Marco Casario | RIAvolutionize the web

Enterprise Flex Development Best Practices

Recently I've presented at the JavaDay conference about enterprise Flex and Livecycle DS development. The audiance was, of course,  made up of Java/JEE developers so it was very interesting to give some tips very close to their world (enterprise developers). I've talked about:

• UML Modeling Tools (autogenerating ActionScript 3 code shema)
• Source code management (SCM) Tools (integrated with Eclipse and Flex Builder)
• API documentation generation for ActionScript 3
• Build management tool
• Unit testing framework
• Java Frameworks integration
• Open Source Flex and ActionScript 3 libraries and components
• Flex architectures

I thought to recap all the things said and showed:

UML Modeling Tool (autogenerating ActionScript 3 code shema)

• Enterprise Architect - $239-$135 
• Visual Paradigm - $70-$59
• VASGen - Free
• UMLet – Free
• StarUML - Free

Source code management (SCM) Tools (integrated with Eclipse and Flex Builder)

• CVS (Version control system)
• Subversion
• Perforce / P4WSAD
• Clearcase

API documentation generation for ActionScript 3

• ASDoc

Build management tools

• Flex Ant Tasks
• Flex-Mojo, a Mavan Flex plug in

Unit testing framework

• Flex Unit

Java Framework integration

• Spring-Flex: it provides Spring BlazeDS Integration (RemoteObject e message services), SpringSource Adapter for LiveCycle Data Services ES which will provide integration with Adobe LiveCycle Data Services ( server push-based applications )
• Grails

Open Source Flex and ActionScript 3 libraries and components

• as3corelib
• Flexlib

Flex architectures

• Cairngorm
• PureMVC
• Mate
• Degrafa

Enterprise Flex / Livecycle DS / Blaze DS Courses and Training

• Flex 3 and Flex Builder 3 Developing Rich Internet Applications with the new Flex 3 SDKs
• Enterprise Flex Applications with LiveCycle Data Services and J2EE (Java EE)
• Enterprise Business Application with with BlazeDS and Java (Java EE)
• Designing Flex and AIR user interfaces and layouts
  
• Developing desktop applications with Adobe AIR, Ajax and Flex

Flex books

• Adobe Flex 3: Training from the Source
• Programming Flex 3
• Flex Solutions: Essential Techniques for Flex 2 and 3 Developers
• Enterprise Development with Flex
• Flex 3 Cookbook: Code-Recipes, Tips, and Tricks for RIA Developers
• Flex 3 Component Solutions: Build Amazing Interfaces with Flex Components
• Creating Visual Experiences with Flex 3.0
• AdvancED Flex 3

Flex, Livecycle Data Services, BlazeDS and AIR development for the Enterprises

For Adobe Italy Comtaste has created a series of  free events where we'll talk about the use of Flex, Livecycle Data Services, BlazeDS and AIR development in enterprises contexts.

The first event will be in Rome on June 18 : AIR development for Enterprise desktop applications

We'll show how to create desktop applications using AIR and how to integrate them to JEE enviroments with  LiveCycle Data Service and BlazeDS.

The second event was scheduled in Rome on July 2 and Milan on June 25. The tile of the event is  Enterprise Flex Application with  LiveCycle Data Services.

The events are totally free but you need to register on the Adobe Events site.

Grails plugin for Adobe Flex, Livecycle DS and BlazeDS

Grails is growing more and more and it's gaining an important role over the Java community. Grails is an open-source web application framework that leverages the Groovy language (a cool dynamic language) and complements Java Web development. The Grails framework is built on top of  Spring , an establised enterprise framework. 

The community is huge and you can now find a lot of interesting and useful plugin system  to speed up andintegrate integrates Grails with technologies Java people care about like GWT, DWR, JMS, IntelliJ, search operations are based on Luceneand and others.

