Rating:  Summary: alright Review: good content for those who already know flash and coldfusion. however, that said, still has some holes and seems somewhat rushed to print. not sure if will answer many of the questions those new to remoting (everyone!) will have. quite mediocre.
Rating:  Summary: Only Flash/CF book Review: I don't understand the fuzz about this. Maybe I am wrong but for now this is the only CF/Flash MX book I have found. But I am far from amazed. The layout and style of writing leaves a lot of blanks, The book is built in self-proclaimed case studies. Case studies where pages printed in 45 degrees, making it unnessesarily hard to read the text. Code is not clearly written and is sometimes 'hidden' inbetween descriptive text...now, I did not like this...
Rating:  Summary: A Must Have!! Review: I found this book really helpful in terms of applying development to real-world situations. Each section of this book takes the reader through the initial planning stages of an application, all the way through to implementation. The content is very well written and demonstrates how to blend the uniqueness of a Flash UI with ColdFusion powering the backend. This book thoroughly covers Flash Remoting, CFC's, and Flash Comm Server. If you're interested in developing the next generation of web applications then this book is a must have. This is not a beginners guide to Flash/CF and requires that you have some experience with developing Flash and ColdFusion applications.
Rating:  Summary: Best Coldfusion and Flash Integration Book Review: I have been programming in coldfusion since 4.5, and i have always had problems trying to integrate it with flash, but now that coldfusion and flash mx came out its a lot easier to integrate them together. This book actually shows you how to take full advantage in developing more enhanced applications utilizing coldfusion and flash mx, and it also shows you how to integrate your applications using the flash communication server, which to me was a very big help.I would definetly recomend this book to anyone that is trying to learn how to integrate coldfusion and flash mx.
Rating:  Summary: Well Done! Excellent scenarios for Flash + CF integration. Review: I recently recieved this book and was able to read straight through it in no time. The project theme used throughout the book provided an enjoyable reading experience while at the same time did an excellent job of explaining Flash and ColdFusion integration. Since the book covers Flash and ColdFusion integration, the book thankfully also covers Flash Remoting, the bridge between ColdFusion MX and Flash MX.
Rating:  Summary: Excellent Book with some Prerequisites Review: Overall. Excellent book. Well written and in an interestingly new format...hence the "reality" title. In a nutshell the book takes a handful of projects and runs through them as a "real world" scenario. From basic project planning and management to the design and coding. What this book is not! Anyone looking for a hardcore reference for either CFMX and/or FlashMX...this is not the book. While it does dip into specifics on occasion, the book assumes a certain skill level...guess that's why it says intermediate to advanced on the back. Who should buy it? CF developers looking to extend their skillset into the realm of rich clients. In my opinion, there are a few prerequisites though before diving into this book. (to avoid flash culture shock). A) Learn how to get around the Flash environment. Best place to start are the tutorials...you don't need to be an expert but a few weeks of tinkering with small projects should do the trick. B) Go through all the Flash MX / CF integration examples on DesDev FIRST. They're all straight forward and give you the required basics on the whole CF/Flash thing. You may still get a little lost on the Actionscript portion but for the most part it's approachable for a CF'er...All in all a Flash MX basics book would be a great primer. In conclusion, the format of the book is great because it provides solutions to a whack of obstacles you're most likely to run into when making your first rich client app...and more importantly how to tie them together. My only criticism is that I think it would have been nice to include a coding task-list on each chapter for easy reference. (e.g. Chapter 1: Covers authentication, form validation, custom skin component etc..)...Not the end of the world but I've been spoiled since the days of BF's classic Appendices. As well as some deeper detail on the more advanced "phase II" features mentioned after each project...maybe this is to make room for a second edition, who knows!
Rating:  Summary: Dennis Baldwin is da man... :) Review: Please remember that this book assumes you know CFMX already! It's very important that you understand CFMX's new ColdFusion Components (CFCs). This book is basically for CFMX Developers to get up to speed with learning Flash Remoting. Some flash knowledge is good to have as it doesn't look to get too detailed into the flash actionscripting, but it does mess around with Flash MX UI Components that Macromedia released. HTH, ~Todd, Team Macromedia Volunteer for ColdFusion MX
Rating:  Summary: A different approach with good samples Review: Reality ColdFusion MX: Flash MX Integration was one of the first books to look at integrating two of the main MX products and did it from a different approach. Typically tech books walk you through code and act as a good tutorial and reference. This book presents 4 applications in case study fashion, which will disappoint some and please others. I recommend Reality ColdFusion MX: Flash MX Integration for those that have a good grasp of ColdFusion MX and an intermediate level of skill working within Flash MX's IDE. You may find the project methodology useful and if you are new to Rich Internet Applications, the sample applications will make a great starting point.
Rating:  Summary: Flash and ColdFusion Integration! Review: This book by the star of Macromedia Ben Forta, and his crew of co-authors is perhaps the first of its kind to highlight the many business uses for Flash integration. It is refreshing to see a new point of view that highlights applications which are more than just the Skip-Intro's that have made Macromedia's Flash infamous. While the book's focus is not a coding reference, it does expertly diagram methods for successful implementations of real world rich user interface applications. If you have ever wondered how to create a database driven web application that acts like a website, but performs like a true rich UI application, Reality ColdFusion MX is for you. With this offering, Forta assumes that the reader has already been introduced to both Flash and ColdFusion. Instead the reader is presented with a more intricate discussion about integrating these two complimentary and recently co-branded software packages. Many of the new features introduced in the MX versions of Flash and ColdFusion (CFC's, Flash Remoting, Flash components, and Shared Objects) are described in depth throughout the book. Reality ColdFusion MX is divided into four sections, each based on its own Flash application (media player, expense reporter, instant messenger, and email client). The development process is shown in its entirety from the point of view of a real world consulting engagement (where frequently time and budget dictate the planning process more than the actual requirements do). Forta expertly recounts real life experiences while highlighting the most powerful new features of Flash and ColdFusion MX. This book is for coders and architects that are ready to delve into the world of using Flash as a dynamic user interface. The focus here is not on how to do a motion tween across the timeline, it is understanding how to properly separate presentation from function, while rapidly creating an application that can change the way business is done on the web. Kudos to Forta and the gang for teaching us the future of Flash MX as a business tool that can be used side-by-side with ColdFusion MX for powerful presentations of server side applications. I highly recommend this book to anyone who develops applications for the web.
Rating:  Summary: Wow...nice concept. Review: This book changed my life! Ok...maybe not my life, but at least my development process. I will tell you this, if you open this book expecting to just walk through the steps to build something you are in for a big surprise. This is not a reference book and it's not a "learn flash remoting in 24 hours" book either. What it is, is a fresh approach in which you learn more than just how to develop an application in the standard sense. This book walks you through the steps of the development process from the initial brainstorming session to the delivery and implementation of the final product. Each piece include whiteboard drawings, real emails, real notes from meetings, etc.. To top it all off, they shows REAL issues you run into during development and how to overcome them. When was the last time everything in a book wasn't all rosy and perfect? Honesty in a development book...nice concept! Check out more cool stuff from these guys at flashcfm.com and forta.com Excellent work guys!
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