Customer Reviews

Macromedia Flash MX 2004 for Rich Internet Applications

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

If you are looking to learn RIAs and are coming from a non Flash background skip this book. There is absolutely nothing here about the huge differences between developing Flash apps and developing in more conventional application environemnts under say, Java, or C#. Even basic things like structuring code (on frames, or central, use of timeline) are glossed over completely. There is no mention of the new Flash MX Pro 2004 screen or forms. There isn't even a discussion of preloading issues and transition between user interfaces. Over all I only found one useful thing in the book, and that would have been found just by doing a better read of the macromedia documentation. Very disappointing. This book is a big reason I try not to buy online. Had I leafed through this at a store I would have not brought it home.

I can't say that I paid for this book. I actually won a copy at Macromedia Max 2003 - however I would not hesitate to buy it. If you are a programmer familiar with Flash MX 6.0 then this is the book to get you up to speed on programming Flash MX 2004. You need to know ActionScript already to take full advantage of this book. It seems some of the reviewers are expecting to have this book walk you through actionscript, the Flash IDE, etc. This is not the books purpose in my opinion. It is how to take advantage of the new tools available in Flash to created Rich Internet Applications.

Being a person whom makes my living building RIAs I have been very impressed with the book. The section on DataSets, DataHolders, etc. was very good and informative. Learning that I can persist a DataSet to a Shared Object made my day! FlashCom coverage is well done, as is the Remoting section. There are a bunch of tips throughout the book that really make it Kerman's best book yet.

If your expecting a Flash or ActionScript tutorial look elsewhere, perhaps the Teach Yourself Flash MX 2004 in 24 hours books would help. If your an experienced ActionScript coder and ready for the next wave (RIAs) then don't wait, grab this book.

As a web development professional who's purchased well over a hundred Web Devlopment books over the years, I most often find myself skimming and referencing these giant manuals, however in Phillip Kerman I've discovered a READABLE technical author.

After purchasing Phillip Kerman's previous outstanding book "ActionScripting in Flash MX" I saw that he was the first to publish an MX 2004 title. Naturally, his previous book was recommendation enough, so I purchased "Macromedia Flash MX 2004 for Rich Internet Applications".

Having now read it cover to cover - and now as I go through it again - I'm amazed at his writing style. Not only is it extremely understandable, thoughtful, and insightful, (even the complicated parts), it makes sense of the CONCEPTS behind what he's talking about - not just the examples.

In MX 2004 for RIA's, Kerman walks the user through everything from arrays to the new components, to exchanging data with outside sources, to communication server, etc. Basically covering all the good bits that Flash MX 2004 is capable of. This is not a reference book - It is a book that gives you a BROAD UNDERSTANDING as well as the confidence you need to take on the advanced stuff on your own. If you're the type of person that borrows code from other sources because you've never quite UNDERSTOOD something. Read this and people WILL BE BORROWING YOUR CODE.

I'm please to say that Kerman is consistently ahead of the pack in both his writing and explanatory style. I enthusiastically recommend this book to all professionals looking to dive into Flash MX 2004 and gain a thorough understanding of it's new and improved features and components.

A truly down to earth book. It covers the programming aspects in easy to understand and real users lingo. Almost reads my mind as to when to throw in a 'cool exercise' to show the benifits of the particular section. I've read numerous books on Flash RIA development but this one is the one that makes it all seem simple in retrospect. The data is flowing!
Well done, Phillip. You've moved to the top of my list for authors in Flash.

Be certain that if you are going to give this book a bad review that you have read it through completely. There are chapters which very much gloss over important aspects of Flash RIA's. These are dealt with in much greater detail later in the book. If you have given this book thumbs down so to speak, it is not likely you have read the whole book.

Having gotten that out of the way:

Does this book cover absolutely every aspect of Flash MX 2004? No way, not even close! No sinle book could; not even the big fat Flash Bible covers everything. But none of that matters. The title of the bok is not,"Flash MX 2004 A Comprehensive Guide" no, the title is, "Flash MX 2004 FOR RICH INTERENET APPLICATIONS". And not even the Big Fat Flash Bible covers Flash/Data management and RIAs as well Kerman's book does.

If you are somewhat familiar with flash and actionscript and have begun the confusing process of creating RIA's this book will go a long way towards clearing the air. It is written in an easy going conversational style that enables one to read entire chapters without so much as a single yawn.

Chapter 3 lays out the technologies in question. It is an excellent overview. The following chapters describe these technologies in greater detail and how to employ them.

If you are new to flash remoting and flash communicating with the outside world this book is for you. I am not new to this technology but the good habits this book portrays and encourages will go a long way towards improving my scripting, designing and developing skills.

This book is for designers and developers. The codes within are solid. There is nothing worse than trying to understand a new concept only to discover that the code you were trying to learn from suffered from syntax errors. Fortunatley that is not an issue here.

