TRAINING

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Flex 3 : Building Rich Client Applications

This is the introductory course for Flex, a prerequisite for the other Flex and AIR courses. We find that it appeals to a wide spread of experience levels because it focuses on the aspects of the SDK that make it so different from other development technologies.

Unit 1: Introducing Adobe Flex 3

• Understanding rich Internet applications
• Introducing the Adobe Flex
• Understanding Adobe Flex Builder
• The foundation of the RIA: Flash Player/Flash Virtual Machine
• Understanding the Flex application process flow
• Accessing remote data resources from a Flex application
• Getting help and other resources

Unit 2: Getting Started with Flex

• Understanding the relationship between Eclipse and Flex Builder
• Exploring the Flex Builder interface
• Creating a project and your first application
• Debugging a Flex application
• Accessing help in Adobe Flex Builder

Unit 3: Learning Flex Fundamentals

• Creating a simple Flex application
• Displaying images
• Laying out a Flex application with containers
• Using a Panel container
• Using a ControlBar container
• Adding user interface controls
• Creating bindings between components
• Architecting an application with MXML components
• Creating properties and methods of MXML components

Unit 4: Handling Events

• Understanding events
• Creating event handlers using inline ActionScript
• Handling events with ActionScript functions
• Placing ActionScript functions in external files
• Understanding the Event object
• Implementing the addEventListener() method

Unit 5: Laying out an Application Using Constraint-Based Layout

• Understanding absolute positioning
• Positioning components within the Canvas container
• Creating a constraint-based layout using Flex Builder
• Creating a constraint-based layout in MXML
• Using Enhanced Constraints
• Using constraint-based layouts with nested components

Unit 6: Using View States for Application Design

• Understanding view states
• Controlling view states
• Reviewing the generated MXML code
• Creating view states that include custom component states

Unit 7: Creating Application Navigation

• Understanding navigator containers and controls
• Using the LinkBar control
• Using the TabBar control
• Using the ViewStack container
• Using the TabNavigator container
• Using the Accordion container
• Using the Tile container
• Using ButtonBar & ToggleButtonBar
• Using the ApplicationControlBar container

Unit 8: Customizing the Application

• Customizing Flex application look and feel
• Modifying Styles to change look-and-feel
• Using Theme
• Applying behaviors to components
• Applying transitions to view states

Unit 9: Using ActionScript Data Models

• Using the MVC design pattern
• Creating an MXML data model
• Using ActionScript classes as a data model
• Creating an ActionScript constructor with parameters
• Defining class methods

Unit 10: Exchanging Data Between Components Using Custom Events

• Understanding the problem with bindings
• Creating custom events
• Sending data with a custom event

Unit 11: Creating Data Entry Forms

• Using the Form container
• Sharing Form Data
• Validating form Data
• Trigerring validation with events
• Trigerring validation with ActionScript

Unit 13: Retrieving XML Data with HTTPService

• Retrieving XML data at runtime
• Handling results
• Handling results using an event handler
• Handling faults
• Making HTTP requests to different domains
• Making HTTP requests with parameters

Unit 15: Displaying Data Using the DataGrid

• Using the DataGrid control
• Specifying DataGrid columns
• Formatting DataGrid columns
• Using item renderers and item editors
• Inline item renderers and item editors
• Item renderer and item editor components
• Using the TileList and HorizontalList
• Using events and selected items with list-based components

Flex 3 and LiveCycle Data Services

This course continues where the first course left off regarding client server communications. It covers the main RPC methods (HTTP, Web Services and Flash Remoting) in some detail, but one of the most interesting aspects of the course is its coverage of LiveCycle Data Services (LCDS). LCDS offers interesting new ways to connect Flex to a server using bi-directional messaging and data synchronisation, enabling new exciting classes of application to be created.

Unit 1: Introducing Flex 3 and LiveCycle Data Services: Integrating with Data and Messaging

• Introducing Mastery Learning
• Understanding the Course Format
• Reviewing the Course Prerequisites
• Reviewing the Course Outline

Unit 2: Accessing Web Services

• Using web services
• Invoking web service methods and using the results
• Handling results using an event handler
• Walkthrough 2: Using a result event
• Handling faults
• Calling multiple methods from the same WebService object
• Passing Parameters to Web Services
• Importing Web Services in Flex Builder

Unit 3: Introduction to LiveCycle Data Services ES

• Introducing LiveCycle Data Services ES
• Installing LiveCycle Data Services
• Creating a Flex application for use with LiveCycle Data Services
• Understanding the Server Compilation Process
• LiveCycle Data Services Features
• The Proxy Service
• The Proxy Service Default Destination
• Named Proxy Service Destinations
• Using BlazeDS

Unit 4: Using Java Classes with the Remoting Service

• Understanding the Remoting Service
• Handling RPC Events
• Complex Remote Method Calls
• Exchanging Data between ActionScript and Java
• Handling Server-Side Exceptions
• Remoting Service Runtime Configuration

