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Customer Reviews (5)

Only Game in Town...
But a good one!You do have to be a reasonably accomplished ASP.NET developer to even follow along in this book.But you picked it up to write your own WIF app, so that was pretty much a prerequisite. Excellent information from an expert, that really saves you a good deal of time from hunting it all down on the web.The technical content is balanced well with practical suggestions and applications.I appreciate how Vittorio explains what works, what does not work, what he hasn't seen, and what doesn't work very well.That sort of information can save lots of time in programming wild goose chases.Those 2 factors make the purchase of this book worthwhile by saving you lots of time.

Simply the best in the market so far
Currently I am using WIF and AD FS 2.0 to protect WCF services on Azure platform.I collected and read tons of articles/white papres available online, still didn't get a very clear picture.Finally this book became available, I read it from cover to cover.This book is the best WIF book available so far.It covers everything, Web applications (ASP.NET), Web services (WCF services), delegation including ActAs and OnBehalf, and finally Azure platform.The first few chapters cover generic topic and ASP.NET, then a chapter covers WCF, finally Azure platform. A must have.

Excellent resource to get started with WIF


Having followed Vittorio's work (blog, webcasts, code samples)related to claims-based identity over the last two-three years, I ordered this book as soon as it arrived. And this book did not disappoint.I read the book cover-to-cover within a week of its arrival and found it to be very useful in helping me better understand the concepts behind WIF.

Here are some additional details that I hope will be helpful to anyone considering this book:

1) Claims based identity is an important enabling technology that .NET developers and designer need to understand well. And this is not just case, if you are an ASP.NET or WCF developer. Claims-based identity is important even if you are SharePoint, BI or Azure developer.


2) This book is broken up into two parts. The first part explains the basics of claims based identity. Second part is more advanced and gets into the nuts and bolts of WIF.


3) Don't skip over the ASP.NET chapters (2, 3 & 4 ) just because you are not going to use WIF inside ASP.NET.These aforementioned chapters cover a number of important concepts ( such as single-sign-on, claims transformation, federation) that you will need to understand when using WIF outside of ASP.NET (say with WCF).


4) Beinginvolved with the WIF team for a long time, Vittorio is able to provide important context around how some of the features have evolved, design decisions etc.


5) Last but not the least, it is hard to write a book on security. Fortunately, Vittorio has managed to write it in a conversational, unassuming style that makes it easy to read. Wherever needed, he provides a just in time, overview of protocols ( WS-Trust, WS-Federation and so on) without getting mired in the details associated with these, rather arcane,specifications.

Great book and the only one so far
This is a very good book, the author knows extremely well what he explains, provides a great introduction and the example of using the driver's license or passport as a valid identification from a trusted issuer provideron a movie theather or liquor store is an excellent analogy to understand. He goes quickly about how to use it on your own app, how to get claims backs and create custom code to extend the framework. Also he gives a lot of deep theory about the authentication process and all the complexities of security and how WIF makes things easier for you. He mentions how to create a test STS using WIF (new Visual Studio template that comes with the framework), that can be used during development to simulate a real life scenario and how to create your own custom claims.

I read the book, I have a better understanding, 200+ pages of great wisdom. Get it!!

Thanks

Excellent WIF resource
This is a must have for any anyone tasked with writing claims aware applicatons.Do NOT let the size of this book fool you either - it is jammed full of critical details.This is the only publication available that goes into the detail that Vittorio goes into.Whether you're new to claims-based development and just want to know enough to get started writing Relying Party's (that's about the first 50 pages), or need the in-depth knowledge of how protocols work, intricate details of WSFAM and SAM, and such, this book has you covered.I also like how Vittorio draws attention to solutions to some common problems, such as home-realm discovery, pass through claims, impersonation, proof-of-possession, custom STS's, and more.You will also find references to some very useful tools to aid in your development. ... Read more

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Product Description

Collecting the work of the foremost scientists in the field, Discrete-Event Modeling and Simulation: Theory and Applications presents the state of the art in modeling discrete-event systems using the discrete-event system specification (DEVS) approach. It introduces the latest advances, recent extensions of formal techniques, and real-world examples of various applications.

The book covers many topics that pertain to several layers of the modeling and simulation architecture. It discusses DEVS model development support and the interaction of DEVS with other methodologies. It describes different forms of simulation supported by DEVS, the use of real-time DEVS simulation, the relationship between DEVS and graph transformation, the influence of DEVS variants on simulation performance, and interoperability and composability with emphasis on DEVS standardization. The text also examines extensions to DEVS, new formalisms, and abstractions of DEVS models as well as the theory and analysis behind real-world system identification and control. To support the generation and search of optimal models of a system, a framework is developed based on the system entity structure and its transformation to DEVS simulation models. In addition, the book explores numerous interesting examples that illustrate the use of DEVS to build successful applications, including optical network-on-chip, construction/building design, process control, workflow systems, and environmental models.

A one-stop resource on advances in DEVS theory, applications, and methodology, this volume offers a sampling of the best research in the area, a broad picture of the DEVS landscape, and trend-setting applications enabled by the DEVS approach. It provides the basis for future research discoveries and encourages the development of new applications.

Product Description
Is there an easier way to build and deliver rich internet applications (RIAs) other than the Flash IDE or Ajax? Absolutely. With Adobe Flex 2, the Flex 2 SDK, and this book, you have all you need to build RIAs. Programming Flex 2 offers you plenty of practical and useful examples that reveal how and why to use a particular feature of Flex 2, and when and when not to.As part of the Adobe Developer Library, Programming Flex 2 is the authoritative guide to this new Adobe framework. You learn to use a markup language called MXML and a vast library of off-the-shelf and highly-configurable components to build Flash-based applications that combine the immediacy of the Web with the functionality and responsiveness of desktop applications. You also discover why -- with the Flash Player runtime environment and the powerful ActionScript 3.0 programming language -- the possibilities with Flex 2 are nearly limitless.Topics include:Managing LayoutWorking with ComponentsWorking with MediaManaging StateUsing Transitions and EffectsWorking with DataCustomizing Application AppearanceClient Data Communication and Remote Data CommunicationDebugging Flex Framework ApplicationsCreating Custom ComponentsFlex may be easier to learn than the Flash IDE, but you still need a reliable guide to the framework. Programming Flex 2 not only serves as a reference, but provides valuable and practical insight into this new technology. As you learn how to build Flex applications, you'll also discover how Flex works. This book supplies all the information you need in one convenient place.Adobe Developer Library is a co-publishing partnership between O'Reilly Media and Adobe Systems, Inc. and is designed to produce the number one information resources for developers who use Adobe technologies. Created in 2006, the Adobe Developer Library is the official source for comprehensive learning solutions to help developers create expressive and interactive web applications that can reach virtually anyone on any platform. With top-notch books and innovative online resources covering the latest in rich Internet application development, the Adobe Developer Library offers expert training and in-depth resources, straight from the source. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (25)

Buen Libro
Pues yo lo compre cuando no sabia nada de flex, y realmente aprendi mucho de él en su momento. Asi que yo lo recomendaria para gente que quiere "familiarizarse" con lo que es flex. Los temas que aborda el libro no cambiaron mucho de flex 2 a flex 3.

