Introducing Flash Builder and the Flex SDK

• Creating our first project
• Prototyping an application in design view
• Introducing forms, the form components and validation
• Data providers, array collections and data binding
• Breaking content down into components
• Adding navigation to the application with the view stack
• Modularising our design to promote performance and flexibility
• Changing content at runtime using view states
• Extending state changes with transitions

Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) in a Flash Builder /Flex context

• Modularising our CSS and exploring Actionscript 3 & event handling
• Customising the standard preloader and offloading the CSS load routine
• Using Adobe Flash content and custom components in our applications
• Customising the Module Loader to add flash animation
• Introducing the new Flex 4 Spark component set
• Exploring the skinning model
• Creating and implementing a custom skin with MXML and FXG
• Our first look at retrieving data dynamically and displaying it in different forms

Sourcing our data dynamically

• separating the tasks into individual components
• The singleton design pattern and building a data model
• Displaying data in a Data Grid and customising the output with label Functions and item Renderers
• Presenting our data more visually using the Tile List and Data Group
• The importance of Strong Typing and Value Objects
• Creating custom events to communicate between components
• Using data binding to display detail for a selected item
• Visualising data with the charting components
• Using the Popup Manager to reveal modal dialog boxes
• Finalising a Release Build and deploying your Flex Application

Installing the Web Application Server and BlazeDS

• Creating a project in a server based environment
• Interacting with SOAP web services to request and submit data
• The BlazeDS proxy service to integrate disparate systems
• Restful web services and Flash Builder 4
• Java Remoting, AMF and BlazeDS
• Hibernate and Spring integration
• Using the messaging service to implement a simple chat tool
• Comparing LiveCycle Data Services and BlazeDS
• Implementing LCDS on our web application server
• Live messaging with RTMP
• Flex <→ LiveCycle Integration
• Introducing Data Management Services and editable grids

Version control in Flash Builder 4

• The Model View Controller design pattern and the Cairngorm Framework
• Creating the key elements of the framework
• Value Objects and the importance of strong typing
• Building custom events and commands
• The role of the front controller
• Service integration with delegates, responders and asynctokens
• Displaying our results visually
• Enabling filtering through interaction, events and commands
• Event driven Master-Detail sets
• Grouping Collections and Client Side Analysis
• Deploying the release build of your application

Intro to Flash Builder & Flex SDK

• Creating our first project
• Prototyping an application in design view
• Introducing forms, the form components and validation
• Data providers, array collections and data binding
• Breaking content down into components
• Adding navigation to the application with the viewstack
• Modularising our design to promote performance and flexibility
• Changing content at runtime using view states
• Extending state changes with transitions

CSS in a Flex context

• Modularising our CSS and exploring Actionscript 3 & event handling
• Customising the standard preloader and offloading the CSS load routine
• Using Adobe Flash content and custom components in our applications
• Customising the ModuleLoader to add flash animation
• Introducing the new Flex 4 Spark component set
• Exploring the skinning model
• Creating and implementing a custom skin with MXML and FXG
• Our first look at retrieving data dynamically and displaying it in different forms
• Sourcing our data dynamically and separating the tasks into individual components

• The singleton design pattern and building a data model*
• Displaying data in a DataGrid and customising the output with labelFunctions and itemRenderers
• Presenting our data more visually using the TileList and DataGroup
• The importance of Strong Typing and ValueObjects
• Creating custom events to communicate between components
• Using data binding to display detail for a selectedItem
• Visualising data with the charting components
• Using the PopupManager to reveal modal dialog boxes
• Finalising a Release Build and deploying your Flex Application

Installing the Web Application Server and BlazeDS

• Creating a project in a server based environment
• Interacting with SOAP web services to request and submit data
• The BlazeDS proxy service to integrate disparate systems
• Restful web services and Flash Builder 4
• Java Remoting, AMF and BlazeDS
• Hibernate and Spring integration
• Using the messaging service to implement a simple chat tool
• Comparing LiveCycle Data Services and BlazeDS
• Implementing LCDS on our web application server
• Live messaging with RTMP
• Flex <→ LiveCycle Integration
• Introducing Data Management Services and editable grids

