what is flex for?

[Scorche]

hiya
so I've been hearing about flex for quite a while, and tried to read up about it. But I still don't understand what I would use it for.

I'm pretty content with using flash, but all the cool kids now talk about flex, and I just want to fit in.

does anyone know where I would use flex as opposed to flash?

[senocular]

Flex is designed for RIAs (Rich Internet Applications) - or, more specifically, Flash based forms and shopping carts - things of that nature. It uses a type of XML called MXML (pronounced "maximal") for document structure, layout, and specifying data sources, etc. More artsy-fartsy websites and games and whatnot would be better built in Flash.

Flex is mostly for the big boys.

[Scorche]

I see

Im a big boy ...

[yker22]

but is uses another actionscript version or what? why they have actionscript 3 and we not?

[Scorche]

aha - I know this one

because flex is meant to be reliable, as much as it is fun to work with actionscript2.0 it's not a solid programming language. So they reworked the actionscript from ground up creating a new virtrual machine that will allow for more robust applications.

BUT flash 9 has AS3 and is available in a beta version

[senocular]

Originally Posted by yker22

but is uses another actionscript version or what? why they have actionscript 3 and we not?

Because it was released before Flash. The previous version of Flex used AS1/AS2 just like Flash. And the next version of Flash will support AS3 jhust like Flex

[chrisxkelley]

Originally Posted by Scorche

BUT flash 9 has AS3 and is available in a beta version

alpha*

[MichaelxxOA]

The big thing about Flex is that when "real" programmers look at flash (as in when clients request that work be done in it), they see the timeline and pass it off as an After Effects-esk application, with no real applicability in their work. Macromedia (adobe) is broadening their reach, with Flex everything is much more familiar to a "real" programmer.

They can build an entire application using just code. All the creative can be done by designers in Flash, and then using the declaritive markup (MXML) the programmer can include and utilize the work into the application.

in short it's just another way of building Flash applications. There is nothing in Flex that can't be done in Flash, and the other way around, it's just two different approaches of doing the same thing.

Michael

[hangalot]

Originally Posted by MichaelxxOA

in short it's just another way of building Flash applications. There is nothing in Flex that can't be done in Flash, and the other way around, it's just two different approaches of doing the same thing.

Michael

yes, no and maybe.

some things cannot be done in flex that can be done in flash (ie animation )

also you build an app in flash and i will build it in flex and i will take a 2 week holiday on a month project as databinding makes life EASY/

[senocular]

Right, its more: Flash can do everything Flex can do, Flex cant do everything Flash can do, but what Flex does do is a thousand times easier to do than if done in Flash.