Chapter 1. Replacing Web Pages with Applications

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What's the difference between a web page and a web application? Put simply, a web page is a presentation , whereas an application is a tool . However, don't let that distinction diminish your respect for the value of web pages. As anyone in web development knows , it is definitely a challenge (albeit a worthy one) to "present" ideas clearly.

Macromedia Flash MX 2004 enables you to build engaging applications that you can deliver via the web, and this book shows you how. It's not as though some line has been crossed and only now is it finally possible to make rich Internet applications. However, the demand has grown recently.

This chapter covers the following topics:

• A short history of Internet applications

• The state of the art available today

• A perspective on the future

This chapter really just answers, "Why this book?"

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