ActionScript3 library for MySQL, be careful!

Today I’ve read on Mike Chanbers blog a post about a newly born library which allows flex2/as3 to connect directly to mysql.

Here’s the link to the project: http://maclema.com/assql/

I must admit some times ago I tried to make a similar thing because I know as3 could speak directly to mysql.. but it was just a test and I sopped immediately the experiments.

About the assql library: this library can be useful if you think to use it in Apollo applications, but never never think to use it on the web!
First of all you need a mysql server which allows connections outside the localhost env, secondly you need to set the database password within the swf file and thirdly you will have queries within the swf too.. bad. Better to stay on amfphp or webservices

Even if a scrambler is provided with this library, it will be quite easy to sniff the password too..

Anyway, awesome library indeed for the Apollo framework!

Apollo, why so much excitement?

In these 2 days I read only Apollo related news, post and video tutorials! I dont think there is still someone who dont know about the public alpha of Apollo 🙂
I see much more excitement than for a new Flash player release.

I’m sure Apollo will be a great product, I’m just testing it right now (even if I sill have  no idea about what to create with it… but it’s another story), but to be honest I can see anything so revolutionary there.
Unfortunately I dont have so much experience with desktop flash suff (just a couple of little projects using mdm and some experiments with XUL)
What’s the difference and innovation compared with MDM Zinc, Screenweaver, Xul Runner, and all the other flash desktop integration kits?
I just hope I can find the time to use it much more in the future to give me an answer…

Apollo Beta in March?

Via PC World: “Adobe plans to later this month launch the beta of a new runtime that will allow rich web-based applications to run offline, technology that could threaten the popularity of programming platforms such as Java and Microsoft’s .NET.
The release of a developer preview of the runtime, dubbed Apollo, will coincide roughly with an ApolloCamp event Adobe will hold in San Francisco on March 16, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans. ApolloCamp will give developers a chance to kick the tires of the new runtime.”

Apollo on Adobe Labs: http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/Apollo
Read th full article here: http://www.pcworld.in/news/index.jsp/artId=5144613

Flex 2.0.1 is here..

Adobe is just announcing the release of Flex 2.0.1 and everyone around here seems really excited about that! (I agree, Flex is really an impressive software)

Other than including the already released asdoc tool into the installer, this new release can now manage CSS at runtime, support the FlashType encoding (so useful in Flash 8) and includes the  new mx.modules (for the list of complete changes and fixes I suggest to read the release notes).
Moreover it seems that this new release is ready for Apollo (when it finally will be available)..
But the big news is the Mac OSX support for Flex2.

So, now I should ask: “where is the Linux support”?
Eclipse is cross-platform, Flex is based on eclipse (1+1?)… we’ve Flex on both Windows and OS(ni)X, We already have the flash9 player for linux (I tested it on my ubuntu and seems to quite stable and faster enough).. so will we get a chance?

P.S. Here you can read the official Flex 2.0.1 release notes.

Apollo tour continues…

Apollo & Flash9 (codename Blaze) tour continues, next time will be in Rome, Italy on 1st of December.
Mike Chambers and Mike Downey will be the speakers for this event organized by actionscript.it community.
During this event will be also explained Flex Data Services and AS3.
for more info about this event see the original entry @actionscript.it, also for informations about the event location.

From A to Web memories

Yesterday I attended the Italian Adobe conference, From A to Web, in Milan.
I like expecially the Mike Downey presentation, in which he showm us a sneak peak of the new Adobe project, codename “Apollo”.
A PDF+Flash+HTML plugin viewer for creating desktop applications (so, goodbye Zinc and similar?). Someone asked him which html engine was used in apollo, but without a precis answer, I think he was referring to Geko…
Also interesting the Mike’s explanation about the reason of the name “Apollo”.
That’s because the first Central codename was “Mercury” (early American program for launching humans into space) the second beta codename was “Gemini” (the second US manned spaceflight program), and Apollo was the first ship to land the Moon

Then he introduced also a preview of the new Flash9 IDE (currently in beta process, codename “Blaze”) and he shown some of the new IDE features. First of all the IDE has changed (like in almost new releases) and there are very cool workspace management cool features indeed.
A completely integrated Photoshop PSD import process. You can select which element of the psd file to be imported and how to do it, select one of the layers and import as movieclip, etc.. very nice for designers (There was a long applause).
Another features he presented was the Robert Penner export as ActionScript3 of timeline tweens. This should be for developers who need to transform the timeline motion tweens created by designer into code (Another long applause). For what I understand it creates an xml code which can be put into the timeline and which reproduce the original tween. But I also understand that the produced code can only be used into the same timeline (a timeline with the same number of frames)..,

From Web to Desktop

Yesterday Screenweaver HX was announced as part of the haxe framework.
With SWHX, you create an application by using two layers :

  • the System layer : written in haXe and using the Neko API, you can access the local filesystem, databases, network sockets… You can also easily extend its capabilities by writing your own DLL.
  • the Flash layer : written in haXe or any other technology capable of producing SWF, you can use this layer to display the graphical interface, handle user interactions, play sound and video…

Unfortunately I’m trying to install haxe/swhx on my Windows Vista but I’m not lucky at the moment 🙁

The second project is directly from Adobe labs, called Apollo (flash, html, and pdf together), and currently it’s only a long description of what it can do and a list of F.A.Q., but Adobe says it will be pre-released on Adobe labs in the second half of 2006..

I’ve also found a diagram which display makeup of an Apollo application.

Apollo is the code name for a cross-operating system runtime being developed by Adobe that allows developers to leverage their existing web development skills (Flash, Flex, HTML, JavaScript, Ajax) to build and deploy Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) to the desktop.