RIA Development with Adobe Flex and Flash

Getting started with a new technology can sometimes take lots of time and effort. Fortunately, if you are already dealing with Adobe Flex, then AIR is just a few steps away. If you are new to both Flex and AIR, a great way to get started is by building a simple RSS feed reader or some other type of simple widget that makes use of the httpservice component in Adobe Flex. There are quite a few free tutorials on the web that will easily show you how to build a simple application such as this. One of the better tutorials can be found at the following link: RIA Codes - Desktop RSS Reader with AIR and Flex

This simple tutorial will get you started and along the way you will no doubt learn some of the advantages of the Flex/AIR framework, as well as some of the drawbacks. Don’t forget to check out the AIR/Flex quick tip for adding a custom icon from Ray Camden’s blog and the Adobe Developer Connection article on building an Adobe AIR install badge.

Download the fxappdeveloper blog reader sample AIR application. Be sure to download the latest verison of Adobe AIR® (Adobe Integrated Runtime)

It does not get any cheaper that FREE! Here are some great online tutorials for learning Adobe® FlexBuilder …. and there is not cost. Well, no cost beyond the time and dedication that it takes to sit down and actually go through the online training at: http://www.freeflextraining.com/ 

However, if you are like me, the challenge has never really been the cost of training. I have a yearly subscription to lynda.com and I can access all of the online learning on that site any time that I choose. Online learning is a great way to continue your education if you can actually sit down, carve out time in the schedule, and follow along with the videos. As my week typically gets crowded with work obligations and unexpected tasks I do my best to work though a tutorial during my lunch break or late at night to keep my skills sharp. This is sometimes easier said than done.

However, if you have a group of people that need to be trained in a new technology fast, there is still no substitute to Adobe Authorized Flex instrutor lead training. It is still the fastest, most effective way to learn a new technology or software solution.

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