Anyone using CF with Flex?

Report · Jun 05, 2006

Anyone using CF as the background technology with Adobe Flex?

--
Wally Kolcz
Developer / Support

Report · Jun 06, 2006

Wally Kolcz wrote:
> Anyone using CF as the background technology with Adobe Flex?
>

Lots of people--did you have a specific question? Adobe's doing
fantastic integration between CF and Flex with the new "Mystic" updater
for CF.
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/cf_flexconnectivity/

Matt
--
Matt Woodward
mpwoodward@gmail.com
Adobe Community Expert - ColdFusion

Report · Jun 06, 2006

Well, I wanted to know if anyone in this forum was using it, not in general.
I am looking for help in trying to figure it out.

Documentation on how to merge the two is confusing and does not cover the
generals of trying to make a connection between the two. It goes into
examples that I cannot understand.

In fact there is none I have found that cover simple things like how to bind
dynamic information to a label so you can simply display results that are
not in a datagrid.

I am trying to do an application that offers information about a project.
All I want to do is to connect to the database, query a single record of
information, and display it on a panel with static labels:

Project Title:
Dimensions:
Due Date:

I am in love with the idea of Fex, but it seems that all the information
currently available speaks in such a way that you have to have a strong
programming background to even catch it. I am coming from Classic ASP and
Coldfusion and have not quite grasped the concept of objects and how to
connect using web services. Everything I have found throws you in and makes
you try to figure it out.

Report · Jun 07, 2006

Wally Kolcz wrote:
> Documentation on how to merge the two is confusing and does not cover the
> generals of trying to make a connection between the two. It goes into
> examples that I cannot understand.

Have you looked at the materials available at labs.adobe.com? There's
also a nice demo video of the "Flex Super Wizard" for CF available here:
http://www.dcooper.org/gallery/ColdFusionFlexApplicationWizard.htm

I did a few articles back in Flex 1.5 days, the most helpful of which
for CF developers is probably this one (link seems to be down right at
the moment):
http://www.sys-con.com/story/?storyid=48231&DE=1

I also did a Breeze presentation on adobe.com on this same topic which,
again though it was for Flex 1.5, might be helpful from a conceptual
standpoint:
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flex/articles/flexcf_macrochat.html

> I am trying to do an application that offers information about a project.
> All I want to do is to connect to the database, query a single record of
> information, and display it on a panel with static labels:

General comment--remember that Flex itself doesn't talk to the database.
Flex talks to CF, and CF talks to the database. You may already be
aware of that but as that's a common point of confusion, I thought it
was at least worth mentioning.

There are actually numerous sample applications available on the Adobe
labs site that would have examples of this:
http://labs.adobe.com/flexproductline/

And the Flex-CF connectivity pieces make this all astoundingly simple:
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/cf_flexconnectivity/

> I am in love with the idea of Fex, but it seems that all the information
> currently available speaks in such a way that you have to have a strong
> programming background to even catch it. I am coming from Classic ASP and
> Coldfusion and have not quite grasped the concept of objects and how to
> connect using web services. Everything I have found throws you in and makes
> you try to figure it out.

Understood, but realize there is going to be a bit of a learning curve
as you learn any new technology, and Flex is no exception. The new
CF-Flex wizard and the sample apps that are available should at least
give you some study materials to get started, and as you have questions
you might try the Flex Coders list on Yahoo, which has been around since
the early days of Flex.

Hope that helps,
Matt
--
Matt Woodward
mpwoodward@gmail.com
Adobe Community Expert - ColdFusion

Report · Jun 08, 2006

I was quite impressed with the Breeze presentation. It shed some light on
the CF/Flex process. I downloaded and watched the "Flex Super Wizard" video
and it also gave me some good insight into the CF / Flex wizard and how to
start to work with it. I haven't given up hope yet.