Flex & PHP for Rich Internet Application Development Charles Bihis Software Engineer [email_address]

Welcome! Thanks for coming What is a RIA? Flex + PHP? What can I build with it? How can I build with it? Demo REST JSON AMF Q & A +

Thanks for coming

What is a RIA?

Flex + PHP?

What can I build with it?

How can I build with it?

Demo

REST

JSON

AMF

Q & A

What is a RIA? Rich Internet Applications Fully featured software package that runs in a browser Look and feel of desktop applications More than just Ajax on a website Transfer the processing necessary for the user interface to the client eg. Don’t go back to the server for filtering or sorting of data We need TWO things… A powerful HOST A rich CLIENT

Rich Internet Applications

Fully featured software package that runs in a browser

Look and feel of desktop applications

More than just Ajax on a website

Transfer the processing necessary for the user interface to the client

eg. Don’t go back to the server for filtering or sorting of data

We need TWO things…

A powerful HOST

A rich CLIENT

and Flex Client-side technology Object oriented ActionScript 3.0 Flex applications are compiled Compile locally to SWF files for the Flash Player Runtime Flex Builder includes debugger FREE! Flex SDK is free to download at Adobe Labs PHP Server-side technology Object oriented PHP 5 PHP is compiled Compile to bytecode for processing by the Zend Engine Dreamweaver does NOT include debugger FREE! Released under PHP License and considered free by the Free Software Foundation

Flex

Client-side technology

Object oriented

ActionScript 3.0

Flex applications are compiled

Compile locally to SWF files for the Flash Player Runtime

Flex Builder includes debugger

FREE!

Flex SDK is free to download at Adobe Labs

PHP

Server-side technology

Object oriented

PHP 5

PHP is compiled

Compile to bytecode for processing by the Zend Engine

Dreamweaver does NOT include debugger

FREE!

Released under PHP License and considered free by the Free Software Foundation

Flex + PHP Full end-to-end solution Server (PHP) Client (Flex) Rich client interface handled by Flex Powerful server-side data management handled by PHP Easy integration between the two

Rich client interface handled by Flex

Powerful server-side data management handled by PHP

Easy integration between the two

PHP-Powered RIAs mapping application http:// maps.yahoo.com photo-editing application http:// seespotslide.com live chat application http:// www.activalive.com audio-editing application http:// finetune.com

mapping application

http:// maps.yahoo.com

photo-editing application

http:// seespotslide.com

live chat application

http:// www.activalive.com

audio-editing application

http:// finetune.com

“ Rich Interactive Applications (RIA*) are at the centre of the drive to make the experience of a user’s interaction with software applications matter more.” Ovum What’s in it for you? “ By 2010, at least 60 percent of new application development projects will include RIA technology.” Gartner $5.5 Billion

“ Rich Interactive Applications (RIA*) are at the centre of the drive to make the experience of a user’s interaction with software applications matter more.”

Ovum

What’s in it for you? * PHP jobs are 30x more abundant than Flex jobs  24 000 jobs 800 000 jobs 

Demo

Demo Getting started Simple HTML Table Without sorting With sorting Flex + PHP using REST Flex + PHP using JSON Flex + PHP using AMF Real-world example

Getting started

Simple HTML Table

Without sorting

With sorting

Flex + PHP using REST

Flex + PHP using JSON

Flex + PHP using AMF

Real-world example

Getting Started Have a LAMP installation up and running Windows: WAMP, http://www.wampserver.com/ Mac: MAMP, http://www.mamp.info PHP >= 5.2 required for JSON library Download Flex Builder: http://www.flex.org/download/ Create a MySQL database Name: MyDatabase Table: Contacts Columns: id, first_name, last_name, email Download AMFPHP http://www.amfphp.org

Have a LAMP installation up and running

Windows: WAMP, http://www.wampserver.com/

Mac: MAMP, http://www.mamp.info

PHP >= 5.2 required for JSON library

Download Flex Builder:

http://www.flex.org/download/

Create a MySQL database

Name: MyDatabase

Table: Contacts

Columns: id, first_name, last_name, email

Download AMFPHP

http://www.amfphp.org

Recap PHP to HTML Design-elements are coupled with the data ALL processing is done on the server-side Visually restricted by HTML style elements PHP to Flex Data handled solely by the server, whereas design handled by client Processing is distributed accordingly Data processing handled by the server Design processing handled by they client Visually rich!

PHP to HTML

Design-elements are coupled with the data

ALL processing is done on the server-side

Visually restricted by HTML style elements

PHP to Flex

Data handled solely by the server, whereas design handled by client

Processing is distributed accordingly

Data processing handled by the server

Design processing handled by they client

Visually rich!

Flex + PHP + Flickr = Simple Rich Flickr Photo Viewer Accessing Flickr servers via PHP Flickr returns data in serialized format De-serialize in PHP Output data in XML format, easily readable and accessible from Flex client

Accessing Flickr servers via PHP

Flickr returns data in serialized format

De-serialize in PHP

Output data in XML format, easily readable and accessible from Flex client

One Step Further

AIR + PHP + Flickr = Simple Rich Flickr Photo Viewer Mostly the same code as in the Flex client Removed custom chrome Re-added ability to move application window

Mostly the same code as in the Flex client

Removed custom chrome

Re-added ability to move application window

Q & A

Tips for PHP Developers Make sure your PHP is working before building your Flex application REST (XML output) and JSON are really easy - Just call the PHP script in a browser For AMF connections: Service Capture is an useful tool, http://kevinlangdon.com/serviceCapture/ The Flex Debugger is your friend Read the help documentation and learn to use it

Make sure your PHP is working before building your Flex application

REST (XML output) and JSON are really easy - Just call the PHP script in a browser

For AMF connections:

Service Capture is an useful tool, http://kevinlangdon.com/serviceCapture/

The Flex Debugger is your friend

Read the help documentation and learn to use it

Community Links Get Started with Flex and PHP http://www.flex.org/php/ Frameworks: Drupal Services Module: http://groups.drupal.org/services/ Cake Framework: http://rdos.rd11.com/CakeAMFPHP/ AMF Implementations (all open source): The Midnight Coders http:// www.themidnightcoders.com AMFPHP http:// www.amfphp.org /

Get Started with Flex and PHP

http://www.flex.org/php/

Frameworks:

Drupal Services Module: http://groups.drupal.org/services/

Cake Framework: http://rdos.rd11.com/CakeAMFPHP/

AMF Implementations (all open source):

The Midnight Coders

http:// www.themidnightcoders.com

AMFPHP

http:// www.amfphp.org /