We have a pretty unique approach to developing RIAs that we use here at Cynergy called LookFirst. We focus on doing the development process from "front-to-back" whereby we develop the user experience, using it to gather requirements, establish scope and drive back end API and data model.
The idea in front-to-back is that we start out with roughly developed "wireframes" yet these wireframes are developed directly in Flex. Flex is such a productive canvas why go through the chore of using a template solution like Visio. This rough wireframe is then expanded to inlcude art, validation, flow, etc. Static data is then bound to an object model and eventually to controls etc. The goal is to create effectively a fully functional application all bound to static data and objects. These objects become the API developed using POJOs in Tomcat exposed as either (or sometimes both) SOAP and XML over HTTP services. >From the development standpoint one big thing you will notice is that this approach forces a very strong seperation of concerns, not just architecturally but physically as well. The RIA developers are requesting the services they require and in the format they require them in. This assures that there is no tight coupling between the tiers and creates an automatic seperation of concerns. It also allows the two sides to work quite autonomously. Although in our offices the folks might be sitting right side-by-side. We use subversion for source control and do have a series of ANT scripts that take the front end RIA and the back-end services, compile them, create WARS, deploy the WARS etc. (We also have some internal tools that do some code generation for us, also hooked into the automated ANT builds). IMHO building and deploying full wars significantly reduces the broken cycles caused by bad or partial deploys. Every developer in this way can update their source tree, build and deploy both tiers of the application to their local development Tomcat servers without any dependancy on a shared server model. We have well over half a dozen Flex projects under development in parallel here at any given point. For the most part they are all laid out the same way, using the same builds scripts and same developer model. I'm presenting our approach at the Flex Seminar up in NYC next week and will be showing off three or four of these projects. Swing on up and take a peek. http://www.flexseminar.com -- Dave Wolf Cynergy Systems, Inc. Adobe Flex Alliance Partner http://www.cynergysystems.com http://www.cynergysystems.com/blogs Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Office: 866-CYNERGY --- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com, "Dave Bobby" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Currently, I have a client-side flex running in Flex Builder stand- > alone and a java server-side which is running in Eclipse, eventually > deployed to tomcat. > > Now when I run from my Flex Builder, I can access my tomcat by just > saying http://localhost:8080/project/login.html?user=a&pass=b > > . but this is not extensible, so the question is how do you > physically lay out your projects? > > . do you have ant builds that create a war with all the files copied > over? > > . do you separate your flex builder from eclipse or run them together > as flex (plugin) and java (in eclipse) at one time > > . if you develop all in one project (java and flex) how do you > separate these concerns, for example, flex requires that application > mxml be in the root of the project and say cairngorm files would be > in root/com/... > > I need to set this up fast before other developers join the project, > appreciate your inputs. > > Thanks. > > Dave. > -- Flexcoders Mailing List FAQ: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/files/flexcodersFAQ.txt Search Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