Version control in Flash Builder 4

• The Model View Controller design pattern and the Cairngorm Framework
• Creating the key elements of the framework
• Value Objects and the importance of strong typing
• Building custom events and commands
• The role of the front controller
• Service integration with delegates, responders and asynctokens
• Displaying our results visually
• Enabling filtering through interaction, events and commands
• Event driven Master-Detail sets
• Grouping Collections and Client Side Analysis
• Deploying the release build of your application

Introducing the Course

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

Introducing Flex for Mobile Development

• Exploring Flex across desktops and devices
• Understanding what is the same for mobile
• Understanding what is different for mobile

Exploring Flash Builder for mobile development

• Working with Flash Builder
• Understanding what is the same
• Understanding what is different

Exploring how to run and debug a mobile application

• Running and debugging a mobile application
• Understanding desktop and device mechanisms
• Selecting Flash Builder’s Run or Debug configurations
• Setting up an Android device

Exporting an Android release build with Flash Builder

• Exporting a release build
• Exporting an Android release build
• Understanding the APK file

Introducing mobile components
Creating Flex mobile applications and views

• Creating and managing mobile views
• Introducing views
• Introducing the ViewNavigator container
• Introducing the ActionBar
• Reviewing View and ViewNavigator properties

Introducing the Flex mobile application architecture

• Choosing the appropriate application container
• Introducing the ViewNavigatorApplication container
• Introducing the TabbedViewNavigatorApplication container
• Setting a preloaded splash screen
• Introducing the Application container for mobile development

Exploring the Spark mobile-ready components

• Introducing the Spark mobile-ready components
• Understanding the Spark mobile-ready components
• Understanding scrolling and keyboards for touchscreen devices
• Implementing scrolling
• Handling a soft keyboard

Exploring mobile device orientation

• Understanding mobile device orientation
• Understanding automatic handling of orientation change
• Defining orientation states
• Changing properties for orientation state changes

Navigating a Mobile Flex Application
Navigating views

• Understanding the ViewNavigator methods
• Reviewing the ViewNavigator container
• Introducing navigation methods
• Understanding events dispatched by a view
• Understanding the destruction policy
• Reviewing View and ViewNavigator properties

Working with the Android Mobile Hardware Keys

• Understanding Android mobile hardware keys
• Working with the Back key
• Working with the Menu key
• Exiting an AIR application
• Reviewing View and ViewNavigator properties

Working with View Transitions

• Introducing view transitions
• Understanding View transitions
• Understanding the SlideViewTransition
• Understanding the CrossFadeViewTransition
• Understanding the FlipViewTransition
• Understanding the ZoomViewTransition
• Customizing transitions
• Understanding ActionBar transitions

Launching native applications

• Introducing the navigateToURL() method

Working with Data

Exploring the RemoteObject class

• Managing remote data using the RemoteObject class
• Understanding the Remoting Service
• Using the RemoteObject class
• Understanding the benefits of RemoteObject
• Defining the service destination
• Invoking the methods on a remote service
• Using remote service results
• Defining multiple server-side methods
• Reviewing value objects
• Understanding value objects
• Creating value objects

Managing data between views

• Handling data in and between views
• Passing data to a view
• Handling data in a view
• Adding data to the data object of a view
• Passing data into the first view of the application

Exploring the navigator context property

• Implementing the navigator context
• Introducing context object
• Passing the context object to a view
• Using the context object in a view

Exploring the Persistence Manager

• Implementing the Persistence Manager
• Introducing shared objects
• Introducing the PersistenceManager class

Handling remote data retrieval using a Singleton

• Using a Singleton and a service manager for data management

Creating Item Renderers in ActionScript

• Exploring Flex mobile item renderers
• Understanding item renderers for mobile devices
• Reviewing desktop item renderers
• Introducing the Flex mobile item renderers
• Introducing the default mobile LabelItemRenderer
• Introducing the mobile IconItemRenderer
• Creating item renderers in ActionScript
• Creating an item renderer in ActionScript
• Creating the item renderer class in ActionScript
• Introducing the data object setter function
• Introducing the createChildren() method
• Introducing the measure() method
• Introducing the drawBackground() method
• Introducing the layoutContents() method

