Rating: 
Summary: Clarifying FlashCom
Review: This is the book I've been waiting for, and while it's not everything I wanted, it's very cool and I got a lot out of it. I've been waiting for a good book that covers server-side actionscript for FlashCom, and this book does that well.It's not a beginner's book, but FlashCom isn't a beginner's tool. Right off the bat, this book jumps (and I mean jumps!) into server side actionscript with a utility that uses the server-side script to do everything from getting the statistics about the server to server-side video recording and playback. According to the author, the first chapter isn't the easiest app, but is best used for seing what's going on in your computer, and then come back and see how the code works. That's probably good advice, but I've been so frustrated by the lack of any good book on server side FlashCom that I started with the first chapter. What I learned is that while understanding server-side FlashCom actionscript is important, you have to understand how to work with client-side FlashCom actionscript as well so that you can get the SSAS and CSAS working together. This book does this very well, and for the first time I'm really understanding how the client and server side work together. So, if you want to go beyond FlashCom components, this is the place to start. It's not like a typical computer book, but you'll get all of the major elements of FlashCom, including FlashCom 1.5.
Rating:
Summary: FlashComm Rocks!
Review: This is the sweetest book around on flash comm server.Lots of good code and good apps. Not for beginners, but its not impossible either. I downloaded the apps and each one told a different story about flash comm. It was like the apps each had part of flash com and so by going through all the apps in the book, I got just about everything flash comm has to offer except http tunneling and some of the smaller stuff. If you get this book, keep don't throw away your MM flash com docs. I used this book with the MM docs, and using them together really helped fill in the missing gaps in the docs, and the book shows how the different terms in the docs are used together. Likewise, having the docs around lets you better understand the code in the book. The code is explained for the most part, but lots of places your going to find that the MM docs really help out. Here's a list of what I got out of it:
1. flash comm client and server actionscript
2. recording/playing FLV files--client and server
3. shared objects. (SOs rock!)
4. a/v chat rooms
5. display client ip addresses
6. reading client and server stats
7. playing mp3 files
8. coordinating client and server scripts The apps got the best graphics I've ever seen in a computer book like this. Also, I learned a lot about regular actionscript and using UI components. The book has nothing on flash comm components though. The best part of this book is that I was able to make my own apps. I started with the books apps and then changed them around until I got what I wanted. If you want a good book on flash com and you are not a beginner, I can recommend this one.
Rating:
Summary: Not THAT difficult
Review: To steel myself to learn FlashComm, I went through the Macromedia Documentation for both client and server side communication ActionScript and I counted the objects. There's only about 9 client and server objects! Some, like LocalConnection are just for, well, local connections and really don't need FlashComm. On the server side there are only 5 objects; so there's not THAT much to it. The trick, it turns out is using the client side and the server side together. This is where this book is a gem. Every single application in the book shows how this is done, and some of the applications just use the client side--very effectively, too. In showing how to use the server and client side together, the authors place the two sides in juxtaposition and arrows show how the two sides connect. This is the first time I saw that connection. I had to use a lot of sticky labels to bookmark where key elements are. I have a decent ActionScript background, but not extensive, and while certainly not for beginners, you don't need to be a genius either. FlashComm is very doable, and this books makes it that way.
Rating: 
Summary: This book really good for ... CTO
Review: Yeah, that's right, CTO only need to know what the FlashComm can do, how they do, but doesn't really need to get dirty like all the programmers out there. So if you are CTO go and get this book, if you want to get dirty with FlashComm then stay away from this book. If you want to buy this book in "mint" condition, please contact me (vht@rocketmail.com), I will place this book on ebay for just 10USD.
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