PORTING A LARGE APP Adam Breindel [email_address]

The Large App Mindjet MindManager … a mindmapping tool Deployed as a desktop productivity app Mac and Windows Versions (currently v7.2) … plus … Real-time map collaboration via hosted service

Mindjet MindManager … a mindmapping tool

Deployed as a desktop productivity app

Mac and Windows Versions (currently v7.2)

… plus …

Real-time map collaboration via hosted service

Tech eval Needed to work in locked-down corporate env No TCP sockets, no new plugins Not a lot of alternatives Silverlight – too immature 1.0 had not RC’d yet, 2.0 was still in alpha, Might be a “new” plugin Java/Applet/JNLP/WebStart JavaFX script not ready, else would require a lot of rendering code Flash 9: Right place at the Right time ActionScript 3 combines best of static and dynamic worlds Declarative and procedural GUIs E4X – Why? Xml-based DSL on back end New linking model for modularity: SWC Known quantity performer for visual FX

Needed to work in locked-down corporate env

No TCP sockets, no new plugins

Not a lot of alternatives

Silverlight – too immature

1.0 had not RC’d yet, 2.0 was still in alpha, Might be a “new” plugin

Java/Applet/JNLP/WebStart

JavaFX script not ready, else would require a lot of rendering code

Flash 9: Right place at the Right time

ActionScript 3 combines best of static and dynamic worlds

Declarative and procedural GUIs

E4X – Why? Xml-based DSL on back end

New linking model for modularity: SWC

Known quantity performer for visual FX

Architecture Similar to desktop app rather than web app MVC  M2VC … popular for AJAX/SmartClient Less use of interfaces than, e.g. C# or Java Compiled to one SWF (worked, but don’t assume) Might have helped ‘break the build’ type issues Can use a ‘more dynamic’ style closures instead of obj/interface/function pattern

Similar to desktop app rather than web app

MVC  M2VC … popular for AJAX/SmartClient

Less use of interfaces than, e.g. C# or Java

Compiled to one SWF (worked, but don’t assume)

Might have helped ‘break the build’ type issues

Can use a ‘more dynamic’ style

closures instead of obj/interface/function pattern

Tooling Combined FlexBuilder, FlexSDK, and OSFlash No problems provided those using OS tools are savvy to the command line / script experience Could have used UML tool for the model part Tools are quirky Certain “quirks” == big business risk to project E4X parse bug Other bugs aren’t really critical to this discussion

Combined FlexBuilder, FlexSDK, and OSFlash

No problems provided those using OS tools are savvy to the command line / script experience

Could have used UML tool for the model part

Tools are quirky

Certain “quirks” == big business risk to project

E4X parse bug

Other bugs aren’t really critical to this discussion

Learnings

Shallow Learning Curve 3 of 5 coders in initial impl had no Flash exp 2 had Flash but minimal AS3/Flash9 (just out) BUT … abstractions leak Over the player model E.g., onEnterFrame, doLater And over the looks-like-Java model Threads, Blocking vs. Callbacks, CPS, &c .

3 of 5 coders in initial impl had no Flash exp

2 had Flash but minimal AS3/Flash9 (just out)

BUT … abstractions leak

Over the player model

E.g., onEnterFrame, doLater

And over the looks-like-Java model

Threads, Blocking vs. Callbacks, CPS, &c .

Don’t Think About Movies & Clips VM-based runtimes are the standard now Just think of it like .Net, Java, Ruby, whatever Bring your OO experience You won’t need it everywhere, But it helps a lot on the big problems

VM-based runtimes are the standard now

Just think of it like .Net, Java, Ruby, whatever

Bring your OO experience

You won’t need it everywhere,

But it helps a lot on the big problems

!(Premature Optimization) Still “the root of all evil” Conduct benchmarks for potential showstoppers E4X One perf issue discovered later Closures eat memory So replace “hotspot” closures – small fix Size: SWF is 972kb with some assets

Still “the root of all evil”

Conduct benchmarks for potential showstoppers

E4X

One perf issue discovered later

Closures eat memory

So replace “hotspot” closures – small fix

Size: SWF is 972kb with some assets

Oslo Notwithstanding… There’s a lot to be said for AS3/ES4/JS2! Unscientific estimate of 2x-4x gain over purely dynamic JS Refactoring Compile-time analysis 1.3-1.5x gain over strict language (e.g. Java) Less code == less bugs, less to maintain

There’s a lot to be said for AS3/ES4/JS2!

Unscientific estimate of 2x-4x gain over purely dynamic JS

Refactoring

Compile-time analysis

1.3-1.5x gain over strict language (e.g. Java)

Less code == less bugs, less to maintain

E4X Works On a Large Scale Necessity due to legacy server design SOAP “wrapper” around XML DSL Fear of irrevocable “contamination” unfounded Did refactor a bunch Not hard E4X in AS3 needs its own spec, its own syntax docs, and a matching test suite! Not news Particular issue with namespaces (attributes)

Necessity due to legacy server design

SOAP “wrapper” around XML DSL

Fear of irrevocable “contamination” unfounded

Did refactor a bunch

Not hard

E4X in AS3 needs its own spec, its own syntax docs, and a matching test suite!

Not news

Particular issue with namespaces (attributes)

Where is the XHTML Edit Widget? Rich text widget in Flex 3 is inadequate Doesn’t appear to be a full one in Flex 4 Proper 3 rd -party component? Hacks, e.g. JavaScript / content editable AIR gets closer with HTML integration Seems like a money-making opportunity!

Rich text widget in Flex 3 is inadequate

Doesn’t appear to be a full one in Flex 4

Proper 3 rd -party component?

Hacks, e.g. JavaScript / content editable

AIR gets closer with HTML integration

Seems like a money-making opportunity!

Async can be a Pain Sometimes you really want to block But the trend seems to be away from threads E.g. Silverlight has threads but not for your web calls Democratization of development means greater proportion of devs who can’t work with threads Leveraged CPS, function queues (chaining) instead

Sometimes you really want to block

But the trend seems to be away from threads

E.g. Silverlight has threads but not for your web calls

Democratization of development means greater proportion of devs who can’t work with threads

Leveraged CPS, function queues (chaining) instead

Overall, Flex/Flash == NonIssue Every project has issues, but they weren’t with Flex or Flash Team was extremely experienced coming in Mindjet allowed anything that would play with their ASP.Net servers

Every project has issues, but they weren’t with Flex or Flash

Team was extremely experienced coming in

Mindjet allowed anything that would play with their ASP.Net servers

Questions? My contact info: Adam Breindel / Ind. Consultant [email_address] http://skipmeamadeus.blogspot.com

My contact info:

Adam Breindel / Ind. Consultant

[email_address]

http://skipmeamadeus.blogspot.com