Chapter 5. BlazeDS remoting and logging

In previous chapters you built a Flex client application using the MVP design pattern and connected it to Java through web services. Now you’re going to move from XML/HTTP web services and try remoting.

For Action Message Format communication, or AMF, Flex provides the RemoteObject component that uses Adobe’s own AMF binary protocol to communicate with the server. This means you’ll need a process running on the server side, such as BlazeDS, that understands how to serialize and deserialize the AMF protocol.

In the next section we introduce you to BlazeDS and begin integrating with our sample application. We’ll be using the FlexBugs sample application but it would be equally useful to wire up your own slice of functionality to see it work for your own purposes.

5.1. Introducing BlazeDS

A Flex client typically runs in a web browser or through the AIR desktop application platform. BlazeDS comes into the technology stack for use when the client needs to communicate with a Java application on the server that is commonly powered by a service-oriented architecture (SOA). Figure 5.1 shows the basic anatomy of a BlazeDS application framework.

5.2. Getting BlazeDS

5.3. Building a BlazeDS configuration Maven module

5.4. Exposing Java services to Flex remoting

5.5. Connecting to Java with BlazeDS

5.6. Logging

5.7. Summary