Web applications have extended the reach of enterprises to customers, offering anywhere and anytime access, but at the expense of the overall user experience, which is diminished by delivery through the Web browser. Rich Internet applications address this problem by coupling the ubiquity, small footprint, and interactive capabilities of the Flash Player with server-side technologies such as J2EE and .NET, to deliver highly effective and intuitive applications. What has been missing so far, though, is a way for developers of traditional enterprise software to deliver these rich Internet applications using familiar technologies that fit within their existing development workflow.

Enter Macromedia Flex: a presentation server solution that provides an XML-based language, MXML, for integrating rich-client interfaces with new and existing infrastructures. If you've ever developed dynamic enterprise Web applications with technologies such as JSP or ASP, you can transfer those skills immediately to developing rich-client solutions with Flex.

• Learn how to develop rich-client interfaces using MXML and ActionScript 2.0, J2EE, and .NET.
• Explore real-world, scalable, maintainable Flex applications, with a focus on design patterns, architectural strategies, and integrating Flex with existing applications.
• The accompanying Web site provides sample code and more details on the detailed case study application created in Part V of the book,
• Combo tutorial and reference provides both the technological grounding and real-world know-how needed to deliver rich-client interfaces and interactive experiences with Flex.