Download the free "Flex Developer Guide" from Adobe's site instead...
This is generally a well written overview book. Its chief problem is that it never gets beyond the basics, and that the "Flex Developer Guide" that Adobe provides for free on their web site is far superior.

Incorrect example codes
It is a well organized book.
However, some example codes are incorrect.
I find this problem in many of O'Reilly books and am not sure if they test all the source codes before they publish their books.
It is really annoying.

Really enjoyable introduction to Flex2
Reading the reviews for this book made me nervous about picking it up in the first place, but I'm glad I did. I'm primarily a J2EE developer wanting to get his feet wet in the world of Flex2 RIAs, and the authors seem to have written this just for someone like me. And in that respect, the topics are at the right level of depth - the authors clearly indicate that this is not meant to be used as an API reference.

Flex 2 can be a bit much to bite off, even for experienced programmers, since it sits over a very mature and complex development platform (Flash Player) that has its own established authoring tool. Happily, the authors tend to chart their course firmly through the Flex Framework, avoiding diversions into Flash Player arcana (which some other books either assume you already know, or visit too briefly to be of much help.)

The breadth of topics covered is also awesome - whether its Web services, states/transitions, event dispatching/handling, and the use of the free Flex SDK.

That last one is of particular interest to me since I'm not a fan of the Deux Ex Machina aspects of IDEs, especially when I'm learning a new language/framework. Hence, being able to see how everything fits together using just the Flex SDK and mxmlc is a lot of fun.

I also don't particularly like long, artificial examples that proceed from chapter to chapter, which means that you can't really jump into a topic that interests you without first having read all the previous history of the application being developed. Fortunately here, each chapter can be read by itself, and in any order. In fact, I skipped over many of the UI and media chapters just to get to the web services treatment which is closer to the end.

To summarize - if your background/needs match mine, then this book will be well worth a visit. You may not leave knowing everything, but you'll have the 3000 foot overview which will position you better to ask the right questions, and to determine which topic has the most interest for you. (Of course, you might choose to wait for the Flex 3.0 edition of this book.)

Great Flex 2 Programming Book
Programming Flex 2: The comprehensive guide to creating rich media applications with Adobe Flex is a great book for more advanced Flex developers. This book covers many important topics like working with UI components, advanced component concepts, working with media and data, client and remote data communication just to name the few. The authors, Chafic Kazoun and Joey Lott, are very experienced long-time Flash developers. They are well known in the Flash community, and are among the elite of the Flash development world. Chafic and Joey has been using Flex for a long time and it can be noticed by reader during reading this book which is full of practical leads.

This book is intended for anyone looking to learn more about Flex 2. The authors recognize that the audience for this book represents a very diverse group of people with many different backgrounds. In my opinion this book is a great resource but not for the beginners. Lots of original ActionScript and MXML code examples help reader to look deeper inside Flex 2 internals.

I definitely recommend this book! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

A 'must' for any Flex collection
A key resource is Yakov Fain, Victor Rasputnis & Anatole Tartakovsky's ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT WITH FLEX provides a fine key to using Adobe Flex to build production-quality Rich Internet Applications. From choosing Flex-building frameworks and applying Flex designs to improving design efficiency, this is a powerful presentation and a 'must' for any Flex collection.

Some great in-depth info
Overall, this book has a lot of really useful info that you won't find in other Flex books...actually a lot of the content I haven't seen anywhere at all, so props for that. Chapter 7's tip on bootstrapping libraries as applications is very slick, and exactly the type of thing I expected from this book.

There were a few points I didn't really like as well.First, the book starts up comparing Flex frameworks and talking about some design patterns.I'm taking the point of view that the book is supposed to cover advanced topics for advanced Flex developers, so the target audience should already have a good handle on these things...so the first couple of chapters are basically wasted content, and could have been put to better use (did we really need a section on embeddng content with SWFObject?)

Second, it felt like a good chunk of the book covered messaging with LiveCycle, and had an overall Java-centric slant to it.I guess in this case it's just a matter of what the author's typical development scenario is like versus my own.Some parts were irrelevant, but generally when I see too much of a Java influence in these books and tutorials and such, my eyes tend to glaze over and I really start to tune out.I really would have like to seen more focus on things like custom Ant builds and continuous integration...generally an expansion on a lot of the content of chapter 4 that was glossed over.

Overall though, great job by the authors.Great tips, great code samples...if you're doing, or are looking to do, any sort of serious Flex development beyond the basics I'd highly recommend it.

Excellent Content
Very clearly written with lots of in-depth material and plenty of references to chase up on the web. It starts out assuming that you are writing database line of business applications rather than websites. If you are a professional developer writing business systems, this is the most relevant and clearly written Flex book that I have read. The technical nature of the material and the fast moving field will make this book out of date fairly quickly however, so if you are reading this positive review in 2012, you should probably temper it somewhat.

It's Worth book to buy it.
Just finish reading the last book from Yakov Fain, Victor Rasputnis and Anatole Tartakovsky.
Book, is quite a bit of a new revamp from first book of same authors, I love the way they write and in a level of how they manage the subject of each chapter.
And as I know them since 2004 not good enough to retribution to them and to you a book review about it.

The book itself it's worth enough just because of chapter 5,7 and 8. I will detail later bellow.

The Chapter 6 it's interesting but doubt with some aspect for example a deep example of using GraniteDS, WebOrb for Java where has many options to who uses Java in the back-end. Code-gen, Data Sync, EBJ3 support, among other improvements that product changed from past years. It should show a much more examples of integration, not just WebOrb but cover also ColdFusion which is missing too in the chapter.

On Chapter 5 I liked the way they talk about resending the channel back which is not very well documented in the official BlazeDS developer guide. That's made a chapter worth enough just to clarify that for anyone who buys this book.

On Chapter 7 will help you with modules, but don't to except much from it, it's still a thing that we need to handle it, but not 100% that will works fine. But this chapter definitely will help you pass throw some of basic and intermediate problems in real life projects, There's also a just little detail that authors could added on the book where is the Potomac aka. OSGi in Flex application, where it's a seamless integration OSGi on Flex apps, that could be added to the book, specially if you're a Java developer, you're used to use OSGi on yours first class projects.

Chapter 8 it's a well written, and will help you understand process of reduce memory consumption, but has many limitations on describing the chapter, an example of that. I missed using FlexPMD to identify problems or bad practices on your code, which is very valuable to enterprise application and collaboration development. But one of pages that I most liked was, when they mentioned RSL for modules, which completes the chapter 7, that's a must read part.

