Flex is Adobe's platform that supports the development and deployment of RIA (rich internet applications). It is an overview of a series of developing technologies and product lines, including Flex Framework, Flex Builder 2, Flex Enterprise Services 2 etc.

The development of RIA and the version history of Flex

Terms: RIA?, Macromedia, XUL?, [Thin client]? Thin client, XAML?, MXML?

Important changes in the system architecture of the IT industry: based on host mode → C/S mode → B/S mode → RIA mode. The next step in the evolution of system architecture is RIA, which maximizes breadth and richness. RIA is a new generation of network applications that combines the best user interface capabilities of desktop applications with the universal adoption and fast, low-cost deployment of Web applications and the real-time convenience of interactive multimedia communications.

1. Pre-Flex stage: The target market of Flex Server 1.0 and 1.5 is enterprise application development, and the price is about US$15,000 per CPU. Each license contains five Flex Builder licenses. Uses free Flex Framework technology.

A, Flex 1.0-March 2004: FLEX was originally released as a J2EE application, or a JSP tag library. It can compile running MXML (FLEX Markup Language) and ActionScript into FLASH applications (ie binary SWF files).

B, Flex 1.5-October 2004: The focus of Flex 1.5 is on the presentation layer. Since the SWF client only needs to be loaded once, the workflow is greatly improved.

C, Flex Builder 1.5 is a programming environment based on the Dreamweaver coding environment that serves Flex 1.5. It implements functions such as design/code view, syntax highlighting, code indentation and application preview.

2. New Flex stage: Flex is the first original Macromedia product to be renamed by Adobe under the Adobe trademark. The huge changes in Flex2 and AS3 caused huge controversy in the user community.

A, Flex 2.0 Alpha - October 2005,

B, Flex 2.0 Beta 1/2/3 - February/March/May 2006,

C, Flex 2.0 FINAL - June 28, 2006

D, Flex 2.01 - January 5, 2007

Flex 2 changed the licensing model, replacing the original Flex Framework technology is added to the free Adobe Flex 2 SDK. The new Flex Builder 2 based on Eclipse IDE in 1.5 is charged, but the Flex compiler is free.

Flex 2 also introduces the use of a new version of the language ActionScript3?, which requires Flash Player 9 or above as the runtime. ActionScript? 3 is the core of the Flex Framework. Although the syntax is similar to AS2, it is more object-oriented and type-oriented. And because it runs in a new virtual machine, it is much faster than AS2.

Of course, for users with special needs, paid enterprise-level services are still provided.

In Flex2.0, RemoteObject? is separated into a component and charged separately, called Flex Data Services 2 (FDS, formerly known as Flex Enterprise Services 2 before Beta2). It is the next generation of Flex 1.5 server and provides services such as data push and automatic testing. Advanced features. But it also provides free limited license for Flex Data Services Express for a single CPU host.

3. The development of Flex open source projects: such as free AMFPHP, Yahoo AS2 Library, Google flex code....

1), OpenLaszlo?: Generally considered to be FLEX Alternatives are OpenLaszlo? and Ajax technologies. Also consider the already standard SVG? technology.

2), NeoSwiff: Compiler from C# to SWF

3), MTASC: Free and open source AS 2 compilation tool

4), ColdFusion ?: Macromedia has embedded a subset of Flex 1.5 into its Coldfusion MX 7 middleware platform for use in Flash forms. Although you can use this platform to develop RIA, its original purpose is only to develop rich forms applications, so this feature is not supported by Macromedia.

5), Ajax, Aflax

6), open source Granite Data Services graniteds

7), open source JAVA Red5: Open Source Flash Server

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8), AMFPHP, Flash directly connects to MySQL’s AS3 driver class