Reflex at 360|Flex

Reflex was finally demoed for the first time at the recent 360|Flex Conference. This new component framework is familiar to the Flex Framework in features and use though it is completely independent. Reflex extends the Flash Player through composition adding a robust layout, skinning, a component suite and an MXML workflow.

Probably the most unique aspect to the design of the Reflex system is a concept called Behaviors. A Behavior defines specific logic or interaction for a component, which is usually made up of several behaviors. As with component skins behaviors may be added and replaced at runtime and will utilize the styling features of the Flash Builder.

Through skinning and changing behavior a component can be completely redressed without extension. Below is an example of a list of data, moon phases and their cycle percentage:
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Reflex: Rethinking Component Design

So is the title of the upcoming 360|Flex presentation on Reflex, a toolkit for Flash developers that has been in the works. The conference in March will finally mark its début:

With the emergence of so many new technologies it is an exciting time to be a developer. Embracing the spirit of advancement, Reflex was created to extend the Flash Platform with a component toolset worthy of its industry. Reinventing the features of Flex for the creative workflow, Reflex enhances the Flash Player (rather than abstracting it) to meet the demands of next generation applications and devices. Come be among the first to see what Reflex can do and learn about its unique architecture, the details of the project, its goals and its future. (session description)

The presentation will begin at 1:00pm on Tuesday, the 9th of March. Right after lunch. Be sure to come early for a good seat.

New & Improved Flex/Flash Data Binding

I’m just finishing up the development of another weak-referenced data binding. The implementation I’ll be releasing soon works seamlessly with Flex and Flash projects, ensuring that application bindings don’t cause memory leaks. And it’s smaller and faster than Flex’s built-in BindingUtils (more…)

Flight Framework: Another Flex Framework?

At 360|Flex this last month there were 5 different framework-centric presentations, from Adobe’s Cairngorm down to build-your-own-framework. Each framework presents its own virtues and vice’s, each developed to solve their originator’s focused set of organizational problems encountered in their architecture. I’m not an expert in any one of these frameworks and so won’t compare or contrast this list of projects to determine the “best” one. Even better, I have one more to throw on the pile: Flight Framework. Yet another framework, another methodology, another workflow for Flash and Flex application development … why? Why offer another option in the crowd of mulling libraries that vie for popularity?
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