With the advent of Flash Communication Server MX (FCS), Macromedia believes that it's on the edge of a breakthrough in how people think about the Internet. FCS has been designed to provide web developers with the means to add polished interactive audio and video features to their sites, the sort of features that users have come to expect. Naturally, the process of efficiently integrating rich media into applications, web sites, and web content is a complex one, to say the least. That's where Programming Flash Communication Server factors in. As the foremost reference on FCS, it helps readers understand how FCS can facilitate: Video on demand Live webcasts Video chat and messaging Shared desktop conferences Live auctions Interactive whiteboard presentations Workflow collaboration Multi-user games Programming Flash Communication Server not only explains how to use the pre-built FCS components to construct a simple application, it also explains the architecture so that developers can program custom components to make even more advanced applications. In addition, the book explains how to truly optimize performance, and talks about considerations for networked applications as well as the media issues pertaining to FCS. Programming Flash Communication Server gives developers a sorely needed leg up on this potentially intimidating technology. It lets users develop cool web applications ranging from direct dating experiences with real-time video, to pre-recorded corporate presentations, to news services with video and audio, and much more. At last, the ability to build web sites with rich interactive features--minus the complex downloads and installation hassles--is a reality. And now, with Programming Flash Communication Server from O'Reilly by your side, you can do more quickly and easily than you ever dreamed possible.

Towes presents an introduction to the technology, as well a guide to implementation of successful applications. Part one provides ten quick steps to get readers familiar with the server. Part two explores the issues affecting appropriate integration of the Communication Server. Key concepts include understanding digital communication solutions, understanding objects, using server side ActionScripting, and more.

Updated to cover the functionality and ActionScripting changes that have come with the release of Flash MX Professional 2004, this edition brings more clarity to the use of object-oriented programming for developing Flash applications. Topics include object design, basic patterns, using components, and debugging applications, all covered with a backdrop of a sample application.

Your one-stop guide to six great Macromedia tools for building Web sites It's like a Web-site-in-a-book! First, there's some Web site insight to help you decide what you want your site to do. Then it's into the nitty-gritty of making it happen — building with Dreamweaver, adding animation with Flash, enabling collaboration with Contribute, using ColdFusion to access databases, and a whole lot more. Discover how to Plan content for your site Use CSS styles Incorporate forms into your pages Beef up Flash movies with ActionScript Use queries in ColdFusion Integrate all the Macromedia products

Macromedia Studio MX 2004 All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies provides a one-stop reference for users looking to harness the power of this Web building suite. The book covers each of the core applications in Studio MX including Dreamweaver, Flash, Freehand, Fireworks, ColdFusion and, newly added to this edition, Contribute. Macromedia Studio MX 2004 All-in-One Desk Reference For Dummies also contains coverage on using all the applications together in a single Web building project as well as an overview of the basics of good Web design. This book, like the product itself, should appeal to both professional and hobbyist Web builders who want a single product that can do the work of six or seven separate products.

This unique PDF-only book is the ideal primer for web developers just getting started with Flash Media Server 2 (FMS2) and Adobe's Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) for streaming media, and for anyone doing administrative work with Flash-related content. It's not a reference, but a step-by-step guide for using Flash Media Server 2, with chapters that focus on specific aspects of the server and how they work. What makes Flash Media Server 2 so different? You'll discover that, in contrast to conventional web servers, FMS2 includes open-socket server technology that's stays connected to stream audio, video, and text in real time. Connect to this server using RTMP, and build applications using three flavors of ActionScript: ActionScript 2.0, Client side ActionScript, and Server side ActionScript. Don't worry. With Learning Flash Media Server 2 and a little Flash and ActionScript experience, you'll be up to speed in no time. The first chapter takes you though the installation procedures on Windows and Linux, explains how to organize your development environment using Apache web server, how to test your FMS2 connections, and how to use the management console. Then you'll dive right into the whys and hows of: Recording and playing back streaming audio and video Camera and microphone settings Non-persistent client-side remote shared objects Two-way audio-video communications Broadcasting and server-side bandwidth control Working with server-side files: the file class Server-side shared objects Server-side audio and video streaming Server-side loadvars, xml and working with configuration files At the heart of every chapter is a core set of code that shows the minimum requirements needed for different procedures. Beyond that, Learning Flash Media Server 2 provides you with plenty of options for using FMS2. It's a whole new world of media, and this book puts you right at the doorstep. Ready to enter?

Is there an easier way to build and deliver rich internet applications (RIAs) other than the Flash IDE or Ajax? Absolutely. With Adobe Flex 2, the Flex 2 SDK, and this book, you have all you need to build RIAs. Programming Flex 2 offers you plenty of practical and useful examples that reveal how and why to use a particular feature of Flex 2, and when and when not to. As part of the Adobe Developer Library, Programming Flex 2 is the authoritative guide to this new Adobe framework. You learn to use a markup language called MXML and a vast library of off-the-shelf and highly-configurable components to build Flash-based applications that combine the immediacy of the Web with the functionality and responsiveness of desktop applications. You also discover why -- with the Flash Player runtime environment and the powerful ActionScript 3.0 programming language -- the possibilities with Flex 2 are nearly limitless. Topics include: Managing Layout Working with Components Working with Media Managing State Using Transitions and Effects Working with Data Customizing Application Appearance Client Data Communication and Remote Data Communication Debugging Flex Framework Applications Creating Custom Components Flex may be easier to learn than the Flash IDE, but you still need a reliable guide to the framework. Programming Flex 2 not only serves as a reference, but provides valuable and practical insight into this new technology. As you learn how to build Flex applications, you'll also discover how Flex works. This book supplies all the information you need in one convenient place. Adobe Developer Library is a co-publishing partnership between O'Reilly Media and Adobe Systems, Inc. and is designed to produce the number one information resources for developers who use Adobe technologies. Created in 2006, the Adobe Developer Library is the official source for comprehensive learning solutions to help developers create expressive and interactive web applications that can reach virtually anyone on any platform. With top-notch books and innovative online resources covering the latest in rich Internet application development, the Adobe Developer Library offers expert training and in-depth resources, straight from the source.