I figured it would be helpful to have a list of resources for getting started with Adobe Flex. While this list probably can’t be considered a fully comprehensive source of Flex information, I hope it helps to get someone started building cool Flex RIAs.
- Adobe’s official Flex Quick Starts offer some simple code samples to get you started.
- If you find yourself doing a lot of work with Flex, the Flex 2 Language Reference will be your new best friend. Every component property, method, event, style, and more are at your fingertips. You can access it directly under Flex Builder’s Help menu too.
- The flexcoders mailing list is a great place to ask questions if you’re having some particularly difficult problems with Flex. You can also read the flexcoders archives through The Mail Archive for an easier reading and searching experience.
- Similarly, sign up for the flexcomponents mailing list to learn about building components for Flex. You shouldn’t post general questions here because it’s specifically meant for queries related component development. Even if you aren’t into building components, I recommend watching the discussions because some of the list’s experts often share insights into the darkest corners of the Flex framework.
- The Flex Cookbook is a community-driven site that includes a lot of short and simple how-tos for Flex. The style is much like the ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook. As an exciting bonus, the best contributions to the site will be considered for inclusion in the printed version of the Flex 2 Cookbook from O’Reilly.
- Join a local Flex user group or consider starting your own. Typically, Adobe user groups meet once a month and include tutorials and presentations by local experts or special guests from the worldwide community. These guests tend to work with Flex in the trenches for companies large and small. From time to time, you might even get to meet a real Adobe employee who can offer excellent insights into the products they evangelize.
- Play around with the Flex sample applications from Adobe. They come with Flex Builder, or you can access them on the official website. The best part is that you can right-click on each application and click “View Source” to look at the complete source code for each one. Additionally, and perhaps not as well known, you can download the source code for all the ActionScript 3.0 examples that appear in the Flex documentation in one big ZIP file from Adobe’s site too.
- Ted Patrick and Mike Chambers recently introduced video.onflex.org to offer free downloadable recordings of Flex-related conference sessions and speakers for those who couldn’t see it live. These videos often include information on “hidden” features, upcoming technologies like Apollo, and other interesting goodies.
- Books for Flex have been a bit slowing coming out of the publishers, but we’re starting to see some good stuff on store shelves. Current and upcoming books that focus on Flex and ActionScript 3.0 include the following:
