Flex 4: Developing Rich Client Applications September 6, 2011

Course Outline
Note: The curricula below comprise activities typically covered in a class at this skill level. The instructor may, at his/her discretion, adjust the lesson plan to meet the needs of the class.
Lesson 1: Introducing the Adobe Flash Platform
* Understanding Flex development technologies
* Understanding Flex application deployment
* Exploring the Flash Builder interface
* Creating a Flex project
* Creating a main application file and running it.
Lesson 2: Understanding Flex 4 Fundamentals
* Understanding Adobe Flex namespaces
* Understanding Flex components
* Layout out and styling with Flash Builder
* Compiling and running an application
* Creating an application and configuring its controls in Design mode
* Creating custom components
* Introducing skinning
* Creating and skinning custom components
* Accessing and using structured data within a custom component
* Introducing data binding
* Accessing and using data in a custom component
* Updating visual controls using dynamic data
* Updating visual controls with dynamically assigned data
Lesson 3: Introducing Object Oriented Programming
* Introducing OOP terminology
* Understanding MXML classes
* Using MXML classes
* Creating a class property
* Writing a class definition in ActionScript
* Creating an ActionScript class
* Creating instances of an ActionScript class
* Creating class methods
Lesson 4: Understanding Components and Layouts
* Introducing visual components
* Introducing Spark layout classes
* Using layout classes in an Application container
* Introducing the Spark container classes
* Using different containers with layouts
* Using constraints to control component layout
* Implementing a contraint-based layout
* Adding scrollbars to containers
Lesson 5: Handling events
* Understanding events
* Implementing event handlers
* Using inline ActiionScript for event handling
* Creating ActionScript event handler functions
* Using a function for an event handler
* Understanding the event object
* Understanding event bubbling
* Using the event object
* Adding event listeners with ActionScript
* Using the addEventListener() method
Lesson 6: Validating and Formatting Data
* Using the Form container
* Using formatters
* Formatting currency
* Triggering validation with events
* Validating Numeric Input
* Triggering validation with ActionScript
Lesson 7: Controlling Navigation
* Understanding MX navigator containers
* Using the ViewStack container
* Using a Spark container inside MX navigator containers
* Navigating using the ViewStack and TabBar control
* Creating custom navigation for the ViewStack container
* Using the TabNavigator container
* Using the Accordion container
Lesson 8: Controlling Application State
* Understanding view states
* Creating multiple states
* Controlling view states
Lesson 9: Animating Components and States
* Applying effects to components
* Creating composite effects
* Creating parallel and sequential effects
* Applying transitions to application state changes
* Adding and removing components during animations
* Animating between states
Lesson 10: Controlling Visual Display with Styling
* Creating global application styles
* Defining styles and skins for components
* Creating selector styles and skins
* Introducing Advanced CSS selectors
* Using advanced CSS selectors
Lesson 11: Skinning Spark Components
* Introducing skinning
* Creating and applying skins
* Incorporating visual elements drawn in other programs
* Using a shape drawn in Adobe Illustrator
* Creating a vertical header for the Spark Pane container
Lesson 12: Implementing Advanced Skinning Techniques
* Implementing different visual states for a skin
* Creating animated states in a Button control skin
* Adding scrollbars to skins
* Making a component scrollable using a skin
Lesson 13: Accessing Remote Data
* Using HTTPService to load remote data
* Creating an HTTPService request and using the lastResult property
* Using result and fault handlers
* Making HTTP requests with parameters
* Using wizards
Lesson 14: Creating a Typed Data Model
* Understanding the need for a typed data model
* Creating an ActionScript class for typed data
* Creating a value object class
* Populating an ArrayCollection with value objects
* Understanding data bindings with value objects
* Implementing data bindings
* Refactoring value objects
Lesson 15: Extending Events
* Understanding the problem with bindings
* Defining the event type
* Handling the event in the main application
* Creating and dispatching an event
* Extending the Event class
* Using the extending event class
* Extending the Event class to dispatch the event object with data
* Dispatching a value object with the extended event
Lesson 16: Rendering Content with the DataGroup Container
* Displaying string data in an item renderer
* Using DefaultItemRenderer
* Passing UI components in the data provider
* Using the DefaultComplexItemRenderer
* Creating a custom item renderer
* Creating a custom item renderer with data
* Using the SkinnableDataContainer
* Applying a skin to the SkinnableDataContainer
Lesson 17: Displaying Data Using the DataGrid
* Using the DataGrid control
* Specifying DataGrid control columns
* Formatting DataGrid control columns
* Using item renderers and item editors
* Using a drop-in item editor
* Inline item renderers and item editors
* Using an inline item editor
* Item renderer and item editor components
* Using a component item renderer
* Using events and selected items with a DataGrid component
* Using a change event on the DataGrid control
Lesson 18: Deploying Flex and AIR Applications
* Compiling the Flex application
* Creating a Flex application production build
* Creating a desktop application