Printing in Flex is really hassle, and I believe on next release they could increase of easy access API to printing, in AIR 2.0 for example we gain a lot of new API improvements and new capabilities, but still missing some of it on Flash player way, Chapter 11 helps you to understand both sides of coin, on generating PDF on client side and server side.

There are many other subjects that might attract your attention, but for my needs, theses were most valuables chapters of book and my opinion on what I've get reading it. Authors does really have domain on the subject, but should added theses topics that I mentioned, to the developer who are border by non very useful Flex books titles.

Thanks Yakov, Victor and Anatole, you guys wrote a book that does really add value to the Flex community, specially for who uses Flex with Java back-end like me.

It's worth to buy it? Sure, if you take seriously, not just hype, but seriously about development, theses chapters I mentioned will catch you up. ... Read more

Product Description
If you want to try your hand at developing rich Internet applications with Adobe's Flex 3, and already have experience with frameworks such as .NET or Java, this is the ideal book to get you started. Programming Flex 3 gives you a solid understanding of Flex 3's core concepts, and valuable insight into how, why, and when to use specific Flex features. Numerous examples and sample code demonstrate ways to build complete, functional applications for the Web, using the free Flex SDK, and RIAs for the desktop, using Adobe AIR. This book is an excellent companion to Adobe's Flex 3 reference documentation. With this book, you will:Learn the underlying details of the Flex frameworkProgram with MXML and ActionScriptArrange the layout and deal with UI componentsWork with mediaManage state for applications and componentsUse transitions and effectsDebug your Flex applicationsCreate custom componentsEmbed Flex applications in web browsersBuild AIR applications for the desktopFlex 3 will put you at the forefront of the RIA revolution on both the Web and the desktop. Programming Flex 3 will help you get the most from this amazing and sophisticated technology. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Good for beginners to advanced programmers in Flex 3
This is great book for getting started with flex 3(which I am new to). It starts out in the first few chapters with the basic information on what flex is, how to build a flex application, explains controls, events, etc.
The following chapters contain more advanced information with coding samples & tricks.
I have no complaints about the book I think it is well worth your time if your going to be working with flex and there is enough in this book to allow you to extend and expand upon it well beyond what is just presented.

Best Flex (and one of best overall) Programming books
Just finished reading all 600+ pages. I have four other Flex books I've read/perused. This book is by far the best flex book WTR understanding and applying its architecture. Combine it with the "Flex 3 Bible" by Gassner and I think that's all you should need. Most programming books give you a a lot more hows, and a lot less whys. This book is all about why, not simple hows. Knowing why to do something will, long term, be of great benefit.

Also the writing in this books is exemplary. Very clear, not too wordy, not too concise, and very good use of illustrative examples. Really, really excellent. Few programming books of this length can I read and understand over the course of a day or two. Usually such books require a read thru, then re-reference. But because of the excellence of the writing, I did not find this the case here. Literally sat and read it front to back over the course of three days.

Looking at the other reviews, it appears some others have complained about examples, or thoroughness of a feature description. Again, this is a book about why you make programming decisions, not how to write the code -- get the Bible for this. IMHO, it does a pretty good job with the examples, but it is not the intent of the book. Finally, the authors end the book with a discussion of a full app they wrote accessing Flickr. The entire source code is available for download, and provides a very in-depth "example". Strongly suggest readers DL and read thru the code references the explanations the authors provide in the book.

I have read a lot of books about programming, and this is one of the best. Going back to some of my other Flex books, they seem simplistic now.

Finally, I've taken note of the two companies for which the authors work (from the book's jacket). If they contribute to these as well to these as they did the book, then might be a good investment -- notably Kazoun who is a co-founder and tech architect. Unusual investment strategy, but that's the high regard I hold for these two authors.

Omitting Remote Object?
My company have bought several copies of this book for various employees. We use Java and Flex and looking for integration. The only optimized way to do this is with Remote Objects.

As the previous review mentioned, On page 471, on the bottom, there is a square with bear tracks on it. Look at that section ...

"Several of the Remoting gateway products have added support for a Flex data component called RemoteObject. However, because we have found no practical use for RemoteObject, we are omitting any discussion of RemoteObject in this chapter."

Word for word.

In other words, the author did not do his job. RemoteObjects are heavily used throughout the world and this guy can not think of a reason? Google is your friend.

While this book is great on the Flex only side, the author have failed miserably on Remoting.

This is definately a 0 (no effort provided) star review, but unfortunately, Amazon limits the minimum to 1 star ...

Well thought out and comprehensive
It is clear the authors of Programming Flex 3 worked very hard to write a comprehensive, easy-to-read publication.Their examples are great - very simple such that they highlight the concepts being presented.I have been working with Flex for a couple years but reading this book definitely brought my game up a notch based on a more clear understanding of the Flex framework, authoring components, and several other key principles.

If I had to offer one critique, I'd have liked to see some more coverage of synchronous network communication with Flex (sockets, Flash Media Server, etc.), but the dedicated chapter on AIR more than makes up for this.

great book

this is great book for getting started with flex 3.it starts out with the basic stuff, how to build a flex application, explains controls, events, etc.works into more advanced stuff with coding samples & tricks.highly recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
Knowledge-Based Development for Cities and Societies: Integrated Multi-Level Approaches enlightens the concepts and challenges of knowledge management for both urban environments and entire regions, enhancing the expertise and knowledge of scholars, researchers, practitioners, managers and urban developers in the development of successful knowledge-based development policies, creation of knowledge cities and prosperous knowledge societies. This reference creates large knowledge base for scholars, managers and urban developers and increases the awareness of the role of knowledge cities and knowledge societies in the knowledge era, as well as of the challenges and opportunities for future research. ... Read more

Product Description
The best way to showcase a powerful new technology is to demonstrate its real-world results, and that's exactly what this new Cookbook does with Adobe Flex 3.Wide ranging and highly practical, Flex 3 Cookbook contains more than 300 proven recipes for developing interactive Rich Internet Applications and Web 2.0 sites. You'll find everything from Flex basics, to solutions for working with visual components and data access, to tips on application development, unit testing, and using Adobe AIR.You also get ideas from the development community. Through its Flex Cookbook website (www.adobe.com/devnet/), Adobe invited Flex developers to post their own solutions for working with this technology, and from hundreds of posts, the authors chose the best and most useful solutions to supplement Flex 3 Cookbook.Each recipe inside provides a solution to a common problem, explains how and why it works, and offers sample code that you can put to use immediately. Topics include:Containers and dialoguesWorking with TextData driven componentsDataGrid and Advanced DataGridItemRenderers and EditorsImages, bitmaps, videos, and soundsCSS, styling, and skinningStates and effectsWorking with Collections, arrays, and DataProvidersUsing DataBindingValidation, formatting, and regular expressionsUsing Charts and data visualizationServices and Data AccessUsing RSLs and ModulesWorking with Adobe AIRWhether you're a committed Flex developer or still evaluating the technology, you'll discover how to get quick results with Flex 3 using the recipes in this Cookbook. It's an ideal way to jumpstart your next web application. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

Disappointed
This book does not provide much moreinformations than basic google search on topics it covers. Kindle edition is less readable and definitely not worth the price.

