Hi tino, I use Flex (don't like the Flash IDE - especially that stinking Timeline ) with Rails all the time - no problems. Being on Windows, I use InstantRails, and Aptana Studio as an editor, although I do as much as I can now via the command line. I looked into Aptana due to it being built on Eclipse the same as Flex, no other reason. I have not had any problems so until I do, being Pragmatic :) I'll stay as I am for now. Though I am looking to get hold of a Mac box as soon as I can........
Flash Builder 4 is the new Flex 3, while Flash Pro 5 is in CS5 so it looks like Adobe will continue to improve and push Flash/Flex, I bet there will be more to come..... My set up is to use Flex for the front end entirely, and then Rails for the back. All my swf's are on one server that would host the domain, while Rails is on a cloud so I can ramp up the resources when necessary for Rails - which is the most intensive part of the App. I would recommend looking at Flexible Rails, and download a trial of Flash Builder 4 to go with it - if it is the same as Flex 3, you should get a 60 day trial rather than the usual 30. It was Flexible Rails that got me looking at Rails in the first place, and I've loved it ever since. If you look into RemoteObject on the Flash side, it makes it VERY simple to send objects to Rails via RubyAMF - get the FlexibleRails branch from : http://rubyamf.googlecode.com/svn/branches/flexiblerails/rubyamf One thing I did find, was that I was creating model value objects (VO's) in actionscript that my UI would use, but they were the same as the models in Rails. This was duplication - first I created the Rails model, then I wrote the AS VO - which was wasting good development time - so I wrote my first gem - but isn't really ready to post yet on Github - it needs refactoring a little along with more useful comments and docs). It hooks into the Rails Scaffolder and creates all my VO's for Flex as I create my models in Rails. It also keeps a few AS Singletons updated as necessary as I add new Models, and keeps an AS Map file uptodate which maps singulars and plurals as well as the belongsTo, habtm etc relationships between the AS VO's. The VO's are sent via RemoteObject to the Rails Controller, and passed to the relevant Rails Model for processing. It's all pretty simple when you get the hang of it. Personally, I wouldn't try doing anything major in the Flash IDE - especially if you may not be the only one working on the project going forward - Flex is far more suitable to larger projects, and multi- developer teams. As far as not using Flash because of iPhones etc, I guess it depends on your target market and the application itself. Are your users going to want to access your services from a mobile handest? I have a mobile running Android (not the latest version) and it struggles to display e- mails from this group, and not all web pages are viewable (particularly from this group) - regardless of Flash content or not - so I wouldn't make a decision on the technology used on your full blown web site app based on the mobile market. Mobile Apps, not web sites, are the way forward in my, very humble, view. Instead of trying to develop one web site/application front end for all devices, why not make your main site - the one which will do all the attracting of customers - exactly as is required for that particular purpose. If you then need to provide access to services for the mobile market, create the relevant App for the relevant handset OS. With Rails, you can create the one Application on the server, then specific front end apps for each market you are targeting - each of which could connect with Rails. One final thought with regard to Flex, is that if you develop correctly with Flex, ie re-usable code, you then build up your own libraries of code to just drop-in future applications. I haven't looked into Rails views at all because I have everything I need in Flex, but from what I did read, it appears you have to create all your views from scratch for each Rails application - that doesn't interest me - and am happy to be corrected if wrong - I prefer to use my own custom built AS components, controllers, managers to display and control the view. And just remembered you mentioned CSS - well Flex is completely CSS compatible. That's my 2p worth, hope you found some of it useful. Regards Paul On Jun 2, 4:45 pm, TINODEV <tinodev...@gmail.com> wrote: > wrote below :) > > On Jun 2, 3:20 pm, Marnen Laibow-Koser <li...@ruby-forum.com> wrote: > > > [Please quote when replying -- it makes the thread easier to follow.] > > > TINODEV wrote: > > > Many thanks for the answers :) > > > > @ Marnen - Appreciate your advice and recommendations as for > > > JavaScript.. > > > I assume you mean JavaScript / Ajax? > > > I meant what I said. Use Ajax or not as your application demands. > > ammm.. ok :) > > you wrote: "JavaScript. I'd highly recommend going this route instead > > of straight > Flash. " > > > > > > Anyway, I'll look into it in more depth... > > > [...] > > > As for InstantRails - My feeling is sonner than later I'll try and > > > configure Rails on Windows on my own.. even if only for having a > > > better feeling of it and how to.. > > > Why? Most Rails devs on Windows seem to use InstantRails. > > Good to know.. as I'm working alone and not experienced, I didn't know > this information.. > > > > When I come to do this (unless I combine moving to Rails 3 at the same > > > time), > > > Your blog entry would be very useful :) > > > > Anyway, the reason I haven't moved to Rails 3 yet (though developing a > > > new application, no backward compatibility needed) is it's still a > > > beta.. I really want to go into it but need the application to be very > > > stable and don't have much time to play around (though anyway, I'm > > > learning in parallel), so am not sure I should move right now to Rails > > > 3, unless will hear different feedbacks.. > > > I'm not sure you should either. Rails 3 has a lot of amazing features, > > but it's still prerelease software, and I'm not certain that it's fully > > stable yet. But do switch when it's released! > > I understand, this was my initial feeling though started doubting it's > relevancy.. > > > > Also, now, having JavaScript in mind and my "view" requirements, maybe > > > Rails 3 can actually make things easier/smoother for me? > > > Well, Rails 2's JavaScript helpers should be entirely avoided, because > > they mix JavaScript into your HTML, which is bad coding practice > > (JavaScript, like CSS, really belongs in separate files from HTML). I > > understand Rails 3 fixes this. > > Ok.. This got me a bit confused.. > You recommended using JavaScript yet not moving just yet to Rails 3, > which means I'm still using Rails 2.3.5.. > Thus, how should I as you see it, implement / combine Java Script in > my app? > Or maybe you just advised me in advance to separate Java Script from > the rest > of my code? ammm.. can you be more specific (hope I'm not asking too > many questions..) > > > > Hmm.. also, How's you experience so far using Rails 3 on Windows > > > (assuming you do use it on windows)? > > > I certainly don't use Windows, and I really don't recommend that anyone > > else develop on it either. If you can't get a Mac, at least set up a > > Linux VM or something. :) > > I definitely understand.. > Will move later on the my road when it's possible.. > > > > Again - many thanks :) > > > > tino. > > Best, > > tino > > > > > Best, > > -- > > Marnen Laibow-Koserhttp://www.marnen.org > > mar...@marnen.org > > -- > > Posted viahttp://www.ruby-forum.com/.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Ruby on Rails: Talk" group. To post to this group, send email to rubyonrails-t...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rubyonrails-talk+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rubyonrails-talk?hl=en.
