Adobe Flex Explained: What Adobe Flex is and How to Use It

Written by: Nicholas • Edited by: Simon Hill
Published Feb 25, 2010 • Related Guides: Flash | Adobe Flex

Adobe Flex is an application used for developing rich internet applications and working with Flash. Learn more about exactly what Adobe Flex is, what it can be used for specifically, where to find tutorials, and how to get it.

What is Adobe Flex

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Adobe offer a wide range of products and services. Even if you aren't a web developer or a designer, you are probably using an Adobe product right now, Adobe Flash. Also, if you have ever had to open a PDF file, most likely, you used Adobe Reader. One Adobe product, that isn't quite as common, is Adobe Flex. What is Adobe Flex? Basically, Adobe flex is an application used to create and develop rich internet applications.What types of things would be considered rich internet applications? Just about anything. Online widgets, charts, calenders, and even games can be enhanced using Adobe Flex.

Flex originated as a program designed to help web programmers work with Adobe Flash in a simpler, more efficient manner. For a simpler understanding of "what is Adobe Flex," look at it as a set of tools that developers use to work with Flash. Dreamweaver is to HTML, as Flex is to Flash.

Is Adobe Flex easy to use

Quoted from the previous section "Flex originated as a program designed to help web programmers work with Adobe Flash in a simpler, more efficient manner." Meaning, for a web programmer/developer who is already familiar with web based applications, and coding languages, Adobe Flex would not be that difficult to use or learn. For someone with no web programming experience, Adobe Flex will have more of a learning curve to it. Luckily, Adobe provide several tutorials for customers who are trying to learn Flex. You can check them out at the Adobe Flex Developer Center.

One thing about all Adobe products, is that they have great integration with each other. They also have very similar user interfaces, in terms of toolbar locations, navigation, and features. So, if you have used other Adobe products (Photoshop), and find them easy to work with, Adobe Flex should not be much of a problem for you. On the other hand, if you don't like the user interface of programs like Photoshop, you probably won't like Flex either.

Adobe Flex

Adobe Flex is a difficult product to describe accurately, because it is capable of doing so many things. Websites such as Wilson Athletics Discovery Channel Online, and many more use Adobe Flex to power some of their online apps, features, and rich media. One of the best ways to learn about the features of Adobe Flex is by example. Adobe offer Flex, as well as all of their other products, as demo 30-day trials. Why not try Flex out and see if it's a program that you'd be interested in, before buying. Adobe Flex Builder retails for around $250. So, trying it out first is a must. If you are simply looking for the Adobe Flex SDK (software development kit), you can download that for free, directly from Adobe's website.