Flex 3 Cookbook: Code-Recipes, Tips, and Tricks for RIA Developers (Adobe Developer Library)
Good book for examples.I would recommend for who wants to learn more about Flex 3

Godd book as cookbook
"Flex 3 Cookbook" provides recipes to over 300 most common dishes. It wasn't authors' intention to lead an introductory course to Flex and ActionScript and so, the book does not contain information on language constructs, syntax and principles.

Content is divided into clearly themed chapters, each of which contains related recipes. Each recipe is made up of 3 parts: Problem, Solution and Discussion. The first part serves as an introduction and description of the problem, Solution gives a concise walk-through and Discussion explains the decisions made in the Solution part. Each problem is well illustrated with adequate ActionScript and MXML code samples.

The book covers a broad range of topics, starting with a trivial "How do I react upon a button being clicked", the list is full of many useful solutions. In my opinion it is a good choice especially for beginners and intermediate Flex adepts. Thanks to the wide spectrum of topics, they will benefit the most. It can also serve as a reference used when an answer to a specific problem is sought - well made chapter division makes searching straightforward.

The book is written with clear and concise language.

Reviewed by Andrzej Grzesik

Level your expectations
I haven't read all of this book, but from what I've seen, it is pretty good info.The format is good, listing a problem, a solution, and a discussion.I've read some good and not so great Flex books and I have noticed books with Todd Anderson as the author have been good(see Adobe Air, create modify reuse).

-I did not read Flex 2 Cookbook - the information looks new to me!
-There will be some errors in any book, especially programming books.With the Flex technology changing so fast, I would rather see a book rushed to market than months spent trying to cleanup every typo and minor compile errors(as other reviewers have said).We can figure out what typos and minor compile errors are supposed to be.

I have approx 6 flex books and this one is at the top of my list right now.

You've Got Questions, Here are the Answers
In my progression as a budding Flex developer I have reached the point where I'm passed the "getting started" tutorials but still not a master of anything with the language. My questions have from general concepts to the much more specific. This book is perfectly tailored to provide the answers I needed.

The format of the publication is set up nicely as it states a problem and then explains a solution. The way I usually judge a book's worth is to attack it with a specific question in mind, and then see how well it helps me solve the problem. The Flex 3 Cookbook passed with flying colors.

I needed some help wrapping my mind around manipulating data in an ArrayCollection. Section 13.1 called 'Add, Sort, and Retrieve Data from an ArrayCollection' guided me to a much better understanding of ArrayCollections.My question was answered, although there was a typo in the example code, hence the 4-star rating rather than 5. ... Read more

Product Description
Written by members of the Apollo product team, this is the official guide to the Alpha release of Adobe Apollo, the new cross platform desktop runtime from Adobe Labs.Apollo for Adobe Flex Developers Pocket Guide explains how to build and deploy Flash-based Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) to the desktop using Adobe's Flex framework. This book describes concisely how Apollo works, and offers numerous examples for those who want to start building RIAs for the desktop right away.Why put RIAs on the desktop? They're already supposed to offer the responsiveness of desktop programs. Unfortunately, web browsers were designed to deliver and display HTML-based documents, not applications. The conflict between document- and application-focused functionality creates several problems when deploying applications via the browser.Adobe Apollo gives you the best of both worlds -- the web development model and true desktop functionality. This pocket guide explains how to:Set up your development environmentCreate your first applicationUse the File I/O APIUse HTML within Flex-based Apollo applicationsUse the included Apollo mini-cookbook for common tasksThe book also includes a guide to Apollo packages, classes, and command-line tools. Once you understand the basics of building a Flex-based Apollo application, this pocket guide makes an ideal reference for tackling specific problems.Adobe Developer Library is a co-publishing partnership between O'Reilly Media and Adobe Systems, Inc. and is designed to produce the number one information resources for developers who use Adobe technologies. Created in 2006, the Adobe Developer Library is the official source for comprehensive learning solutions to help developers create expressive and interactive web applications that can reach virtually anyone on any platform. With top-notch books and innovative online resources covering the latest in rich Internet application development, the Adobe Developer Library offers expert training and in-depth resources, straight from the source. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Pretty good though out of date.
A worthwhile read, but it's already out of date (as it itself warns). Some of the things I tried didn't work because of deprecation. Easy to follow though. Glad I read it.

"Quick and Dirty" Overview
If you've been developing Flex, chances are good you've heard a little something about Apollo. This book provides a great overview -- I came away with an excellent understanding of Apollo's "whats" and "hows" within a halfhour of picking up this book.

Good quick-start guide for building Flash-based RIA's with Apollo
This book is a good overview of what is involved building applications that use the Adobe Flex Framework with the cross-platform desktop runtime, Apollo. The book assumes that the reader has experience creating Flash-based applications using Flex and ActionScript 3.0, and that you want to leverage that experience and move on to deploying applications with Apollo. It is a good basic introduction to get you started, not an in-depth guide by any means.

1. Introduction to Apollo - Explains the difference between the Apollo runtime and Apollo applications, the capabilities and the limits of Apollo, and the basic structure of Apollo applications.
A Short History of Web Applications
Problems with Delivering Applications Via the Browser
Introducing the Apollo Runtime
Primary Apollo Technologies

2. Getting Started with Apollo Development - Discusses how to initialize your development environment and begin building Apollo applications that use the Flex framework. It shows you where to get the resources necessary for Apollo application development and goes through the details of writing and deploying a Hello World application.
Installing the Apollo Alpha 1 Runtime
What You Need in Order to Develop Apollo Applications
Building a Sample Apollo Application
Next Steps

3. Using HTML Within Flex-Based Apollo Applications - Describes how Apollo gives developers a new meansof integrating HTML rendering into their desktop applications. Included are some basic applications that demonstrate how to write HTML-enabled Apollo applications.
HTML Support in Apollo
Using the Flex HTML Component
Using the HTMLControl Class
Script Bridging: Communicating Between ActionScript and JavaScript

4. Using the File System API - Discusses the various aspects of the Apollo file I/O API that enables applications to have a great deal of freedom in dealing with the files and directories of the user's computer. There are quite a few code snippets in this chapter that serve as simple examples.
Security Model
Accessing Files and Directories
Asynchronous and Synchronous Versions of Methods
Reading Directory Contents
Getting File Information
Copying and Moving Files and Directories
Creating Files and Directories
Deleting Files and Directories
Reading and Writing Files

5. Apollo Mini-Cookbook - O'Reilly, famous for its cookbook series, provides a mini cookbook of solutions to common problems in Apollo applications and includes working MXML code. Recipes include those for reading and writing text from a string, encoding data into PNG or JPEG format and writing it to the file system, and working with the Windowing API.
Working with the File System
Working with HTML
Using the Windowing API

Apollo Packages and Classes
Apollo Command-Line Tools

Actually you can find this book freely available online. Just type "Adobe Apollo for Flex developers pocket guide" without the quotes into Google. It should be the top address.

