Summary

This chapter has delved into the "mysteries" of Flash Remoting. To the average Flash 2004 user , this process can be intimidating and technical.

We started off by explaining that Flash Remoting is simply the process of feeding content into a Flash movie through ColdFusion MX. We also pointed out a number of serious advantages you gain from utilizing this technology.

The technology was explored and explained. We told you what applications you need to get into Flash Remoting.

Marcus J. Dickinson, a Flash Remoting expert, then walked you though the key features of Flash Remoting, gave you a checklist to follow, and even answered a few Flash Remoting questions.

The application to be built is a slideshow. We showed you how to build the MS Access database and how to connect that database to ColdFusion MX. From there, it was off to Dreamweaver MX 2004 to create the ColdFusion MX Component (CFC) that will be used by Flash MX 2004 to "hook into" ColdFusion MX.

The final step of the process was creating the Flash movie. We took a slightly different tack and didn't create a movie with lots of content on the stage. Instead, we carefully walked through the ActionScript necessary to create a code-driven slide show.

As you have seen, Flash Remoting is a fascinating technology that will become more and more important over time. Try it. Play with it. Experiment. This way, you will discover more exciting uses than simple "Hello World" screens and slide shows.

Next up, we pull together the tour of the Oakbridge Community Centre. We will be showing you how some of the design decisions were reached, a couple of new Fireworks and Freehand techniques, and how to build an entire dynamic page driven by many of Dreamweaver MX 2004's new Cascading Style Sheet features.