Intercepting default item renderer behavior

• Preventing default event behavior

Skinning with ActionScript

Introducing Flex mobile skins

• Introducing Flex mobile skins
• Understanding the Spark component skins
• Creating graphical layouts and elements for mobile skins

Creating a more complex ActionScript mobile skin

• Creating ActionScript skins for mobile components
• Introducing the createChildren() method
• Introducing the layoutContents() method

Programming Multi-Density Application

Introducing multi-density applications

• Understanding multi-density applications
• Understanding how Flex handles multi-density applications
• Implementing automatic DPI management
• Implementing manual DPI management

Exploring an auto-scaling application

• Creating an auto-scaling application
• Applying automatic scaling
• Understanding scaling
• Handling scaling on bitmaps

Exploring manual DPI scaling

• Creating an application with manual DPI scaling
• Introducing CSS @media query
• Checking the application DPI value
• Checking the platform

Exploring multi-DPI assignments in a skin

• Using multi-DPI assignments in the skin
• Checking applicationDPI in a skin

Creating a Tablet Application

• Using the Spark Application container to create a tablet application
• Understanding the Application container for mobile
• Using the ViewNavigator container
• Referencing the main application

Working with the AIR Camera API

• Taking a picture with the device camera*
• Introducing the AIR ActionScript APIs
• Introducing the Camera classes
• Introducing the CameraUI class
• Setting permissions for device camera access
• Launching the device camera using the CameraUI class
• Understanding the device behavior
• Introducing the MediaPromise class
• Understanding the MediaEvent object
• Handling the MediaEvent object

Adding a picture from the device photo gallery

• Introducing the CameraRoll class
• Getting to know the CameraRoll class

Exploring the Camera API with iOS

• Understanding issues with iOS and the camera API
• Reading data from the MediaPromise object
• Create a file to store the image on the device
• Writing the image data to the file
• Referencing the image path

Introducing Flex : Extending and Styling Components

• Programming the Visual Experience
• Understanding Project Roles
• Introducing Mastery Learning
• Understanding the Course Format
• Reviewing the Course Prerequisites
• Reviewing the Course Outline
• Setting Up Application Files

Embedding Images and Fonts

• Embedding Images at Compile-Time
• Adding Imagery to the Natural Experiences Application
• Layering Content Using Absolute Layout
• Positioning the Flower Image over the Welcome Panel
• Creating a Reusable Embedded Image
• Creating Instances of an Embedded Image Class
• Embedding the Flowers using ActionScript
• Understanding Device Font Limitations
• Learning the Limitations of Device Fonts
• Embedding Fonts with Absolute File Paths
• Embed a Font by Reference to the File System
• Embedding Fonts using Adobe Flash
• Creating the Text Logo using a Embedded Flash Font

Modifying the Look and Feel of Flex Components

• Exploring Filters
• Add Filters to the Natural Experiences Text Logo
• Applying Blends
• Add a Blend to the Experience Font
• Modifying the Look-and-Feel of Flex Components using MXML Styles
• Modifying the Natural Experiences Application using MXML Styles
• Modifying Graphical Skins using Flex Skin Design Extensions
• Using Flex Skin Artwork Created in Flash

Creating Popups

• Creating a Popup Window
• Creating the TitleWindow and Gallery Popup
• Passing Data to the Popup Window
• Passing Data to the Gallery Popup

Extending Flex Components

• Exploring Display Object Basics
• Extending Flex Components
• Creating an Extended Component
• Creating a constraint-based layout using Flex Builder
• Adding Custom Buttons to the scrollWindow Extended Panel
• Implementing the updateDisplayList() Method
• Positioning the Custom Buttons in the scrollWindow
• Improving Custom Component Reusability with Stylesheets
• Optimizing the Application with Stylesheets

Implementing Visual Changes to a Flex Application

• Adding Images
• Applying Graphical Skins
• Embedding FlashType Fonts and Applying Styles
• Creating and Applying Filters