Recently a new plugin for Adobe Flex, Livecycle DS and BlazeDS  is available for the Grails framework:

Grails Flex Plugin

the installation of the plugin is very easy. It's enough to launch it using this command line :

grails install-plugin flex

And you'll be ready to specify a Grails service as a remoting destination for Blaze DS or Livecycle DS using the expose property to your service class :

static expose = ['flex-remoting']

Grails is a framework for which I'm very eager to know more. I hope this summer I'll find the time to write some tutorials about the use of Grails plugin for Adobe Flex, Livecycle DS and BlazeDS.

Grails plugin for Adobe Flex and BlazeDS features

* Automatic configuration of Flex related web descriptor elements - For Flex to work configuration of servlets etc. are required in the web descriptor. This plugin automatically does this configuration.
* Eposing Grails services as Flex remoting destinations - When using Flex remoting services each Java service need to be configured within Flex using xml configuration. When exposing Grails service classes with this plugin this configuration is not needed anymore. The service class will automatically be registered within the Flex message broker.
* Participation in reloading of exposed Grails services - This plugin participates nicely with the reloading facilities of Grails. When creating new services or exposing existing services, they will be registered in the Flex message broker without restarting the application
* Embedded BlazeDS libraries
* Embedded Flex Webtier Compiler - When installing this plugin it will automatically install the Flex Webtier Compiler to your web application (within the WEB-INF folder). In development mode this Webtier Compiler is automatically enabled.

Adobe AIR Job Trends

I was wondering what the job trends for Adobe AIR developers was. It's fun to see how much time the word "Adobe AIR" appears in job postings around the globe. The following graph shows this trend from which you can understand how the AIR Developer job position will grow in the next future :

 

"adobe air" Job Trends

"adobe air" jobs

If you compare thi graph to the one that uses "Adobe Flex"  as words, you can see how they look similar.
The job trends for Flex developers is growing more and more and more as you can see from the  graph :

" adobe flex" Job Trends

"adobe flex" jobs

Have also a look at the growth of Flex Data Services jobs. Cool !!
For what concerns our experiences it's a great momentum for Flex Data Services (or Livecycle Data Services) in Europe. We are making a lot of interesting consulting activities on this stuff (FDS, Flex, LCDS) and we receive  a lot of requests !

Report from the one-day training on SAP Interactive Forms and Livecycle integration

Yesterday we had a one day training held by Rob Mennen, Solution Architect from SAP about the integration between SAP Interactive Forms and

This is a report of the first part of the day where Rob introduced the deal of SAP and Adobe and the gave us an introduction on Interactive Forms and Flex integration.

Integration and Optimization of Forms-Based Processes
The agenda:

The SAP - Alliance
SAP Interactive Forms by Adobe
SAP Interactive Forms Solution
Technology Basics

SAP is trying to focus on User productivity and Usability. Nothing new : separate the business logic from the graphic user interface.

What is the Netwaever Business Client ?

In principle, the NetWeaver Business Client (NWBC) is a rich client that can access all of SAP's business applications. It runs not only new Web Dynpro or Visual Composer applications but also classical Dynpros, BSP pages, analytic dashboards, iViews, portal pages, etc. The data exchange between NWBC and the NetWeaver server is based on standards and open services. Today the client is based on Microsoft technology.

Adobe is good upon UIs. SAP is good on the backend side. So they made a great deals.

Original strategic partnership contract signed in 2002. Initial focus on integration of Adobe forms technology into SAP NetWeaver:
    - provide industry leading and easy to use form printing capabilities
    - accessibility
    - extend SAP business processes to occasional and offline users with interactive PDF forms

Launched Interactive Forms by Adobe beginning 2005. Software shippinh to SAP signed in March 2005:
    - generation of Adobe Flex and Flash with SAP Visual Composer (it is a tool for analysts)
    - integration of Adobe Flex in SAP NetWeaver that create compelling Analytical Applications (Flex Based applications)
    - various Flex applications to be shipped in future releases of NetWeaver

Adobe Connect to be embedded in SAP - LMS product line (EMEA launch Q1 2008).
Rob showed an AIR demo created by SAP that was a mash up application (integrated with Yahoo Maps) that drilled into  detailed information.