Flash Builder 4 - Developing Rich Client Applications

Course Description

Flash Builder 4 (Flex): Developing Rich Client Applications provides experienced application developers with hands-on, practical experience using Flex. This 4 day Flash Builder course introduces developers to all the primary features of Flex they’ll need to know in order to build a fully functional, well architected front end for a Rich Internet Application (RIA).

Target Audience

This Adobe Certified Flex course is designed for application developers who want to bring the power of RIA's to their web applications. To gain the most from the class you should be:

Be familiar with object oriented programming concepts
Be familiar with XML terminology.

Please note we have a minimum class size of 2 for this class.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this Flash Builder training class students will be able to:

Understand what a Flex application is.
Create their first Flex application.
Work with the Flash Builer.
Handle Events.
Work with Constraint-based layout.
Use Constrain-based layout.
Use the DataGrid control.
Understand Flex Containers.
Exchange Data between Components.
Create Navigation for their Flex Applications.
Customizing their Applications.
Retrieve XML Data with HTTPService.

Class Timetable

Chicago	Apr 2 - 5	Register
Los Angeles	Apr 16 - 19	Register
Chicago	Jun 11 - 14	Register

* Class almost full ! Class guaranteed to run † Class is full

Detailed Course Outline

Introducing the Course

Introducing mastery learning
Understanding the course format
Reviewing the course prerequisites
Reviewing the course outline

Introducing Adobe Flex 4

Introducing the Adobe Flash Platform
Understanding Flex development technologies
Understanding Flex application deployment
Exploring the Flash Builder interface
Creating a Flex project
Walkthrough 1: Creating a main application file and running it

Understanding Flex 4 Fundamentals

Understanding Adobe Flex namespaces
Understanding Flex components
Laying out and styling with Flash Builder
Compiling and running an application
Walkthrough 1: Creating an application and configuring its controls in Design mode
Creating custom components
Introducing skinning
Walkthrough 2: Creating and skinning custom components
Accessing and using structured data within a custom component
Introducing data binding
Walkthrough 3: Accessing and using structured data in a custom component
Updating visual controls using dynamic data
Walkthrough 4: Updating visual controls with dynamically assigned data

Introducing Object Oriented Programming

Introducing OOP terminology
Understanding MXML classes
Walkthrough 1: Using MXML classes
Creating a class property
Walkthrough 2: Creating a class property
Writing a class definition in ActionScript
Walkthrough 3: Creating an ActionScript class
Creating instances of an ActionScript class
Walkthrough 4: Creating instances of an ActionScript class
Creating class methods
Walkthrough 5: Creating a class method

Understanding Components and Layouts

Introducing visual components
Introducing Spark layout classes
Walkthrough 1: Using layout classes in an Application container
Introducing the Spark container classes
Walkthrough 2: Using different containers with layouts
Using constraints to control component layout
Walkthrough 3: Implementing a constraint-based layout
Adding scrollbars to containers
Walkthrough 4: Using a Scrollers

Handling Events

Understanding events
Implementing event handlers
Walkthrough 1: Using inline ActionScript for event handling
Creating ActionScript event handler functions
Walkthrough 2: Using a function for an event handler
Understanding the event object
Understanding event bubbling
Walkthrough 3: Using the event object
Adding event listeners with ActionScript
Walkthrough 4: Using the addEventListener() method

Validating and Formatting Data

Using the Form container
Walkthrough 1: Using a form
Using formatters
Walkthrough 2: Formatting currency
Validating form data
Triggering validation with events
Walkthrough 3: Validating Numeric Input
Triggering validation with ActionScript
Walkthrough 4: Triggering Validation with ActionScript

Controlling Navigation

Understanding MX navigator containers
Using the ViewStack container
Using a Spark container inside MX navigator containers
Walkthrough 1: Navigating using the ViewStack and TabBar control
Creating custom navigation for the ViewStack container
Using the TabNavigator container
Using the Accordion container
Walkthrough 2: Navigating using the TabNavigator and Accordion containers

