Download Flex 4 Videos (.flv):

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Basic Information:

Learn to use Flex 4 beta and Flash Builder 4 in a week by stepping through this video training course.

To get started, follow these steps:

1. Download and install Flash Builder 4 beta (requires free Adobe membership).
2. Download the project files for each training day.The project files include the starter and solution files for the listed exercises as well as transcripts of the training videos.

   Note: If you prefer, you can also download the starter and solution files for each exercise individually from the respective exercise pages.

3. To maximize your learning, view the videos and complete the exercises in the order listed.

Important: This training is based on the Flex 4 beta 2 and Flash Builder beta 2 versions. Like beta software, this course is still in active development. If you run into problems and have questions, please post your question to the Flex in a Week forum. Also help us help you learn Flex better by telling us what works and what doesn’t work for you in the way this course is structured and presented, so we can make any necessary changes in time for the Flex 4 and Flash Builder releases.

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Day 1

• Day 1 project files (ZIP; 36.2 MB)

Exploring the basics

• Introducing Flex and the Adobe Flash Platform (8:37)
• Exploring Adobe Flash Builder 4 and projects (17:13)
• Understanding namespaces (7:01)
• Managing code and compiling applications (10:08)
• Laying out a form in Design mode (12:25)
• Introducing styling and skinning (8:34)
• Exercise: Creating and skinning an application
• Introducing data binding (5:35)
• Introducing data retrieval and handling with HTTPService (24:14)
• Exercise: Displaying retrieved XML data in application controls

Introducing object-oriented programming

• Implementing OOP concepts in Flex (31:06)
• Exercise: Creating MXML custom components with properties
• Programming ActionScript classes (26:26)
• Exercise: Creating an ActionScript class and instances

Understanding components and layouts

• Laying out Spark and MX components in containers (16:09)
• Exercise: Experimenting with container layouts
• Using constraints to control component layout (6:47)
• Exercise: Implementing a constraint-based layout

Day 2

• Day 2 project files (ZIP; 44.9 MB)

Handling events

• Implementing event handlers (12:40)
• Exercise: Handling a user event
• Understanding the event object and bubbling (21:11)
• Exercise: Using the event object
• Adding event listeners with ActionScript (7:48)
• Exercise: Using the addEventListener() method

Validating and formatting data

• Using formatters (5:25)
• Exercise: Formatting dates
• Validating form data (16:41)
• Exercise: Validating form data

Navigating application content

• Understanding MX navigator containers (10:13)
• Exercise: Navigating using MX navigator containers
• Controlling application states (16:11)
• Exercise: Creating and navigating application states

Animating components and states

• Animating components with effects (15:47)
• Exercise: Animating components with effects
• Animating states with transitions (24:32)
• Exercise: Applying transitions to view states

Day 3

• Day 3 project files (ZIP; 31.7 MB)

Controlling text display

• Introducing the text controls (14:12)
• Exercise: Using text controls
• Utilizing the Text Layout Framework (12:44)
• Exercise: Using text layout features

Controlling visual display with CSS

• Defining styles in CSS (9:59)
• Exercise: Defining selector styles
• Introducing advanced CSS selectors (8:29)
• Exercise: Using advanced CSS selectors

Skinning Spark components

• Introducing skinning (10:58)
• Drawing with FXG (3:25)
• Adding scrollbars (3:10)
• Exercise: Creating and applying skins
• Implementing skin states (7:55)
• Exercise: Creating states and transitions for a skin
• Implementing skin parts (9:11)
• Creating custom skin properties (8:09)
• Exercise: Customizing and reusing skins

Coming Soon……

Day 4 (coming soon)

• Day 4 project files

Extending events

• Creating an event type and dispatching the event object
• Exercise: Creating an event type and dispatching the event object
• Extending the Event class to pass data in the event object
• Exercise: Extending the Event class to pass data in the event object

Accessing remote data

• Retrieving and handling data with HTTPService
• Exercise: Populating an application with data and handling faults
• Introducing the MVC pattern
• Exercise: Separating the model from the view
• Making HTTP request with parameters
• Exercise: Making an HTTP request with parameters
• Using the Flash Builder data wizard
• Exercise: Creating a master/detail interface with a wizard

Creating a typed data model

• Implementing a typed data model
• Exercise: Creating and using a typed data model
• Implementing two-way binding
• Exercise: Binding to a data model
• Using E4X to manipulate loaded data
• Exercise: Manipulating data using E4X

Day 5 (coming soon)

• Day 5 project files

Displaying data with the DataGroup container

• Representing data in default item renderers
• Exercise: Passing data to item renderers for display
• Creating a custom item renderer
• Exercise: Displaying dynamic data in a custom item renderer
• Skinning the DataGroup container
• Exercise: Skinning the DataGroup container

Displaying Data with the DataGrid control

• Creating and formatting the DataGrid control
• Exercise: Using the DataGrid control
• Creating item renderers and item editors
• Exercise: Creating item renderers and item editors
• Handling item renderer events
• Exercise: Handling a DataGrid itemClick event

Deploying Flex and AIR Applications

• Understanding the bin-debug folder
• Exercise: Layering the Flex application above HTML content
• Creating a production build
• Exercise: Creating a production build
• Creating an Adobe AIR application
• Exercise: Deploying to the desktop

This work is not licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 3.0 Unported License.