Unit 5: Managing Data on the Client

• Understanding collection classes
• Filtering data on the client
• Sorting data on the client
• Using the IViewCursor interface

Unit 6: Using the Message Service

• Introducing the Message Service
• Sending Messages
• Receiving and Processing Messages
• Sending and Receiving Complex Data

Unit 7: Using the Data Management Service

• What is the Flex Data Management Service?
• Data Management Service Architecture
• Changing Data
• Managing Pending Changes
• Using Data Management Service Events
• Advanced Data Management Service Features

Unit 8: Providing XML to Controls with E4X

• Understanding XML structure
• Working with XML data in ActionScript 3
• Using E4X Expressions
• Using the Tree control
• Using Tree Control Events and Properties
• Using E4X Expressions for Search
• Removing Items from XML

Unit 9: Uploading Files to a Server

• Implementing file transfer basics
• Uploading a file

Flex 3: Extending and Styling Components

This course is for interface designers who want fine control over the look and behaviour of user interface components.

Unit 1: Introducing Flex 3: Extending and Styling Components

• Programming the Visual Experience
• Understanding Project Roles
• Introducing Mastery Learning
• Understanding the Course Format
• Reviewing the Course Prerequisites
• Reviewing the Course Outline

Unit 2: Embedding Images and Fonts

• Embedding Images at Compile-Time
• Layering Content Using Absolute Layout
• Creating a Reusable Embedded Image
• Creating Instances of an Embedded Image Class
• Understanding Device Font Limitations
• Embedding Fonts with Absolute File Paths
• Embedding Fonts using Adobe Flash

Unit 3: Modifying the Look and Feel of Flex Components

• Exploring Filters
• Applying Blends
• Modifying the Look-and-Feel of Flex Components using MXML Styles
• Modifying Graphical Skins using Flex Skin Design Extensions for CS3
• Installing the Flex Skin Design Extensions for Flash
• Selecting which component to modify in Flash
• Importing the Flex skins artwork

Unit 4: Creating Popups

• Creating a Popup Window
• Passing Data to the Popup Window

Unit 5: Extending Flex Components

• Exploring Display Object Basics
• Extending Flex Components
• Implementing the createChildren() Method
• Implementing the updateDisplayList() Method
• Improving Custom Component Reusability withStylesheets

Unit 6: Drawing Shapes and Skinning Programmatically

• Understanding the Relationship Between Display List Objects and the Graphics Class
• Calling the clear() Method
• Drawing Lines
• Creating a Visual Element as an ActionScript Class
• Creating Shapes
• Defining Fill Methods
• Implementing a ButtonSkin from the mx.skins.halo Package
• Implementing a Programmatic Skin

Unit 7: Animating Components and View States

• Creating Behaviors in ActionScript
• Reviewing View States and Transitions
• Using the CurrentStateChange Event

Unit 8: Creating Mouse-Aware Applications

• Detecting the Mouse Position
• Detecting the Stage Dimensions

Unit 9: Implementing Drag and Drop Functionality

• Understanding the DragManager
• Specifying the Data to Display in a List Control
• Enabling Dragging on Non-List-Based Controls
• Controlling Dropping with Formats
• Handling Data in Drag and Drop Operations

Flex 3: Charting and Dashboard Applications

This course is a must for creators of data visualisation applications like dashboards and reporting tools. It focuses on the highly capable Flex charting API.

Unit 1: Introducing Flex 3 Charts

• Understanding chart data
• Exploring the final application
• Loading external data for charts and dashboard applications
• Introducing Flex 3 charts
• Leveraging visual data through charts
• Understanding dashboards

Unit 2: Using Flex 3 Charts

• Understanding the elements of a chart tag
• Understanding and using the column & bar charts
• Using the Column and Bar charts
• Understanding and using the line & area charts
• Understanding and using the pie chart
• Understanding and using the plot chart
• Understanding and using the bubble chart
• Using the Candlestick & HighLowOpenClose Charts

Unit 3: Formatting Charts

• Understanding the axis controls
• Using the CategoryAxis
• Using Chart DataTips
• Formatting chart types
• Working with legend controls
• Applying the Concepts

Unit 4: Creating Multi-Series and ActionScript Charts

• Understanding multiple data series
• Adding multiple series of data
• Using multiple chart axes
• Mixing chart series types
• Mixing multiple series types
• Creating charts with ActionScript
• Applying the Concepts

Unit 5: Understanding Advanced Charting Techniques

• Using animation with chart series
• Animating charts and chart effects
• Handling user interaction
• Dynamically controlling chart series
• Changing dataProvider fields
• Dynamically controlling the series
• Using custom graphical renderers
• Applying the Concepts

Unit 6: Styling Charts

• Styling Charts
• Applying CSS to Chart Components
• Styling Chart Series
• Styling Chart Grid Lines
• Applying the concepts

FastTrack To ColdFusion 8

An introduction to web programming, SQL and ColdFusion.

