Re: Flex

["Will Fould" <suppressed>]

So, we're using Flex now for a couple neat tools that started as an (real simple) experiment with some feeds we produce.  I'm sure a lot of other front end developers are too and just don't realize that they are connecting to modperl backends. Subtle details aside, Flex is cool at this point for limited stuff (think admin and site builder/configuration tools, etc.). Especially with the ubiquity of the flash RTE and the buzz around AIR.  But we also use Ajax quite a bit and like that too.

For those that have not updated their buzzword file lately: Flex is a client application building platform that connects easily to services - The Flex sdk, etc., (yes, from Adobe) have recently been open-sourced (ala Mozilla).  At first glance, Flex appears to be just Flash (using .swf files and the flash RTE) but it does not require the backwards animation-style dev-metaphor of flash - It's basically a very different game all together and there is a lot of documentation out there about what makes it different. (Google: "Flex verses Flash")

At this point, in no way will Flex applications substitute core web/browser stuff for us (or even some browser stuff that work very well and simply with ajax), but it does make a lot of sense in certain key places where a browser is still quite kludgey.  Frankly, it's also nice for recruiting right now (Perrin: Looking for a new job?  LOL.)

In any case, it would be nice to see more traction using modperl+Flex.  While it makes a lot of sense from where I sit - it's true: Google provides virtual no pages that share those key words - a sad and curious surprise especially considering the fact the O'Reilly Flex book has actually reached the popularity of the Perl DBI book (according to the O'Reilly amazon rep).  Perhaps a page on the 
Flex.org site would do a LOT of good for this community which is certainly much larger than the Perl Marketing department indicates ; ).

Any other reference sites or tools?

On Dec 2, 2007 3:06 PM, Perrin Harkins <suppressed> wrote:

On Dec 1, 2007 3:22 PM, Will Fould <suppressed> wrote:
> Have you thought about it too?

Yes.  It sounds possibly quicker than AJAX, which is pretty
time-consuming to develop for anything non-trivial.  (Google makes it
look easy, but they probably spent millions debugging those maps on
multiple browsers.)  I haven't tried it, but my approach would be to
convert one of the PHP examples.

- Perrin