For the early-adopter .airHead
§
Adobe's Apollo, in the just-released alpha runtime, is the latest entry in the world of "Rich Internet Application" frameworks.

Advocates of RIA frameworks often weaken their arguments for the Web-aware desktop by disparaging browser-based applications beyond the credible. The universe of browser-based applications continues to expand for very good reasons.

Give the authors, all members of the Apollo product team, plenty of credit for their relaxed approach in this guide. Their introductory chapter sticks to a positive case for their approach rather than attack the weaknesses of current Web apps.

Chapters 2 and 3 outline setting up the environment and move quickly to working with the HTML rendering engine. Following chapters deal with the security model and the file system and windowing APIs.

The weakness of the book is that it is Flex-centric in its "hello world" examples. The book reflects the state of the Apollo alpha. The book itself is clear and easy to follow.
§ ... Read more

Product Description
With this collection of proven recipes, you have the ideal problem-solving guide for developing interactive Rich Internet Applications on the Adobe Flash Platform. You'll find answers to hundreds of common problems you may encounter when using Adobe Flex, Flex 4 Framework, or Flash Builder, Adobe's GUI-based development tool.Flex 4 Cookbook has hands-on recipes for everything from Flex basics to solutions for working with visual components and data access, as well as tips on application development, unit testing, and Adobe AIR. Each recipe provides an explanation of how and why it works, and includes sample code that you can use immediately. You'll get results fast, whether you're a committed Flex developer or still evaluating the technology. It's a great way to jumpstart your next web application.Topics include:Using Spark ComponentText Layout FrameworkGroups and LayoutSpark List and ItemRendererImages, bitmaps, videos, and soundsCSS, styling, and skinningStates and EffectsWorking with CollectionsUsing DataBindingValidation, formatting, and regular expressionsUsing ChartsServices and Data AccessUsing RSLs and ModulesWorking with Adobe AIR 2.0 ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Written to save our time
Flex 4 Cookbook is written to save our time. It consists of hundreds of tested recipes for developing Rich Internet Applications based on Adobe Flex 4 framework. It let's the reader to learn not only techniques of solving problems but also reasons behind them. In my opinion the Flex 4 Cookbook should be the most appropriate for intermediate Flex developers. There are a lot of code examples accompanying recipies which are ready to be taken advantage of in your applications. You can also find many references to additional on-line resources in this book allowing to suplement knowledge and understanding regarding a particular topic. The book is extremely useful and I recommend it to anyone who likes to have a solid off-line reference on the desk.

Excellent resource to have on the desk.
Great book, it is always close to hand on my desk and offers a great resource when you start to bang you're head against the code!

Internet developer collections must have this!
Joshua Noble, et.al.'s FLEX 4 COOKBOOK provides a fine guide to web design and development using Adobe Flex. It packs in problem-solving 'recipes' for a range of applications, offering practical solutions for everything from Flex basics to working with data and developing applications. Internet developer collections must have this!

Beginning to End - Best Flex 4 book available
This is just one of those books every Flex developer should own. With each release, Flex has continued to prove its pedigree as the best framework for developing rich interactive experiences. Flex 4 is no exception (it is a superb example of how an ECMA based language and XML can be combined into a stellar programming environment). It has been overhauled with features that make creating apps an absolute joy; it's as if the developers of the Flex framework personally listened to the community's feedback and integrated the best suggestions. The authors of this book are extremely well respected Flex developers and active community participants, so it's no wonder they produced a book that covers every important detail each new or seasoned developer should know. I've been stuck on numerous occasions, whereby turning to the cookbook solved my problems so that I could go about my day without losing any hair. This book covers all of the new features like skinning, states, the spark component framework, layout management, animation and Air 2.0 as well as covering features from the previous versions. All in all, if you are new to Flex or just need a tip or two (or thirty), this book is well worth the money and won't let you down. ... Read more

Product Description
Learning Flash CS4 Professional offers beginners and intermediate Flash developers a unique introduction to the latest version of Adobe's powerful multimedia application. This easy-to-read book is loaded with full-color examples and hands-on tasks to help you master Flash CS4's new motion editor, integrated 3D system, and character control with the new inverse kinematics animation system. No previous Flash experience is necessary.This book will help you:Understand Flash fundamentals with clear, concise information you can use right awayLearn key concepts and techniques in every chapter, with annotated screenshots and illustrationsDevelop an ongoing project that utilizes material from every chapterPractice new skills and test your understanding with constructive exercisesLearn how to package your work for distribution on the Web and through AIR desktop applicationsDownload sample files and discuss additional Flash features on the companion blogAs part of the Adobe Developer Library, this is the most authoritative guide to Flash CS4 available. Get moving with Flash today! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Disappointing
I bought this book after reading the 4-star reviews. I have used Flash for about 4 years, and as a mid-range user, bought Learning Flash CS4 Professional to learn about new stuff, and a refresher for things I forgot. My first disappointment, the template for a design portfolio which is so overdone and confusing as an underlay for learning a new application, and certainly one that a good designer would never want to use.
By chapter 3, putting together the Sound Controller, I was sorry I bought the book. The steps as outlined by the author are confusing, especially in a file that, when using multiple masks, does not distinguish between the layers and steps clearly. Typical of poor instruction methodology, when setting size and position for an object, Shupe's instructions for the Property Panel sets width and height first and X-Y positions second. Anyone looking at the Property Panel sees that X and Y positions are at the top, while width and Height are below.

In addition, while Shupe uses steps as his instruction setup,each step contains a multiple of instructions, and his naming protocol can be confusing when trying to follow multiple instructions in a step.
A good editor, with a background in how-to documentation would bring this well-intentioned book back from where it lies right now.

Not that bad. Not that great. Prior Flash Experience Recommended.
While this book provides its fair share of items that will bring you up to speed with the different tools, animation styles and methods for importing files I believe that there are somethings that are missing. This book should be recommended for anyone with previous Flash experience because there are some errors in the code based off of instance and movie clip names, etc., and there are some very minor, yet important steps that need to be spelled out for people that have no prior Flash experience.

My honest opinion is if you have never picked up a Flash book before, pick up the Adobe Flash CS3 Professional Hands-On Training by Todd Perkins. I don't know if they have created a CS4 version but if you can get passed the fact that the interface is slightly different, this is the most thorough book I have read when it comes to everyday Flash design.