• 3 Days
• $1,650 incl GST

Unit 1: Introducing the Course

• Meeting the Prerequisites
• Understanding the Course Format
• Reviewing the Course Outline

Unit 2: Getting Started with ColdFusion

• Understanding Dynamic Web Pages
• Introducing ColdFusion
• Exploring Dreamweaver CS3
• Creating ColdFusion Variables
• Displaying Variable Values
• Including Files
• Commenting Code
• Implementing Best Practices

Unit 3: Publishing Database Content

• Connecting to a Database
• Querying a Database Table
• Viewing Debug Data
• Dumping a Recordset to a Browser
• Displaying Database Data
• Using the Dynamic Table Tool
• Using the Resultset Structure Data
• Introducing CurrentRow
• Using ColdFusion Functions
• Implementing Best Practices

Unit 4: Building Forms with ColdFusion

• Understanding HTML Forms
• Enabling Debug Output
• Self-Posting Forms
• Determining Form Submission
• Evaluating Form Variables
• Introducing ColdFusion Forms
• Implementing Best Practices

Unit 5: Building Search Interfaces

• Using Form Data in Dynamic Queries
• Preserving Form Data
• Creating Dynamic SQL for Multiple Search Criteria
• Using Text Searches
• Using List Searches
• Implementing Best Practices

Unit 6: Building a Drill-Down Interface

• Using Dynamic URL Parameters
• Creating a Data Drill-Down
• Creating on-the-fly PDF Documents
• Displaying Data in a Tabbed Interface
• Implementing Best Practices

Unit 7: Inserting New Data

• Building an Insert Interface
• Building an Insert Form Page
• Validating ColdFusion Forms
• Building Insert Action Logic
• Redirecting Process Flow
• Implementing Best Practices

Unit 8: Updating and Deleting Data

• Updating Database Data
• Building an Update Form Page
• Building Update Logic
• Deleting Records from the Database
• Improving SQL Security
• Implementing Best Practices

Unit 9: Reusing Templates

• Reusing Code
• Using Custom Tags
• Using User-Defined Functions
• Introducing ColdFusion Components
• Implementing Best Practices

Unit 10: Securing an Application

• Addressing the Web’s Statelessness
• Using the Application Framework
• Using Application Variables
• Persisting State Variables
• Working with Session Variables
• Implementing Best Practices

Advanced ColdFusion 8 Development

A good course to build on your ColdFusion skills after 1-2 months of development experience.

• 3 Days
• $1,650 incl GST

Unit 1: Introducing the Course

• About the Course
• Course Overview
• Prerequistes
• Course Format

Unit 2: Introduction to Components

• Creating ColdFusion Components
• Introducing CFC Syntax
• Invoking Static CFC Methods
• Using the Application Framework
• Logging with
• Locking Shared Scope Variables

Unit 3: Manipulating Lists and Queries

• Creating Lists
• Manipulating Lists with Functions
• The Query Object
• Summarizing and Grouping Data
• Transaction Processing
• Querying a Query
• Uploading Data with

Unit 4: Manipulating Data with Arrays and Structures

• Using Arrays
• Manipulating Arrays with Functions
• Using Structures
• Manipulating Structures with Functions
• Looping over Structures
• Using Built-In ColdFusion Data Structures
• Combining Data Structures
• Copying Complex Variables with Duplicate()

Unit 5: Advanced Component Concepts

• Instance-Based Components
• Instantiating Instance-based Components
• Associating Data with Components
• Using the Getter/Setter Approach
• Restricting Method Invocation
• Restricting Component Methods by User Role
• Using Built-In Components
• Prototyping Components with

Unit 6: Handling Errors and Exceptions

• Introducing Error Handling
• Site-wide Error Handler
• Application-Wide Error Handling
• Implementing the try/catch Methodology
• Exception Handling Frameworks

Unit 7: Code and Content Reuse

• Creating Custom Tags
• Calling Custom Tags
• Creating CFML Simple Nested Custom Tags
• .NET Integration with ColdFusion 8
• Creating Web Services
• Calling Web Services

Unit 8: Working with PDF Files and Forms

• Generate PDF Files from ColdFusion
• Manipulating PDF Files with
• Pre-filling PDF Forms
• Posting Data from a PDF Form to ColdFusion

Unit 9: Data and File Manipulation in ColdFusion

• Manipulating Image Data with
• Reading and Storing Image Data
• Image Processing
• Creating RSS Feeds
• Consuming RSS Feeds

Unit 10: Scaling Applications

• Caching Recordsets
• Caching Generated Results with
• Caching Entire Page Results
• Using Asynchronous Processes to Improve Performance