After a doubt in a previous post, I understand that there are many doubts in time to start in Flex because there are many references in the net on beginner, but with different starting points of many confusing terms, Flex Builder, Flex SDK, Air, Eclipse, and I will pass that on to explain a little about each to make it easier to understand all this complexity that makes it wrong Flex.

Let's see ...

Flex is the name itself of a new technology based on flash. The flex is only a framework for the Flash platform, which implements the flash with a visual aspect much more elaborate transforming it with a rich content (RIA - Rich Internet Application) much because of its ability to inter-act with enumeras languages Programming such as php, asp,. net or java and with the most comprehensive databases and API's. In other words, almost everything that is done in flex is possible to do in flash, with the vast difference in the flash would have to create all the steps, and the flex, which is already a framework components can very ready to use. Initiated by Macromedia in 2004 was not very popular among developers, later bought by Adobe (one of the first software that Adobe bought Macromedia, first of all) and launched on the market with the name Adobe Flex, the name that everyone knows .

Air (Adobe Integrated Runtime) an application that allows Flash content / applications developed in Flex run on Desktop / Work environment drawn up without the need for facilities. Increases the possibility of extending the flash to the desktop allowing flex time to be considered in developing a desktop application that has great need for online support, with an ease and extreme capabilities can even be used "only" for a simple application as a reader of video or text editor.

Flex SDK, this is more of the words spoken and is nothing more than the "core" / heart of flex, these are the functions of the framework ready for use. Called a software development kit (Software Development Kit) allows possession use all the functions / elements of flex in our needs. (The SDK is free and has a compiler to compile our code and transforms it into a. Swf)

Flex Builder. There may exist many misunderstandings ... to develop Flex does not need the Flex Builder. You can even use the notepad, I shall explain. The Flex Builder is an application that presents a graphic structure to support the development of applications based on our SDK (call for IDE - Integrated Development Environment), or is an interface to our SDK. The flex builder (software / ide) was based on Eclipse, a popular program for the most diverse programming languages. Because this is versavel eclipse is the point of being versatile in the interpretation of several languages, the adobe decides to base its Flex Builder in the same software. The Flex Builder is paid (except educational institutions and students).

Eclipse. The program that I spoke up, as I said is the point of multi interpret many of the common languages using some plug-ins, there is even a plugin "flex builder" for the eclipse, which turns into a real Flex Builder, but this extension is paid . The eclipse (free) is very popular among companies / developers / programmers to have a great support, be very comprehensive and bear enumeras programming languages. It is even used by large companies and large projects such as Zend Studio, Aptana, Borland or even IBM (core "investor" of the project).

Action Script is the foundation of everything we are speaking up, ie, while the Flex using a variation of XML (MXML) to set some components of the earliest implementation in time to compile everything turns Action Script 3. This language is identified as infinitely Extensible which allows us to get almost anything with it and mostly get a variety of components / extensions already made in the community and most interesting is that being an object-oriented language is rapidly evolving and for those who already worked with the AS3 in Flash is practically the same thing. The great difficulty can be the transition from AS2 to AS3, but I can indicate, is not so difficult as it sounds, with little time will pass to forget the AS2.

Once we started to develop in AS3, completely forgot the AS2, even in Flash 8 where they developed some sites in AS2 and who now do with AS3. Very soon, practical and effective.

Well, for starters in flex (and not knowing the Eclipse) to flex builder is still without doubt the launch pad for beginners, for the simple reason of having an interface geared only for Flex and Air and be easy to interpret. The support of flex is huge and they have behind the giant adobe, so can count on very good quality of tutorials and articles (English) and as a community of users / developers are increasingly on the rise, now you can find very Potuguês on good information, including here in the blog as the "Adobe Flex from Zero" available for download here and introduction to the action script 3 "trace ( 'Action Script 3')" available for download here. If you go this blog will certainly find plenty of information and links to more blogs with some very good information and tutorials.

More information:

Ria - Rich Internet Applications in wikipedia - See

Adobe Flex - Official site - See

Adobe Open Source - Flex SDK - See

Adobe Air - See

Eclipse - Official Site - See

Flex.org - Site support and showcase - See

Well, I hope you have been enlightened and now know where to start ..

Hug.