This book is terrible
I am an absolute Flash beginner, I have never used the program in my life. This book is a terrible excuse for a teaching manual. It often skips steps, has barely any pictures to help keep you on the right track and in the current chapter skipped an entire section about building a certain part of the project you are working on throughout the book. I usually love O'reilly books and products but this is just awful.

To recap:

Not really a great beginner book.
Skips around a lot.
Shoddy and or missing instructions.
Skips huge portions of projects.
Leaps around often confusing the beginner.

I will be sending this book back as it has done nothing but infuriate me and leave me asking many, many questions.

Not the worst
Learning Flash CS4 Pro is somewhat helpful to those new to Flash, however, there's not enough overview. It takes you step by step through the process of building a portfolio, but doesn't bother to explain much about what you're doing or how each Flash tool might apply to other projects. Lacks continuity -- feels like several teams might have written different sections of the book and something has gotten lost in the compilation. Also, the editing is substandard. There are numerous typos and in a technical manual, this can become a problem.

No previous Flash experience is needed
Rich Shupe's LEARNING FLASH CS4 PROFESSIONAL: GETTING UP TO SPEED WITH FLASH offers beginning and intermediate users a fine introduction to the latest version of Flash, packing in color examples to cover both new and old features. No previous Flash experience is needed, making this an outstanding recommendation for both computer and general collections.
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Product Description
Discover how easy RIA development can be with this one-of-a-kind handbook from the Adobe Developer Library. Several clear, step-by-step mini-tutorials teach you about web services, event handling, designing user interfaces with reusable components, and more. After finishing this guide, you'll be able to build Flash applications ranging from widgets to full-featured RIAs using the Flex SDK and Flex Builder 3.0. With Getting Started with Flex 3, you will:Walk through sample RIA projects and see examples of amazing applications people have built with FlexWork with ActionScript 3.0 and the MXML markup languageBuild user interfaces using the controls and tools available with the frameworkGet a tour of controls available commercially and through open sourceLearn how Flex integrates with ASP.NET, ColdFusion, PHP, and J2EE in the serverBuild Flex-based widgets that let you display real-time dataUse advanced controls to build 3D graphs, data dashboards, mapping applications, and moreYou'll find complete code for video players, a slideshow, a chat client, and an RSS reader, just to name a few. You also get plenty of tips, tricks, and techniques to leverage your existing programming skills, whether you come from an open source or Visual Studio-intensive background. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A must for anyone dealing with the program and wants to do more
Flex is short for flexible, a title the program Flex 3 rightfully deserves. "Getting Started with Flex 3: An Adobe Developer Library Pocket Guide" is a handbook filled with all one needs to gain a complete understanding and mastery of Flex 3. Covering user interfaces, controls both commercial and open source, integration, and so much more that this little program can do. "Getting Started With Flex 3" is a must for anyone dealing with the program and wants to do more.

I'm getting started with a different book.
I'm sure most of you have had the experience of having a smart friend try to teach you how to do something only to wind up feeling frustrated, stupid or both. This was my experience with this book. Often an expert too easily forgets what it's like to be an absolute beginner and either moves too quickly or leaves out important steps. I admit I wasn't expecting a thorough exploration of Flex in this tiny guide.This was my first 'pocket guide', so perhaps I'm being unfair or expecting too much.But I felt the author just leapt from one thing to the next without offering enough in the way of explanation or context. What the book IS good for, in my opinion, is giving you some idea of the things Flex can do.But you can get a very good idea of what Flex can do at Adobe's website- for free.To anyone new to Flex, I would suggest finding a free way of checking out what Flex can do.Then, if you're interested, go and find a different book to really get a proper start.

An excellent book to start with
I am new to Adobe Flex development, but I have been a Microsoft web programmer for many years.I really enjoyed this book; it's an excellent intro to the world of Flex development. I love the length of the chapters they are just long enough to finish in a quick 20 min break during the day.The authors do an excellent job demonstrating what can be done with the technology.The examples are simple but well thought out and well written.They start off by showing the reader real world applications already in place on the web.In the following chapters he provides examples that introduce some of the controls available in Flex.The examples are labels, buttons, checkboxes and datagrids just to highlight a few.One chapter walks the reader through creating a Runner's Calculator.The last chapter contains a nice list of websites, blogs and community resources to get you into the developer community.

If you are new to Flex this is an excellent book to start with it's both informative and a quick read.
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Product Description
Thoroughly vetted by Adobe's AIR development team, Adobe AIR 1.5 Cookbook addresses fundamentals, best practices, and topics that web developers and application designers inquire about most. The hands-on recipes in this cookbook help you solve a variety of tasks and scenarios you may encounter using Adobe AIR to build Rich Internet Applications for the desktop. It's an ideal way to learn the nuances of Adobe AIR, with practical solutions you can use right away, and detailed explanations of why and how they work. These recipes will help you:Build an AIR application with Flex, Flash, or HTML and AjaxCreate a database and connect it to your applicationPut together native menus for PCs and MacsWork with the Service Monitor FrameworkUtilize the Adobe AIR Update FrameworkCreate branded desktop experiences with custom chrome and custom application iconsDistribute your AIR application with the Seamless Install BadgeAnd more. Adobe AIR 1.5 Cookbook includes dozens of recipes from rising stars in the AIR development community-David Tucker, Rich Tretola, Marco Casario, and Koen De Weggheleire-along with the best solutions posted by visitors to the Adobe AIR Cookbook community website hosted by Adobe and O'Reilly (www.adobe.com/go/air_cookbook). If you're ready to expand your skill set with Adobe AIR, this is the book you've been waiting for. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Walks through the basics to explaining all aspects of AIR
This is a good starter book on Adobe AIR. It starts at the VERY beginning, explaining every point in the description files and what are their options. It builds precept upon precept. Then it shows you examples of completed code - PLUS the code can be downloaded from their website so you don't have to type it in yourself. Very nice.

I liked the "state the problem, then show the solution" format of the book. It keeps the explanations uncluttered by extraneous details and since I haven't coded since 1986, that's exactly what I needed.

Great Stuff... well don
I really enjoyed this book.I found i well layed out and easy to read.Any body ever here of http://magentoconsulting.com/ ... Seem like and open source Magento Consulting firm.

A fine survey of best practices, basics, and topics for web developers and application designers alike
David Tucker, et.al. ADOBE AIR 1.5 COOKBOOK has been bettered by Adobe's AIR development team and offers a fine survey of best practices, basics, and topics for web developers and application designers alike. From building AIR applications with Flex or HTML to working with the Service Monitor Framework and creating branded desktop experiences with customization, ADOBE AIR 1.5 COOKBOOK is a winner.

Practice and Prepare
§
The competition of application development frameworks is the bane of those of us who have to figure out how to explain inherent potentials to managers tasked with getting new apps out the door. No one knows the future -- but Adobe's Integrated Runtime (AIR) is certainly on everyone's list as a strong contender.

