or is the architecture MM laid out too 'framed' ...

my foremost complaint on v2 is that _targetInstanceName does not work on compiled-clip / swc-file components anymore in authorTime ... don't understand why that has to be.

[sneeuwitje]

Warrior: I lost my interest in webdesign when Flash 2004 came out that bad? ... I think 3D is not for the web yet ... and Flash is certainly not (if ever) ready for 3D ... then the player would need a multi-threading engine first ... or a set of extensions :o

But I like flat to stay flat ... displays have gotten flatter beyond the imaginable ... love that! ... call me old-fashioned.

[Billy T]

sneeuwitje - you seem to be a big fan of new components. Have you found many bugs in them? Is it possible to completely customise the appearance of every component? When I first got 2004 I tried to customise a button - was a nightmare...

I will soon be developing a high content flash site so I was hoping to use a number of the new components, CSS and all that - am I in for a rough ride?

Thanks

[sneeuwitje]

Billy T:
I'm not really a fan, but see possible possibillities ;) ... only I'm having that same hard time making them do what I want toI'm not happy using most components either (incl. MM's) ... to difficult to 'bend' but then again: I seem to run into that using Flash altogether, so maybe it's just me :o ... I'm not a very matured programmer ... read somewhere that self-knowledge created the great men of this earth ... so maybe I should just quit? ;)

[sneeuwitje]

About being a fan:
I do like the way the mx2004 component-set is built ... certainly a big step OOP-ward ... so in theory, it should be easier to handle, only you have to *competely* understand what the set is made of, to tweak the components to your liking.

But in general I guess it's safe to say that you might aswell write your own set if you don't like what you get from the standard set ... but do check out peter hall's FUIComponentClass Dictonary (http://www.peterjoel.com/ActionScript/?go=fuicomponentclass) first, you might just find some standard inherited methods that just suit your needs.

about CSS: What I saw of it has an akward feel, but works for the most of it

[annexion]

Yeah, I think there's a general understanding that needs to take place before one takes complete advantage of what's available.

After going through at least part of that learning curve I find the components to be exceptional. I can only imagine what Macromedia component engineers went through in developing them. For what I'm doing at work going to MX2004 was not only logical, but idiocy if we didn't take advantage of it.

I work hand in hand with java developers and they're always commenting on how awesome Flash is. To me that says a lot about where Flash has come, and potentially, where it is going.

As far as Macromedia making a mistake? I'd have to completely disagree with you there. What we know as the internet is all about data. It would be an absolute nightmare, and probably a prohibitively expensive impossibility, if we didn't make the switch here.

[farafiro]

yeah farafiro
Well that was true ofcourse with v1 components, but [ mind u iv'e not practiced and tested it yet ] v2 architecture offers (class/component) loading in other than 1st frame, isn't it ... so that should get you interested, if components do at all ... only looking at the world of possibilities the standard component-set of mx2004 lay at *everybody's* feet.
okey, try to make more than 3 heavy component in one file, upload and test themin a 56K modemand tell me
;)

[sneeuwitje]

annexion:
Finally a bystander ... [ but the poll is not looking good! ... do put your 'cross' upthere ... otherwise we might aswell take the poll off this thread ] ... are you referring to warrior in that last paragraph? I think that MM screwed up Flash when they decided to take Flash towards programming path instead of 3D In that perspective you might say that farafiro is equally right in not using components ... they do increase the Byte-volume of the Flash-movie by more than I like (only importing the UIComponent class is good for 8k, but then again that's only half a font-weight ... and you do get something in return funcionality speaking) ... or am I missing your point annexion?

[sneeuwitje]

okey, try to make more than 3 heavy component in one file, upload and test themin a 56K modemand tell me
;) You're right (ofcourse ;)) farafiro, on that bandwidth there's no room for real use of components, but i would like to argue that Flash as a whole is not really very suitable for 56k ... 80k+ movies are no exception here ... I regularly catch myself thinking: "can I do this to a 56k user, or should I offer them a plain-html-escape instead" ... Flash has been tending to grow your movies ever since mx ...

In that perspective: Another thing is that with mx2004, Flash seems to develop kind of like a shell for html-formatted text ... leaving support for none-embedded fonts a little behind ... feels like MM is balancing the give-here-and-take-there to the verge in their development ... I'd love to know the details of their strategy with Flash.

[Billy T]

thanks for the feedback (seems to be some problems with as.orgs reply notification...or is it just me?)

[sneeuwitje]

think it's email trafffffffffic all over the world, same thing here.

[farafiro]

yup
just like sneeuwitje says I think