Adobe Flex 4: Training from the Source, Volume 1

Contents......Page 8
Foreword......Page 12
Introduction......Page 14
LESSON 1 Understanding Rich Internet Applications......Page 27
The Evolution of Computer Applications......Page 28
The Break from Page-Based Architecture......Page 30
The Advantages of Rich Internet Applications......Page 31
RIA Technologies......Page 32
LESSON 2 Getting Started......Page 41
Creating a Project and an MXML Application......Page 42
Understanding the Flash Builder Workbench......Page 48
Running Your Application......Page 51
Exploring the Flash Builder Debugger......Page 56
Getting Ready for the Next Lessons......Page 64
LESSON 3 Laying Out the Interface......Page 69
Learning About Layouts......Page 70
Laying Out the E-Commerce Application......Page 74
Working with Constraint-Based Layouts......Page 82
Working with View States......Page 87
Refactoring......Page 94
LESSON 4 Using Simple Controls......Page 101
Introducing Simple Controls......Page 102
Displaying Images......Page 103
Building a Detail View......Page 107
Using Data Binding to Link a Data Structure to a Simple Control......Page 110
Using a Form Layout Container to Lay Out Simple Controls......Page 112
LESSON 5 Handling Events......Page 117
Understanding Event Handling......Page 118
Handling System Events......Page 128
LESSON 6 Using Remote XML Data......Page 135
Using Embedded XML......Page 136
Using XML Loaded at Runtime......Page 141
Retrieving XML Data via HTTPService......Page 145
Searching XML with E4X......Page 148
Using Dynamic XML Data......Page 155
Using the XMLListCollection in a Flex Control......Page 159
LESSON 7 Creating Classes......Page 163
Building a Value Object......Page 164
Building a Method to Create an Object......Page 171
Building Shopping Cart Classes......Page 174
Manipulating Shopping Cart Data......Page 180
LESSON 8 Using Data Binding and Collections......Page 191
Examining Data Binding......Page 192
Being the Compiler......Page 198
Using ArrayCollections......Page 203
Refactoring ShoppingCartItem......Page 224
LESSON 9 Breaking the Application into Components......Page 227
Introducing MXML Components......Page 228
Splitting Off the ShoppingView Component......Page 234
Breaking Out a ProductItem Component......Page 241
Creating Components to Manage Loading the Data......Page 250
LESSON 10 Using DataGroups and Lists......Page 261
Using Lists......Page 262
Using DataGroups......Page 265
Virtualization with Lists......Page 275
Displaying Grocery Products Based on Category Selection......Page 277
LESSON 11 Creating and Dispatching Events......Page 281
Understanding the Benefits of Loose Coupling......Page 282
Dispatching Events......Page 283
Declaring Events for a Component......Page 287
Identifying the Need for Custom Event Classes......Page 289
Building and Using the UserAcknowledgeEvent......Page 290
Understanding Event Flow and Event Bubbling......Page 294
Creating and Using the ProductEvent Class......Page 300
LESSON 12 Using DataGrids and Item Renderers......Page 311
Introducing DataGrids and Item Renderers......Page 312
Displaying the ShoppingCart with a DataGrid......Page 313
Using the AdvancedDataGrid......Page 326
LESSON 13 Using Drag and Drop......Page 351
Introducing the Drag and Drop Manager......Page 352
Dragging and Dropping Between Two DataGrids......Page 353
Dragging and Dropping Between a DataGrid and a List......Page 357
Using a Non-Drag-Enabled Component in a Drag-and-Drop Operation......Page 361
Dragging a Grocery Item to the Shopping Cart......Page 367
LESSON 14 Implementing Navigation......Page 375
Introducing Navigation......Page 376
Creating the Checkout Process as a ViewStack......Page 378
Integrating CheckoutView into the Application......Page 383
LESSON 15 Using Formatters and Validators......Page 389
Introducing Formatters and Validators......Page 390
Using Formatter Classes......Page 392
Examining Two-Way Bindings......Page 395
Using Validator Classes......Page 396
LESSON 16 Customizing a Flex Application with Styles......Page 403
Cleaning Up the Appearance......Page 404
Applying Styles......Page 405
Changing CSS at Runtime......Page 424
LESSON 17 Customizing a Flex Application with Skins......Page 429
Understanding the Role of Skins in a Spark Component......Page 430
The Relationship between Skins and States......Page 434
Creating a Skin for the Application......Page 443
LESSON 18 Creating Custom ActionScript Components......Page 449
Building Components Can Be Complex......Page 450
Understanding Flex Components......Page 451
Why Make Components?......Page 452
Defining a Component......Page 454
Creating the Visuals......Page 461
Adding Functionality to the Component......Page 468
Creating a Renderer for the Skin......Page 479
Software Installation......Page 483
Minimum System Requirements......Page 482
Importing Projects......Page 485
A......Page 490
B......Page 491
C......Page 492
D......Page 493
E......Page 495
F......Page 496
I......Page 497
L......Page 498
M......Page 499
P......Page 500
S......Page 501
T......Page 503
V......Page 504
Z......Page 505