This book has a cookbook format which means it is full of examples that focus on the scenarios that will most likely provoke head-scratching and Googling by programmers tackling basic and not so basic tasks in AIR development. This book is for intermediate developers who already have a good working knowledge of the Flex tool and ActionScript or JavaScript.

Chapters 1-2 impart basic dev environment setup tips.
Chapters 3-15 provide solutions for file system, network, and database scenarios.
Chapters 16-17 focus on distribution and install issues.

There is also a bonus chapter which is online at the O'Reilly publisher site. This bonus chapter does a bit of AIR mashup to integrate some of the individual solutions found in the book.

This is a solid book for keeping up with the times.
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Product Description
Well before Ajax and Microsoft's Windows Presentation Foundation hit the scene, Macromedia offered the first method for building web pages with the responsiveness and functionality of desktop programs with its Flash-based "Rich Internet Applications". Now, new owner Adobe is taking Flash and its powerful capabilities beyond the Web and making it a full-fledged development environment.Rather than focus on theory, the ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook concentrates on the practical application of ActionScript, with more than 300 solutions you can use to solve a wide range of common coding dilemmas. You'll find recipes that show you how to:Detect the user's Flash Player version or their operating systemBuild custom classesFormat dates and currency typesWork with stringsBuild user interface componentsWork with audio and videoMake remote procedure calls using Flash Remoting and web services Load, send, and search XML dataAnd much, much more ...Each code recipe presents the Problem, Solution, and Discussion of how you can use it in other ways or personalize it for your own needs, and why it works. You can quickly locate the recipe that most closely matches your situation and get the solution without reading the whole book to understand the underlying code. Solutions progress from short recipes for small problems to more complex scripts for thornier riddles, and the discussions offer a deeper analysis for resolving similar issues in the future, along with possible design choices and ramifications. You'll even learn how to link modular ActionScript pieces together to create rock-solid solutions for Flex 2 and Flash applications.When you're not sure how ActionScript 3.0 works or how to approach a specific programming dilemma, you can simply pick up the book, flip to the relevant recipe(s), and quickly find the solution you're looking for.Adobe Developer Library is a co-publishing partnership between O'Reilly Media and Adobe Systems, Inc. and is designed to produce the number one information resources for developers who use Adobe technologies. Created in 2006, the Adobe Developer Library is the official source for comprehensive learning solutions to help developers create expressive and interactive web applications that can reach virtually anyone on any platform. With top-notch books and innovative online resources covering the latest in rich Internet application development, the Adobe Developer Library offers expert training and in-depth resources, straight from the source. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

Not for Microwave Cooking
The ideal reader of ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook is an intermediate user who either has a good understanding of ActionScript 2 or who has some experience with ActionScript 3. This is not for the beginner who is looking for point and shoot examples on how to perform basic tasks and it should not bee seen as a viable replacement for Adobe's brain dead approach to educational resources.

If, however, you know your way around AS3, chances are that you will find this book to be quite valuable.

Very limited
The topics covered are very limited compared to the basic needs and scope of actionscript and the coverage of each topic is too limited and redundant. O'Reilly books are usually very good, this one is a miss.

Was this book proofread?
It *appears* that the authors know their material, and there's a lot of useful stuff covered.

Unfortunately the book is so full of errors that when encountering a confusing point, it's difficult to determine whether to believe what's written and try to figure it out, or simply write it off to another incorrect statement by the authors.

I find it hard to believe this thing was proofread.O'Reilly, you should be ashamed to put your name on such a poorly-edited publication!This is NOT up to your usual standards.

AS 3.0 Cook Book
It's me first AS 3.0 book.
This is a good book. Easy to read and learn action script 3.0.
Have examples good and clear for all of the topics.
I like it.

Este fue mi primer libro de Action Script 3.0.
Es un buen libro. Fácil de leer y aprrender AS 3.0
Tiene ejemplos buenos y fáciles para todos los puntos que toca.
Me gusta.

Carlos Barboni
[...]

basic idea
very simple recipes.for any intermediate to advanced programmer this book is not recommended. ... Read more

Product Description
The "Web 2.0" phenomena has become more pervasive than ever before. It is impacting the very fabric of our society and presents opportunities for those with knowledge. The individuals who understand the trends and opportunities Web 2.0 represents are racing to cash in while Web 2.0 companies like Google see their stock pass $600 a share. While many simply describe it as an interactive "Web of participation" embracing concepts such as "trusting your users", both business and technical analysts struggle to understand it in greater detail and the opportunity it represents.This illuminating book puts substance behind Web 2.0. More accurately, the authors of Web 2.0 Design Patterns -- Duane Nickull, Dion Hinchcliffe, and James Governor, who together have a great deal of experience with technical specifications and industry trends -- have distilled the core design patterns of Web 2.0 coupled with an abstract model and reference architecture. This Web 2.0 knowledge was distilled using several high-profile Web 2.0 companies as examples. The result is a base of knowledge that developers, business people, futurists, and entrepreneurs can understand and use as a source of ideas and inspiration.Web 2.0 Design Patterns examines the Web 2.0 phenomena from it's humble origins to it's current state. After piecing together Web 1.0 architecture, the book researches successful Web 2.0 services such as Google AdSense, Flickr, BitTorrent, MySpace, Facebook and Wikipedia to explain why they are not just different economically and socially, but technically. Web 2.0 Design Patterns goes on to examine:A Model for Web 2.0 -- An in-depth look at the evolution of the Client-Server model into a more elaborate model for Web 2.0.It illustrates concepts such as "servers" evolving into a services (SOA) tier to facilitate interactions between systems and humans.A Web 2.0 Reference Architecture - A generic component view that helps decision-makers recognize the basic patterns in existing Web 2.0 applications and software that can be repurposed for other commercial ventures.Specific patterns of Web 2.0 -- Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), Software as a Service pattern (SaaS), Participation-Collaboration Pattern, AJAX, Mashups, Rich User Experience (a.k.a. RIA), Collaborative Tagging Systems (Folksonomy), and more which can be repurposed to other businesses of technologies.In true Web 2.0 fashion, Nickull, Hinchcliffe, and Governor also present the reference model and patterns in Web 2.0 Design Patterns on their companion web site so that others in the industry can augment it and continue the discussion.About the authors:Duane Nickull (http://technoracle.blogspot.com) worked for both the United Nations CEFACT committee and OASIS, writing and building new SOA for global integration of multiple systems. A senior technical evangelist for Adobe Systems, Inc., he has contributed to many SOA and Web Services standards and articles.Dion Hinchcliff (http://web2.wsj2.com/) is founder and Chief Technology Officer of a premier consulting firm, which specializes in Enterprise Web 2.0, SOA, WOA, and RIA strategy and execution. He works with IT clients in the federal government and Fortune 500 companies. He is Editor-In-Chief of the Web 2.0 Journal and AjaxWorld Magazine.James Governor(http://www.redmonk.com/jgovernor/) is an Industry Analyst with RedMonk, the first analyst firm built on open source. Providing high quality research at no cost, all of the firm's content is open and freely accessible. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

