Contents

Foreword

Introduction

Lesson 1 Understanding Rich Internet Applications

The Evolution of Computer Applications

The Break from Page-Based Architecture

The Advantages of Rich Internet Applications

RIA Technologies

What You Have Learned

Lesson 2 Getting Started

Getting Started with Flex Application Development

Creating a Project and an MXML Application

Understanding the Flash Builder Workbench

Running Your Application

Exploring the Flash Builder Debugger

Getting Ready for the Next Lessons

What You Have Learned

Lesson 3 Laying Out the Interface

Learning About Layouts

Laying Out the E-Commerce Application

Working with Constraint-Based Layouts

Working with View States

Refactoring

What You Have Learned

Lesson 4 Using Simple Controls

Introducing Simple Controls

Displaying Images

Building a Detail View

Using Data Binding to Link a Data Structure to a Simple Control

Using a Form Layout Container to Lay Out Simple Controls

What You Have Learned

Lesson 5 Handling Events

Understanding Event Handling

Handling System Events

What You Have Learned

Lesson 6 Using Remote XML Data

Using Embedded XML

Using XML Loaded at Runtime

Retrieving XML Data via HTTPService

Searching XML with E4X

Using Dynamic XML Data

Using the XMLListCollection in a Flex Control

What You Have Learned

Lesson 7 Creating Classes

Building a Custom ActionScript Class

Building a Value Object

Building a Method to Create an Object

Building Shopping Cart Classes

Manipulating Shopping Cart Data

What You Have Learned

Lesson 8 Using Data Binding and Collections

Examining Data Binding

Being the Compiler

Understanding Bindable Implications

Using ArrayCollections

Refactoring ShoppingCartItem

What You Have Learned

Lesson 9 Breaking the Application into Components

Introducing MXML Components

Splitting Off the ShoppingView Component

Breaking Out a ProductItem Component

Creating Components to Manage Loading the Data

What You Have Learned

Lesson 10 Using DataGroups and Lists

Using Lists

Using DataGroups

Virtualization with Lists

Displaying Grocery Products Based on Category Selection

What You Have Learned

Lesson 11 Creating and Dispatching Events

Understanding the Benefits of Loose Coupling

Dispatching Events

Declaring Events for a Component

Identifying the Need for Custom Event Classes

Building and Using the UserAcknowledgeEvent

Understanding Event Flow and Event Bubbling

Creating and Using the ProductEvent Class

What You Have Learned

Lesson 12 Using the Flex DataGrid

Introducing DataGrids and Item Renderers

Displaying the ShoppingCart with a DataGrid

What You Have Learned

Lesson 13 Using Drag and Drop

Introducing the Drag and Drop Manager

Enhanced Dragging and Dropping Between Two Lists

Standard Dragging and Dropping Between a DataGrid and a List

Using a Non-Drag-Enabled Component in a Drag-and-Drop Operation

Dragging a Grocery Item to the Shopping Cart

What You Have Learned

Lesson 14 Implementing the Checkout Process

Introducing Navigation with States

Introducing Two-Way Bindings

Creating the OrderInfo valueObject

Creating CheckoutView

Creating CreditCardInfo

Creating Review

Completing the Order

What You Have Learned

Lesson 15 Using Formatters and Validators

Introducing Formatters and Validators

Using Formatter Classes

Examining a Second Locale

Using Validator Classes

What You Have Learned

Lesson 16 Customizing a Flex Application with Styles

Applying a Design with Styles and Skins

Cleaning Up the Appearance

Applying Styles

Changing CSS at Runtime

What You Have Learned

Lesson 17 Customizing a Flex Application with Skins

Understanding the Role of Skins in a Spark Component

Understanding the Relationship between Skins and States

Creating a Skin for the Application

What You Have Learned

Lesson 18 Creating Custom ActionScript Components

Introducing Components with ActionScript 3.0

Building Components Can Be Complex

Understanding Flex Components

Why Make Components?

Defining a Component

Creating the Visuals

Adding Functionality to the Component

Creating a Renderer for the Skin

What You Have Learned

Appendix Setup Instructions

Software Installation

Importing Projects

Index