Drawing Shapes and Skinning Programmatically

• Understanding the Relationship Between Display List Objects and the Graphics Class
• Calling the clear() Method
• Exploring the clear() Method
• Drawing Lines
• Using Line Methods to Draw a Star
• Creating a Visual Element as an ActionScript Class
• Drawing a Star in an ActionScript Class
• Creating Shapes
• Defining Fill Methods
• Draw the Expand Button for the scrollWindow Panel in the Natural Experiences Application
• Implementing a ButtonSkin from the mx.skins.halo Package
• Applying Drawn Buttons to an Application
• Implementing a Programmatic Skin
• Creating and Applying a Panel Skin using the borderSkin Property

Animating Components and View States

• Creating Behaviors in ActionScript
• Animating a Fly-in Popup Component
• Reviewing View States and Transitions
• Expanding and Restoring the Scroll Window Panel
• Using the CurrentStateChange Event
• Detecting Panel Width after a Completed Transition

Creating Mouse-Aware Applications

• Detecting the Mouse Position
• Moving the Popup to the Mouse Position
• Detecting the Stage Dimensions
• Ensure the Popup Stays Within the Content Area

Implementing Drag and Drop Functionality

• Understanding the DragManager
• Enabling Drag and Drop Functionality in a Drag-Enabled Component
• Specifying the Data to Display in a List Control
• Using the labelField to Display Data in a List Component
• Enabling Dragging on Non-List-Based Controls
• Dragging an Image
• Controlling Dropping with Formats
• Using Formats
• Handling Data in Drag and Drop Operations
• Manipulating Data in Drag and Drop Operations

Extending and Skinning Components and Creating Drag-and-Drop Shopping Cart Functionality

• Drawing, Extending and Skinning
• Creating a Drag-and-Drop Cart

Introducing Flex 4 Charts

• Understanding chart data
• Exploring the final application
• Loading external data for charts and dashboard applications
• Introducing Flex 3 charts
• Leveraging visual data through charts
• Understanding dashboards

Using Flex 4 Charts

• Understanding the elements of a chart tag
• Understanding and using the column & bar charts
• Using the Column and Bar charts
• Understanding and using the line & area charts
• Understanding and using the pie chart
• Understanding and using the plot chart
• Understanding and using the bubble chart
• Using the Candlestick & HighLowOpenClose Charts

Formatting Charts

• Understanding the axis controls
• Using the CategoryAxis
• Using Chart DataTips
• Formatting chart types
• Working with legend controls
• Applying the Concepts

Creating Multi-Series and ActionScript Charts

• Understanding multiple data series
• Adding multiple series of data
• Using multiple chart axes
• Mixing chart series types
• Mixing multiple series types
• Creating charts with ActionScript
• Applying the Concepts

Understanding Advanced Charting Techniques

• Using animation with chart series
• Animating charts and chart effects
• Handling user interaction
• Dynamically controlling chart series
• Changing data Provider fields
• Dynamically controlling the series
• Using custom graphical renderers
• Applying the Concepts

Styling Charts

• Styling Charts
• Applying CSS to Chart Components
• Styling Chart Series
• Styling Chart Grid Lines
• Applying the concepts

Introducing Adobe Cairngorm

• Understand the purpose of Adobe Cairngorm
• Reviewing the benefits of using Cairngorm
• Learning about the components of Cairngorm

Using Cairngorm in Flex RIA

• Identifying roles of code
• Refactoring code to Cairngorm layers and classes
• Reviewing benefits of Cairngorm refactoring

Implementing the ModelLocator

• Example ModelLocator code
• Using the ModelLocator

Implementing Cairngorm events

• Introducing the concept of Business Events
• Example Cairngorm event code
• Using a Cairngorm Event

Implementing Commands

• Example Command Cose
• Using the Command

Implementing the FrontController

• Example FrontController code
• Using the FrontController

Using the Cairngorm components

• Create a new Cairngorm MVC Project
• Create a form to Request a patient visitation
• Submit the Visitation Request
• Create the Business Component to Process the Visitation Details