Adobe Flex 2 is a comprehensive solution for building rich internet applications combining desktop richness with web reach. It includes the Flex framework for building RIAs, Flex Builder 2 as the IDE, and services for data access and messaging. The Flex framework provides APIs, libraries and runtime for building RIAs using MXML and ActionScript. Flex Builder 2 improves developer productivity with features like code completion and debugging tools. Flex Data Services enables accessing and synchronizing data across tiers using formats like AMF and SOAP.

1. Adobe Flex 2 Kevin Hoyt Senior Product Specialist [Image coming]

2. Flex Product Line A comprehensive solution for delivering applications that combine the richness of the desktop with the reach of the web. Flex Framework 2 Flex Data Services Flex Builder 2 Flash Player 9 Flash Media Server

3. Flex Product Line Flex Framework 2 Flex Builder 2 Flex Data Services 2 Enterprise Data Services Transparent, message-based data synchronization for cross-tier publish/subscribe-style data exchange Basic Data Services AMF gateway and SOAP proxy for RPC-style data exchange Automated Testing Flex Framework APIs for automated functional testing using industry leading test suites Core Runtime Services Dynamic compilation/caching, session management, history management, and client runtime deployment Flex Class Library Flex Base Classes, Components, Containers, Layout Managers, Behaviors, and Effects Flex Utilities Compilation, Profiling, Debugging Design View, Intelligent Code Hinting, Step-Through Debugging, Component Skinning The essential runtime services for deploying enterprise-class rich Internet applications The programming model, languages and class library for building rich Internet applications with the Flash Platform The Eclipse-based IDE for building rich Internet applications with the Flex Framework

4. Flash Player 9 Flash Player 9 New Virtual Machine 5-10X performance improvement for applications ActionScript 3 ECMAScript standard language (ECMA-262) W3C DOM Level 3 event model ECMAScript for XML (E4X) Regular Expressions AS2 AS3

5. Flex Framework Flex Framework MXML Class Library ActionScript

6. Flex Framework: Key Features for Flex 2 Developer productivity Simplified component development MXML Language simplification E4X data binding Validation infrastructure improvements Automated testing support Application expressiveness Improved skinning with CSS View states and transitions Enhanced, more usable effects Constraint-based layout Application performance Ported to AVM+/ActionScript 3 Faster startup Scroll region support for faster scrolling Leverage Bitmap caching Working with large data sets Expanded component library Charting and DataGrid improvements Rich Text Editor Application Control Bar Toggle Button Popup Button

7. Flex Charting Components 2 Documented, extensible API Chart Types (Pareto, Radar, etc) Series Types (Split Column, data-driven color Bubbles, etc) Annotations (Growth lines, selection, attention, notes) Skins (complex fills, shapes, data-driven appearance, etc) Axes (Currency, Duration, etc) New Customization Points Custom DataTips Custom Label Renderers Top requested in-the-box features Dual Axis support Exploding Pies! New Axes: Logarithmic, Date/Time New Charts: Candlestick and HLOC <mx:BarChart id=&quot;idChart&quot;> width=&quot;100%&quot; height=&quot;100%&quot; marginTop=&quot;10&quot; type=&quot;stacked&quot; <creationComplete=“ ratingsViewHelper.setChart( event )&quot;> <mx:verticalAxis> <mx:CategoryAxis categoryField=&quot;y&quot; />

8. Changes for Flex Builder 2 Flex Builder 1.x Flex Builder 2

9. Flex Builder 2: Increase Developer Productivity Coding Intelligence Code coloring for AS, MXML, CSS Robust statement completion Rapid source code navigation Debugging Interactive step-through debugger Call stack, variables, expression windows Integrated Learning Tools Simple configuration wizards for setting up/managing projects Integrated tutorials and reference content In-line notation of compiler errors and warnings

10. Flex Builder 2: Deliver Great Experiences Re-engineered design view Dramatically improved performance Visual components panel Simplified selection and dragging New layout and state models Visual tool for constraint-based layout Automated alignment and resizing of components Visual authoring of component or application states Deeper support for skinning and styling Full rendering of custom skins and components Simplified property inspector for setting component styles

11. Flex Data Services Flex Data Services HTTP Service RPC Services Web Service Remote Object Message Service Web-Tier Compiler Data Sync Data Management Paging OCC Collaboration Messaging Pub/Sub Data Push

12. Client Initiated Messaging Message Service Flex Data Services Endpoint Publisher Subscriber RTMP AMF HTTP Adapter Y Adapter X Messaging System Y Messaging System X JMS Provider JMS Adapter

13. Real-Time Data Push Message Services Flex Data Services Adapter Y Adapter X Messaging System Y Messaging System X Endpoint Publisher Subscriber RTMP AMF HTTP JMS Provider JMS Adapter

14. Data Management Flex Data Services Data Service DAO Object Adapter Endpoint Client A Client B Client C Hibernate Adapter JDBC Adapter Hibernate RDBMS CFC Adapter ColdFusion