Flash Remoting: The Definitive Guide

Features

• Cover Type: Paperback with 640 pages
• Published by: O'Reilly Media, Inc. September 23, 2003
• Written in: English
• ISBN 10 Number: 059600401X
• ISBN 13 Number: 978-0596004019
• Book Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.9 x 1.3 inches
• Weighs: 2.3 pounds

Product Description
Flash Remoting MX lets developers easily integrate rich Macromedia Flash content with applications that are built using Macromedia ColdFusion MX, Microsoft .NET, Java, PHP, or SOAP-based web services. The result is complex client/server applications that more closely resemble desktop applications than traditional web pages. Gone is the click/wait/reload approach of HTML. Your web application uses Flash as the front end while Flash Remoting handles the communication behind the scenes with the application server. All the end user knows is that it's fast and flexible. The potential uses for Flash Remoting are endless. Flash Remoting: The Definitive Guide will help you understand this breakthrough technology and use it to build your own Rich Internet Applications (RIAs). Build applications that connect to a database, file system, or other server-side technologies. Or, use Flash Remoting to create:

• online stores that feature catalogs and shopping cart systems
• sound and video clip libraries
• banner ads with built-in shopping carts, click-through tracking, and site search capabilities
• new controls that can be used in place of HTML
• extensions to Flash, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, and more
• front-ends to databases for administrators

The book begins with Flash Remoting basics: setup, installation and an introduction to its underlying concepts. Next, you'll explore the Flash's User Interface components as they relate to Flash Remoting. Then, you'll gain insights into Flash Remoting internals and the Remoting API. The book is rich with examples that you will be able to run on your own system. The next section focuses on the server-side environment that you'll use for your applications. Individual chapters cover Flash Remoting with ColdFusion, Server-Side ActionScript, Java, ASP.NET, and PHP. The last section covers more advanced Flash Remoting techniques, such as calling web services from Flash Remoting, extending objects and UI controls, best practices, and debugging. Plus there is a detailed chapter demonstrating a real-world application. The book concludes with a Flash Remoting API reference. Developers who are looking to create Rich Internet Applications with Flash will find Flash Remoting: The Definitive Guide indispensable.

Reader Reviews
This book covers PRE ACTIONSCRIPT 2.0 REMOTING!! It is very important you understand this. FlashMX 2004 (standard and professional) have components that handle most of this. The notion of flash remoting has really evolved now, and is a function of the Flash editor more than just a bunch of included actionscript files. New developers should definately spend some google time to ensure they understand what they are getting. All that aside, this is a great book for anyone wanting to learn Flash Remoting with Actionscript < 2.0. Tom Muck presents information thoroughly and it was not hard to pick up this version of flash remoting. This book would have been given 5 stars if it were not for 2 things, 1) its out of date in my opinion, MX2004 is the standard now, and 2) the book added weight and pages b/c of the ever present language "reference" that is available if you have the flash editor, and if you don't then you don't need the book.. It peevs me that editors/publisher constantly waste paper on organic information like language references.