Kudos to the Author!

I thought this book was great. Although, it may not be exactly what every person is looking for.

I am a novice developer looking to broaden my horizons into the wonderful world of Flash development, specifically, RIAs. I have experience programming in other languages and have read a few books on flash development. For me, this book was almost perfect.

It seems too often that reviewers and readers expect the author to cater to everyone's needs exactly. Either a book does not cover a particular area that you want or the book does cover the area, but without enough depth. I won't burden you with the obvious reasons underlying the fact that every book can't cover every topic in exhaustive detail. That being said, before you buy this book, understand that it is, for the most part an overview of the related Macromedia Technologies useful in RIA development. Notwithstanding its broad scope, it manages to get into alot of the "nitty gritty" that most developers are looking for (including code samples) when developing such applications. It gives you enough information and specific examples of how to get things done and at the same time allows you to see the "forest through the trees" - which was something I personally needed to put all of these technologies in perspective.

I would not recommend this book for flash "experts" with a solid grasp on the related technologies and I would not recommend it for complete flash newbies (there is no coverage of basic flash concepts, e.g., tweening, drawing...). All in all, if you have some experience with flash and actionscript and are looking to take that knowledge to the next level. This book is a great first step - not necessarily your last.

I am a developer, but I am not a computer scientist, nor do I have the time or energy to go back and study computer science, and with the recent advancements in Flash, sometimes I wish I had studied computer science in college.

If you fall into this category but want to move forward in becoming an RIA developer, I think Phillip's book is outstanding.

I found it much more accessible than any of the other books on similar subjects, and I know it's a good book when I can honestly say despite learning a lot, I never felt lost once.

Over the last 6 years I've managed to grow a respectable company whose primary product is a web-based delivery system I built using various open source technologies. Well clearly such legacy delivery systems are on their way out and RIAs are on the way in and this book is great to ease you into this new way of thinking.

I have been using Flash since Flash 3 (usually a couple months a year to help redesign our company website) and if you don't already know, the changes from Flash MX to Flash MX 2004 can be overwhelming and intimidating so you had better arm yourself with some easily understandable materials that keep the geek speak to a minimum.

Also, there are two very well done chapters (8 and 9) on Flash Communication Server which I had no clue about prior to reading this book.

Macromedia Flash MX 2004 for Rich Internet Applications is a good book but it's not enough.
The book is useful for intermediate users, but if they lack knowledge in some branches, it will be hard for them to undersatand. Advanced users will gain a lot of new ideas.

Philip Kerman divides his book into three parts, the first part is an introduction and overview. Reading this part will make you understand what the writer wants from his book and how ideas flow through the book. You will feel as if you know Philip kerman a long time ago and as if he is one of your friends. Yet, the introduction of more than 60 pages is too much.

The second part of the book is very useful, especially for Multimedia developers who haven't got much experience in web applications. It makes you understand how to design data structure, use Flash Communication Server, XML, Flash Remoting, Local, Shared Objects and Flash components for sure.

The third part offers new ways of working with flash and makes it more easier and organized. It will attract your attention to some of Flash MX 2004 new features, which you may know but may not use.

This is easily the most useful book I have purchased on developing applications with Flash (I have been using Flash since version 2.0 and have been writing games and apps with it for 5 years). The book covers the subject of RIA's in structured chapters that help developers of all skill levels understand the tools that Flash MX 2004 provides. I keep this book within arms reach of my workstation because it also serves as a great reference tool.

In my opinion, the highlights of this book include the best chapters I've read on Flash Communication Server (FCS). FCS is one the most exciting and important new technologies to come from Macromedia and this book will have you building amazing connected applications quickly and easily. (I personally learned to develop for FCS in a matter of hours using step-by-step examples in this book). If you want to learn FCS, get this book first.

Other topics I found very helpful are Kerman's discussions of Local Shared Objects, Flash Remoting, Components and XML. In addition to the specifics of these and other technologies, the author presents excellent information regarding general application development techniques and practices.

All in all, this book covers the subject of RIA's in a thorough manner. Most aspects of application dev are discussed and there are lots of great detailed code examples throughout. Bottom line, I own books twice as thick that don't explain the material nearly as well as this book.

This book was full of flash/actionscript information that was very useful to myself. The book will work out well and teach good lessons to beginners. However, as an experienced actionscript programmer, I find that the book is even more useful for advanced users and more than anything, it gave me many creative ideas. Kerman manages to cover a wide-variety of topics extending beyond just regular actionscript. The diverse nature of all the material covered does not confuse though, Kerman ties it all together in a structured and orderly way. I would recommend this book highly to anyone building flash-based RIAs and I would especially recommend it to any experienced actionscript programmer.