Adobe Certified Experts (ACEs) set themselves apart from other IT professionals. They consistently demonstrate expertise with Adobe products and platforms, and add value to colleagues, managers, and their own careers.

The Flex 4 ACE Exam is based upon the most critical job activities that a Flex developer performs. The skills and knowledge certified by this examination represent a professional level of expertise for a certified individual.

More about Flex 4 ACE Exam on adobe.com you can read at: www.adobe.com/devnet/flex/articles/flex_certification.html
This is a good point to start if you have decided to take the exam.

Exam Structure

The following lists the topic areas and percentage of questions delivered in each topic area:

Number of Questions and Passing Score
• 59 questions
• 67% minimum required to pass

Topic Areas and Objectives

Following is a detailed outline of the information covered on the exam.
1. Creating a User Interface (UI)
• Identify and describe the basic UI controls used in a Flex application. (UI controls include: NumericStepper, TextInput, CheckBox, RadioButton).
• Identify the purpose of UI containers and when to use them. (UI containers include: Group, SkinnableContainer, Application)
• Change the look and feel of a design by using API styles, style sheets, Spark skins, filters and blends, and visual customizations by using Halo.
• Dynamically change the look of an application by using Spark view states, transitions and effects.
• Position UI elements by using constraint-based layout.
• Implement application navigation by using navigator containers.
• Customize list-based controls. (Customizing includes: using editors, renderers, label functions)
• Given a layout type, explain the differences and when to use that layout type. (Layout types include: percentage based, constraints based, and custom)
• Create a custom layout. (Including understanding the differences between container and layout)
2. Flex system architecture and design
• Create and use custom components by using MXML and ActionScript.
• Transfer data within an MXML component by using data bindings. (Including two way binding)
• Create, handle, and dispatch events, including developer created event classes that extend
the Event class.
• Identify and describe the implementation and purpose of common software design patterns
that are used in Flex. (Design patterns include: Observer, Command, and Data transfer)
• Understand the skinning architecture and the role of the SkinnableContainer class.
• Given a method in the component lifecycle explain the purpose of and when to use that
method. (Methods include: CreateChildren, UpdateDisplayList)
• Explain how modules are used in the development of a Flex application.
• Explain the use case and development workflow for building a custom preloader.
3. Programming Flex applications with ActionScript
• Define and extend an ActionScript class.
• Implement an ActionScript interface.
• Use access modifiers with classes and class members.
• Implement data transfer objects.
• Implement accessor methods in ActionScript. (Methods include: explicit and implicit getter
and setter)
• Use an ArrayCollection to sort, filter, and provide data.
• Implement data validation.
• Manipulate XML data by using E4X.
• Implement events that function properly in the Flex event framework. (Including:
extends the Event class, call super(), override clone())
4. Interacting with data sources and servers
• Implement real-time messaging by using producers and consumers.
• Explain the importance of and implement data paging on data sets.
• Understand synchronization and online/offline use cases using data management.
• Interact with remote data and services by using Remote Procedure Call (RPC) services.
(Services include: HTTPService, WebService, RemoteObject, URLRequest)
• Read, write, and upload local files from the local file system by using Flash Player 10 API.
(Including: the use of file filters)
5. Using Flex in the Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR)
• Given a scenario, compile and export a release build of an AIR application. (Scenarios
include: Using Flex Builder, from the command line)
• Create, populate, and delete files and directories on a local file system.
• Create and customize native windows and menus.
• Adding drag-and-drop functionality to and from the desktop.
• Install, uninstall, and update an AIR application.
• List and describe the AIR security contexts.
• Create, connect to, and define a local database.
• Add, update, and remove records from local database.

More information and some practical exam questions you can find in: Flex 4 ACE Exam Preparation Guide.

In order to practice and see what is you level of knowledge you can use: Attest (Attest is an Adobe AIR application that allows you to take mock exams, view results and helpful tips, and refer to the Flex 4 livedocs website in real time).

To register for the exam you have to contact Pearson VUE or Thomson Prometric. The exams are taken on line. I personally take my Flex 3 ACE Exam on Pearson VUE .

Pricing
The price in North America for the Flex 4 ACE Exam is $150 (U.S.), payable via a valid credit card at the time you register for the exam. Pricing outside North America varies by country. Individuals who are Flex 3 certified may use the UPGRD discount code when registering for the Flex 4 exam to receive a 50% exam discount. When you register online for the exam, you will have the opportunity to use the discount code.

Good luck!

Today I came across the following video…

The application in the video is a virtual dressing room! You can try out the clothes you want to buy in your living room and then purchase them if you like how they fit you or send the image to your friends on Facebook. What you need is only a webcam and you’re good to go.

The application is built on top of Flash Player 10 Platform, is made using Flex 4 SDK and uses the Unifeye AR product of Metaio Studio.

Enjoy the experience!

Table of contents

1. How to skin a container with padding in Flex 4 SDK – Spark
2. How to skin a button with icon in Flex 4 SDK – spark
3. How to transfer values from a Spark component to a skin part in Flex SDK 4

Sometimes you need to pass values from components to skin, for example having a dynamic layout. Using Flex sdk 4 you can transfer values using content property of the hostComponent ({hostComponent.content}).

I made a small example that use hostComponent.content, changing the values of HSliders the colors of the component will be changed.

