Working With Flex Data Services - MACROMEDIA FLEX BUILDER-USING FLEX BUILDER Use Manual

Working with Flex data services

After inserting the components that make up your user interface, (see
User Interface Visually," on page
the business layer. A Flex data service acts as a bridge to the business layer. For more information,
see "Flex data services" on page
After binding a data service to an object in the business layer, you can pass data between them.
For example, you can collect information from users and submit it to the business layer, or
retrieve and display information from the business layer.
Before you begin, make sure Flex Builder can connect to your Flex server. Certain features
discussed in this section will not work if a Flex testing server is not properly defined in Flex
Builder. For information on defining a testing server, see
Builder" on page
This section covers the following topics:
•
"Inserting a Flex data service in the MXML file" on page 136
•
"Binding a Flex data service to an object" on page 137
Related topics
•
"Data binding in Flex" on page 150
Inserting a Flex data service in the MXML file
To pass data to and from the business layer, you must first insert a Flex data service into the
MXML file. A Flex data service encapsulates a web service, an HTTP service, or a Java object.
The role of a Flex data service is to communicate with the business layer.
To insert a Flex data service in an MXML file:
With the MXML file open in Flex Builder, open the Data panel (Window > Data).
1.
Click the Plus (+) button on the panel and select the type of object in your business layer that
2.
will provide or receive the data.
Web Service
service.
136 Chapter 6: Working with Data
95), you can use Flex data services to bind the user interface to
152.
9.
inserts a service that lets you access the methods of a SOAP-compliant web
Chapter 4, "Building a Flex
"Starting a new application in Flex