Controlling Application State

Understanding view states
Walkthrough 1: Creating multiple states
Controlling view states
Walkthrough 2: Controlling view states using MXML

Animating Components and States

Applying effects to components
Walkthrough 1: Applying an effect to a component
Creating composite effects
Walkthrough 2: Creating parallel and sequential effects
Applying transitions to application state changes
Adding and removing components during animations
Walkthrough 3: Animating between states

Controlling Visual Display with Styling

Creating global application styles
Walkthrough 1: Creating global styles
Defining styles and skins for components
Walkthrough 2: Creating selector styles and skins
Introducing Advanced CSS selectors
Walkthrough 3: Using advanced CSS selectors

Skinning Spark Components

Introducing skinning
Walkthrough 1: Creating and applying skins
Incorporating visual elements drawn in other programs
Walkthrough 2: Using a shape drawn in Adobe Illustrator
Changing the default display of skin parts
Walkthrough 3: Creating a vertical header for the Spark Panel container

Implementing Advanced Skinning Techniques

Implementing different visual states for a skin
Walkthrough 1: Creating animated states in a Button control skin
Accessing custom component properties from a skin
Walkthrough 2: Implementing a skin on multiple instances with different properties
Adding scrollbars to skins
Walkthrough 3: Making a component scrollable using a skin

Accessing Remote Data

Using HTTPService to load remote data
Walkthrough 1: Creating an HTTPService request and using the lastResult property
Handling returned data and faults
Walkthrough 2: Using result and fault handlers
Making HTTP requests with parameters
Walkthrough 3: Making HTTP requests with parameters
Using the wizards
Walkthrough 4: Using the wizards

Creating a Typed Data Model

Understanding the need for a typed data model
Creating an ActionScript class for typed data
Walkthrough 1: Creating a value object class
Populating an ArrayCollection with value objects
Walkthrough 2: Populating an ArrayCollection of value objects
Understanding data bindings with value objects
Walkthrough 3: Implementing data bindings
Refactoring value objects
Walkthrough 4: Refactoring a value object

Extending Events

Understanding the problem with bindings
Defining the event type
Handling the event in the main application
Walkthrough 1: Creating and dispatching an event
Extending the Event class
Using the extended event class
Walkthrough 2: Extending the Event class to dispatch the event object with data
Dispatching a value object with the extended event
Walkthrough 3: Dispatching a value object in the extended event
Overriding the clone method
Walkthrough 4: Utilizing the clone() method

Rendering Content with the DataGroup Container

Displaying string data in an item renderer
Walkthrough 1: Using DefaultItemRenderer
Passing UI components in the data provider
Walkthrough 2: Using the DefaultComplexItemRenderer
Creating a custom item renderer
Walkthrough 3: Creating a custom item renderer with data
Using the SkinnableDataContainer
Walkthrough 4: Applying a skin to the SkinnableDataContainer

Displaying Data Using the DataGrid

Using the DataGrid control
Specifying DataGrid control columns
Walkthrough 1: Specifying DataGrid control columns
Formatting DataGrid control columns
Walkthrough 2: Formatting data in DataGrid control columns
Using item renderers and item editors
Walkthrough 3: Using a drop-in item editor
Inline item renderers and item editors
Walkthrough 4: Using an inline item editor
Item renderer and item editor components
Walkthrough 5: Using a component item renderer
Using events and selected items with a DataGrid component
Walkthrough 6: Using a change event on the DataGrid control

Deploying Flex and AIR Applications

Compiling the Flex application
Creating a Flex application production build
Walkthrough 1: Creating a Flex application production build
Creating a desktop application
Walkthrough 2: Creating a desktop application

Our outlines are a guide to the content covered on a typical class. We may change or alter the course topics to meet the objectives of a particular class.

Related Courses

Flex 4 Data Driven Development