Chapter 15. Working with data services
This chapter covers
- Data-centric development with Flash Builder
- Connecting to web services
- Using HTTPService and WebService components
- Understanding Action Message Format (AMF)
- Communication with Java EE using BlazeDS
- ColdFusion communication
- Communicating with PHP via Zend_AMF
- Setting up your development environment for a seamless client/server workflow
Integrating an RIA client application with its corresponding server-side application services can be a daunting task the first time you do it, so if you don’t have much experience in this area, strap in tight because you’re going to be spending about the next hour or so getting the crash course in RIA data communications. By the time you’ve finished with this chapter, you’ll have a level of confidence that’s felt by experts in the field, and you’ll be considered a top resource in your workplace for enterprise data communications for RIA.
Client/server RIA communication gets easier the more you do it. Understanding the inner workings of how a Flex application communicates with data services will provide you with the knowledge to be able to connect a Flex or AIR application to any server-side technology, even if you don’t know the server-side language being used. This is a highly sought-after skill set that you’ll be able to add to your arsenal upon completing this chapter.