The Flex Programming Model - MACROMEDIA FLEX-GETTING STARTED WITH FLEX Getting Started

The Flex programming model

You deploy the Flex presentation server on a J2EE application server or servlet container. The Flex
presentation server includes the Flex application framework and the Flex runtime services, as the
following figure shows:
The Flex application framework consists of the MXML scripting language, the ActionScript
programming language, and the Flex class library. You write Flex applications using a
combination of MXML and ActionScript. Use MXML to declaratively define the application
user interface elements and use ActionScript to define client logic and procedural control.
The Flex class library contains Flex components, managers, and behaviors. With the Flex
component-based development model, developers can incorporate prebuilt components, create
new components, or combine prebuilt components into composite components.
The Flex runtime services include support for server-side data access, compilation and caching,
enterprise resource integration, and deployment runtime needs. All Flex services minimize
redundancy and fully exploit existing enterprise resources.
Relationship of the Flex class hierarchy to MXML and ActionScript
Macromedia implemented Flex as an ActionScript class library. That class library contains
components (containers and controls), manager classes, data-service classes, and classes for all
other features. You develop applications using the MXML and ActionScript languages with the
class library.
MXML tags correspond to ActionScript classes or properties of classes. Flex parses MXML tags
and compiles a SWF file that contains the corresponding ActionScript objects. For example, Flex
provides the ActionScript Button class that defines the Flex Button control. In MXML, you
create a Button control using the following MXML statement:
<mx:Button label="Submit" />
Flex Presentation Server
Flex Application Framework
MXML ActionScript
Flex Class Library
Flex Runtime Services
J2EE
The Flex programming model 15