lots of fluff, completely misses the point
Where do I begin? For a start the 'architecture' patterns are just 'features' that some web 2.0 companies have. It would be a bit of a stretch to call them patterns.
Also the comparison between web 1.0 companies and web 2.0 companies is laughable. Take for example "Akamai" vs "Bittorrent"; there is no comparison, Akamai is a content distribution network, their business model is to host data on their servers closer to users. Bit torrent is a filesharing network, mainly used to share open source and illegal files - it has no business model, it's just a tool. Usually when one compares something the things being compared must have a least something in common.
Take another example: "mp3.com" vs napster, MP3.com is a business, napster is NOT, it's a way to share songs illegally.
Another example: websites and blogs - no comparison, different focuses, they're completely different marketing channels!!
Yet another example: screen scaping and web services, again very different, can you order a book via screen scraping? NO! Web services provides both information and a service, screen scrapping only provides information.

Some quotes from the book to show the quality of the book:

"The Software as a Service (SaaS) Pattern
- Terms often associated with the Software as a Service pattern include:
Model-View-Controller (MVC)
Some people consider SaaS a specialization of the MVC pattern that distributes the Model, View, and Controller (or parts thereof) over multiple resources located on the Internet. It is strongly related to SaaS, and most SaaS providers follow the MVC pattern when implementing SaaS."

Completely wrong, not related whatsoever !!, they're at two completely different levels of abstraction. SaaS just refers to something hosted on the internet/usually self provisioning/usually multi-tenanted. MVC is a design pattern 1 step above coding.

""One of the defining characteristics of Web 2.0 developers and architects has been a dismissal of many traditional enterprise architecture patterns."

Misses the boat completely; the majority of web 2.0 applications aren't actually mission critical - the author would find in most business environments, architects following traditional enterprise architecture pattterns religiously. There's a big difference between facebook going down for 2 hrs and a major banking system.

The book is just a lot of buzzwords, with very poorly written analysis of web2.0.

A good introduction to Web 2.0
This book was a good read and gave me the insight I needed for this emerging technology. Well worth the money spent.

Valuable, but limited
This book sways between discussion and dissection - addressing entrepreneurs, curious technologists and architects. It's inconsistent in its treatment of the material it chooses to add to its scope. Fortunately, this doesn't mean the book isn't useful to read or fairly enjoyable in parts.

Early on the authors take on the considerable task of explaining Web 2.0. They use an approach in which 1.0 applications are compared to their 2.0 successors or competitors. This approach does not work for several reasons.

The 1.0 application on display has evolved since Tim O'Reilly picked the contrasting applications a while ago. So there is no good benchmark to use. The authors point this out in several places, which makes the whole comparison more kludgey. Instead of an architectural analysis that is crisp, the comparisons devolve into feature discussions. So what defines Web 2.0? A set of features, the approach, its execution? The resulting discussion doesn't really come out and clarify Web 2.0 any more or less than available material on the Internet.

However some central themes to emerge in this discussion that are put to good use later.

The second half of the book presents a reference architecture for Web 2.0. Its a decent chapter, but not comprehensive. I was very unclear about how to utilize the information that was presented in Chapter 5.

Chapter 7, which talks about Web 2.0 patterns at a deeper level, is easily the most enjoyable chapter of the book. Like it predecessors, its not comprehensive, but it covers important ground.

Each Web 2.0 pattern is explained very well. There is a paragraph on the context in which the pattern should be utilized. There is material on the pattern's static structure and dynamic behavior and notes on implementation (these are a little thin for some patterns). A nice section on gotchas (called consequences) is also available.

Some patterns are a little broad - for example, is Rich User Experience really a pattern or an expectation in the Web 2.0 context that consists of serveral, constantly evolving, well-understood patterns that encompass graphic design, usability and dynamic web programming? Fortunately, regardless of the approach, the resulting discussions in this chapter are all good ones.

A good book that helps formalize your thinking about Web 2.0 systems
The term "software system architecture" means many things to many people. Coders look at the microcosm. Systems engineers look at the macrocosm. By nature, writing about the software system architecture is hard. Most times no one size is going to fit all.

Thus, I am always apprehensive about a book that purports to explain software system architecture in general. Usually such books are written by highfalutin Big Six consultants for the benefit of entrenched IT managers that need to be "in the know". In most cases neither party has the aptitude or real world technical background to grasp the technical topic at hand in a manner that is useful and accurate. As a result, because neither writer nor readers are real world, the book flops.

So here's the good news. O'Reilly's Web 2.0 Architectures does a more than competent job of explaining Web 2.0 enterprise system architecture. The book takes a real world approach. The first two chapters are a primer in the basics of the Internet and Web 2.0 based software systems. In the primer sections you'll learn about the fundamental technology static and various architectural patterns that make up web based enterprise systems: Service Oriented Architecture (SOA), Software as a Service (SaaS), Participation-Collaboration, Mash up, Semantic Web Grounding, to name a few.

Then in Chapter 3 the authors frame real world, web based systems such as AdSense, Flickr, BitTorrent,etc..., against architectural concepts, comparing older systems against the newer Web 2.0 counterparts, DoubleClick vs. AdSense, for example.

The writers consider the ability to think and conceptualize in terms of structured abstraction as the primary tool in the architect's toolkit. Thus, Chapter 4, 5 and 6 get you thinking in terms of Models and Patterns.

Chapter 7 serves as Web 2.0 reference/lexicon and Chapter 8 provides the call to action for creating Web 2.0 architectures that last.

After reading this book will you be able to get a job at Amazon designing its next generation Movies on Demand web service? The answer is no. It takes years of experience and some very expensive failures to understand the intricacies of designing and implementing a system of such enormity.

Will you have a formalized understanding of the thinking, patterns and implementations that surround modern Internet based software systems? Yes, by all means.

In terms of the nuts and bolts of the book, there are pros and cons. The book is short. This is good. You can read it in about 4 hours. The conventions used are clear and the writing style is engaging. There is ample reference to online links. Thus, for ease of use, you'll do well to read the book in the online Safari version.

One of the drawbacks of the book is that at times, the book introduces some pretty hard core technologies and then lends fleeting reference once introduced. For example, the book devotes a single paragraph to introducing the concept of the Enterprise Service Bus. Those of us that have worked with the ESB know that it is an ornery technology that comes with a considerable learning curve, and more considerable implementation curve. Yet the book glosses over it. However, such hit and run tactics are limited.

Overall, I found this book useful. If nothing else, it wrapped formal language around concepts that I have been carrying in my head for years. And, once the reseller discounts kick in, the price is right!

I definitely recommend this book as a common reference for any team of developers making modern enterprise level software.
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