Customer Reviews

Reality Macromedia ColdFusion MX: Macromedia Flash MX Integration

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book by the star of Macromedia Ben Forta, and his crew of
co-authors is perhaps the first of its kind to highlight the many
business uses for Flash integration. It is refreshing to see a new point
of view that highlights applications which are more than just the
Skip-Intro's that have made Macromedia's Flash infamous. While the
book's focus is not a coding reference, it does expertly diagram methods
for successful implementations of real world rich user interface
applications. If you have ever wondered how to create a database driven
web application that acts like a website, but performs like a true rich
UI application, Reality ColdFusion MX is for you. With this offering,
Forta assumes that the reader has already been introduced to both Flash
and ColdFusion. Instead the reader is presented with a more intricate
discussion about integrating these two complimentary and recently
co-branded software packages. Many of the new features introduced in the
MX versions of Flash and ColdFusion (CFC's, Flash Remoting, Flash
components, and Shared Objects) are described in depth throughout the
book.

Reality ColdFusion MX is divided into four sections, each based on its
own Flash application (media player, expense reporter, instant
messenger, and email client). The development process is shown in its
entirety from the point of view of a real world consulting engagement
(where frequently time and budget dictate the planning process more than
the actual requirements do). Forta expertly recounts real life
experiences while highlighting the most powerful new features of Flash
and ColdFusion MX. This book is for coders and architects that are ready
to delve into the world of using Flash as a dynamic user interface. The
focus here is not on how to do a motion tween across the timeline, it is
understanding how to properly separate presentation from function, while
rapidly creating an application that can change the way business is done
on the web. Kudos to Forta and the gang for teaching us the future of
Flash MX as a business tool that can be used side-by-side with
ColdFusion MX for powerful presentations of server side applications. I
highly recommend this book to anyone who develops applications for the
web.

This book provides an acceptable introduction to Flash Remoting with CF, but there isn't enough code or explanation to allow you to start on your own until after you've learned both CF and Flash well independently. Also, at least 80% of the book talks about methodology, fake meetings, requirements gathering, and stuff like that--not the stated purpose of the book.

If you have extra time, I think it's worth a read, but if you can't read everything you want to, you're better off concentrating on Flash and ColdFusion specific books.

This book is not written for everyone. Even if you know your CFML and ActionScript it is best that you have developed a couple of projects first (before trying this book).

I personally like the layout of the book. Yes it takes a little getting use to. I did not realize some people disliked the unimaginative way most computer books are written. Having notes pasted in at odd angles gives the book a "real world" feel.

I have only looked at the mail client example, but from that I am very impressed with the book. The code provided in the book was straight forward and easy to follow.

I am a CF programmer by trade. While I know some Flash, I would not consider myself an expert. The Flash coding was what slowed me down the most. However, after completing the mail client I must say my Falsh skills have improved (but I am still no Hillman Curtis).

If you are an advanced CF user who knows Flash, this is the book you have been waiting for. Even though this book is beyond the beginner-intermediate level, I would encourage them to read the book lightly. There are many concepts that are explained in this book that could shed some light on CFMX and Flash.

I recently recieved this book and was able to read straight through it in no time. The project theme used throughout the book provided an enjoyable reading experience while at the same time did an excellent job of explaining Flash and ColdFusion integration. Since the book covers Flash and ColdFusion integration, the book thankfully also covers Flash Remoting, the bridge between ColdFusion MX and Flash MX.

This was an incredibly useful book on integrating Flash and ColdFusion. I have done integration with the two products in the past but this book provided useful pointers and techniques that will prove invaluable for my next project. The real-life concepts work great as a learning mechanism throughout the book.

I don't understand the fuzz about this. Maybe I am wrong but for now this is the only CF/Flash MX book I have found. But I am far from amazed. The layout and style of writing leaves a lot of blanks, The book is built in self-proclaimed case studies. Case studies where pages printed in 45 degrees, making it unnessesarily hard to read the text. Code is not clearly written and is sometimes 'hidden' inbetween descriptive text...now, I did not like this...

I have been programming in coldfusion since 4.5, and i have always had problems trying to integrate it with flash, but now that coldfusion and flash mx came out its a lot easier to integrate them together. This book actually shows you how to take full advantage in developing more enhanced applications utilizing coldfusion and flash mx, and it also shows you how to integrate your applications using the flash communication server, which to me was a very big help.

I would definetly recomend this book to anyone that is trying to learn how to integrate coldfusion and flash mx.

This book changed my life! Ok...maybe not my life, but at least my development process.

I will tell you this, if you open this book expecting to just walk through the steps to build something you are in for a big surprise. This is not a reference book and it's not a "learn flash remoting in 24 hours" book either. What it is, is a fresh approach in which you learn more than just how to develop an application in the standard sense.

This book walks you through the steps of the development process from the initial brainstorming session to the delivery and implementation of the final product. Each piece include whiteboard drawings, real emails, real notes from meetings, etc..

To top it all off, they shows REAL issues you run into during development and how to overcome them. When was the last time everything in a book wasn't all rosy and perfect? Honesty in a development book...nice concept!

Check out more cool stuff from these guys at flashcfm.com and forta.com

Excellent work guys!

I found this book really helpful in terms of applying development to real-world situations. Each section of this book takes the reader through the initial planning stages of an application, all the way through to implementation. The content is very well written and demonstrates how to blend the uniqueness of a Flash UI with ColdFusion powering the backend. This book thoroughly covers Flash Remoting, CFC's, and Flash Comm Server. If you're interested in developing the next generation of web applications then this book is a must have. This is not a beginners guide to Flash/CF and requires that you have some experience with developing Flash and ColdFusion applications.

With the myraid of new features available to Web developers who link together the Flash MX, ColdFusion MX, and Flash Communication Server MX products from Macromedia, there's a lot to be learned in very little time. I purchased this book to get a jump on both Flash Remoting and working with the Flash Communication server product. The book excells in its first two thirds, covering the construction of real-world applications which use Flash MX at their core. Some may be annoyed by the focus on the entire application development lifecycle and not merely on code, but I find this approach to be useful and refreshing. We all talk about use cases and requirements gathering, but very few of us working in small teams actually do it.

The book rapidly loses its way when it comes time to discuss interaction with the Flash Communication Server. Huge chunks of code go unexplained, and the text itself suffers from poor editing. My guess is that the book was written before the 1.0 version of FlashComm was released, and the desire to not discuss code that may have changed between draft submission of the book and release of the FlashComm server is painfully evident. If you're interested in FlashComm, take a look at his book on the Flash Communication Server instead.