So in mxml file you have to set the value for content property, that is an Object:

<fx:Script>
	<![CDATA[
		import com.flexer.skin.ContentButtonSkin;
		import mx.utils.ObjectProxy;
 
		[Bindable]
		public var colors:ObjectProxy = new ObjectProxy();
	]]>
</fx:Script>
 
<s:Button width="380" height="40" label="my custom button" 
              skinClass="com.flexer.skin.ContentButtonSkin" content="{colors}" />

Into skin file you can use it like this:

<s:HGroup left="1" right="1" top="1" bottom="1" gap="0">
	<s:Rect width="33%" height="100%">
		<s:fill>
			<s:SolidColor color="{hostComponent.content.leftColor}"/>
		</s:fill>
	</s:Rect>
	<s:Rect width="34%" height="100%">
		<s:fill>
			<s:SolidColor color="{hostComponent.content.centerColor}"/>
		</s:fill>
	</s:Rect>
	<s:Rect width="33%" height="100%">
		<s:fill>
			<s:SolidColor color="{hostComponent.content.rightColor}"/>
		</s:fill>
	</s:Rect>
</s:HGroup>

Please see attached project for a closer look.

The next release of Flex SDK is code-named Hero. It has three main goals:

• Multi-Screen Development: Allow developers to build applications that target the web, desktop or mobile devices using a single unified framework.
• Spark Maturation: Polish and grow the Spark architecture by adding new Spark components and capabilities.
• Large-Application Development: Support developers building large applications by improving fundamental Flex infrastructure pieces.

Previously, Flex for mobile was a separate branch code-named Slider. The rapid increases in performance on smartphone and the optimized performance of Adobe runtimes on these devices, now make it feasible to support Flex framework directly on mobile devices.

You can find out more reading this article on the official Flex team blog.

Table of contents

1. FX4 Tour – Flex Camp at Bucharest on 15th of April 2010
2. FX4 Tour – Flex Camp at Bucharest – Registration & Agenda
3. FX4 Tour – Flex Camp Bucharest is Over

The FX4 Tour – Flex Camp Bucharest is over now. It has been a great success: there has been around 60 participants from which 65-70 percent were Flex developers. This is great! The Flex community is growing bigger and stronger.

Three interesting things:

• seen TransformGestureEvent in action
• Slider – Flex Mobile Framework is expected to be available in 2010
• Cairngorm is discontinued although version 3 beta is out since last winter

We had taken a few pictures…

Alexandru Chiculita

Attendance

Corlan speaking...

Dragos Georgita

Our attendance

Problems discussed...

Winner of FB4 license

 

Table of contents

1. FX4 Tour – Flex Camp at Bucharest on 15th of April 2010
2. FX4 Tour – Flex Camp at Bucharest – Registration & Agenda
3. FX4 Tour – Flex Camp Bucharest is Over

As you know on 15th of April 2010 a new Flex Camp will take place in Bucharest. Now we have the registration and some agenda modification. Most important change is that it will start around 4:30 PM.

• 16:30 – 17:00 – Registration
• 17:00 – 17:45 – Keynote – Mihai Corlan
• 17:45 – 18:30 – 10 things you didn’t know about Flash Builder 4 – Mihai Corlan
• 18:30 – 19:15 – Flex 4: tips and tricks – Mihai Corlan
• 19:15 – 20:00 – Designer/Developer workflow with Flash Catalyst and Flash Builder – Dragos Dascalita
• 20:00 – Pizza, beer and time to chat

Register using the widget bellow or by going to http://flashbuilder4.eventbrite.com/.

Table of contents

1. FX4 Tour – Flex Camp at Bucharest on 15th of April 2010
2. FX4 Tour – Flex Camp at Bucharest – Registration & Agenda
3. FX4 Tour – Flex Camp Bucharest is Over

On 15th of April 2010 we will have a Flex Camp, related to the recent launch of Flash Builder 4 which will take place at Adobe Systems Romania Offices (Anchor Plaza, Bdul. Timisoara, nr. 26Z, Bucharest). We will start around 5:30 PM and we will end somewhere before the last bus. There will be food and drinks on the house as usual .

The agenda is this:

• Keynote – Mihai Corlan
• 10 things you didn’t know about Flash Builder 4 – Mihai Corlan
• Flex 4 Tips & Tricks – Mihai Corlan
• Designer/Developer workflow with Flash Catalyst and Flash Builder – Dragos Dascalita

There may be more but we will try not to go over the midnight. In a short time we will open the registration so keep an eye on the post.

See you there!

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 from 12:00 AM – 1:00 PM (GMT+0200) join our friend Mihai Corlan (Platform Evangelist for Adobe) while he goes through the basics of debugging a Flex and PHP application.

See how to work with: Flash Builder 4,  Xdebug and Eclipse PDT to ensure a bug free project.

The presentation will take about 45 minutes, leaving 15 minutes to answer any questions you might have on this subject.

For registration go to http://flexphpdebug.eventbrite.com.

On Wednesday, March 17, 2010 from 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM (GMT+0200) will be available online an interesting web seminar hosted by Adobe Systems.

Join Piotr Walczyszyn for this 30 minutes e-seminar followed by 15 minutes of Q&A. Learn how to define mutitouch, how to support it, and how you can handle multitouch events. Also explore new techniques for interacting with software and devices with the latest capabilities of the Flash Platform.

For registration please go to: multitouchflex.eventbrite.com.

Wednesday, 27th of January, in Bucharest, Mark Anders, the creator of Flash Catalyst will tell us how Flash Catalyst appeared and how it got done. For anyone who doesn’t know about him, Mark Anders is a major contributor for the whole Adobe Flex platform.

The meeting starts at 6 PM but we will start gather and 5:30 PM and it will be mostly an opened discussion. Mark will tell us what’s behind the scenes not only for Flash Catalyst but also for other Flex related products.

For registration go on MyAdobe, http://myadobe.ro/2010/01/21/how-its-made-versiunea-adobe/ (Romanian only).

Hope to see you all there.