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tcoulson · 2008-01-11 #6

Flex does not have a timeline at all. Flex uses mxml markup - similar to xml - to create parts, views, and widgets inside your project. It also uses ActionScript as its scripting language. So your mxml files usually consist of components that reference other ActionScript files. This may confuse you further, but it is a key thing to realize - all mxml markup when compiled is ActionScript. MXML is just a shorter way of writing those blocks of ActionScript code. So when compiled, all Flex does is make a swf file that is comprised of ActionScript files all working in concert with one another. Why is this important? Because Flex has a lot more components than it's Flash counterpart. In addition you are only dealing with code - so it makes it a bit easier to rapidly build applications. Where Flash's timeline can sometimes muddy the waters when trying to build rich internet applications.

I was wondering how Flex can help streamline the flash site process

Flex basically steamlines application development. It is similar to FlexBuilder is similar to Dreamweaver in that it lends a visual interface to building mxml files and allows you to edit ActionScript files with tons of code hints and code completion - some of which is not found in Flash. But Flex is not the same thing as FlexBuilder. FlexBuilder is analogous to Dreamweaver, where Flex is analogous to HTML. Or better yet, where ActionScript is analogous to HTML. Flex can be downloaded as an sdk and compiled through the command line - so you never have to open FlexBuilder in order to build a Flex project. However, to newbie's this would be a daunting task without any code completion or helper tools. Just like hand coding HTML is harder in some cases than using Dreamweaver. But coder beware - when you rely on wysiwyg programs to build all your projects - extra code can muddy the waters of your projects and make them more difficult to understand.

Hope that helps.

	tcoulson	2008-01-11 #6
	Flex does not have a timeline at all. Flex uses mxml markup - similar to xml - to create parts, views, and widgets inside your project. It also uses ActionScript as its scripting language. So your mxml files usually consist of components that reference other ActionScript files. This may confuse you further, but it is a key thing to realize - all mxml markup when compiled is ActionScript. MXML is just a shorter way of writing those blocks of ActionScript code. So when compiled, all Flex does is make a swf file that is comprised of ActionScript files all working in concert with one another. Why is this important? Because Flex has a lot more components than it's Flash counterpart. In addition you are only dealing with code - so it makes it a bit easier to rapidly build applications. Where Flash's timeline can sometimes muddy the waters when trying to build rich internet applications. I was wondering how Flex can help streamline the flash site process Flex basically steamlines application development. It is similar to FlexBuilder is similar to Dreamweaver in that it lends a visual interface to building mxml files and allows you to edit ActionScript files with tons of code hints and code completion - some of which is not found in Flash. But Flex is not the same thing as FlexBuilder. FlexBuilder is analogous to Dreamweaver, where Flex is analogous to HTML. Or better yet, where ActionScript is analogous to HTML. Flex can be downloaded as an sdk and compiled through the command line - so you never have to open FlexBuilder in order to build a Flex project. However, to newbie's this would be a daunting task without any code completion or helper tools. Just like hand coding HTML is harder in some cases than using Dreamweaver. But coder beware - when you rely on wysiwyg programs to build all your projects - extra code can muddy the waters of your projects and make them more difficult to understand. Hope that helps.