Flex 2.0 is way cool

So I really like Flex 2.0, I mean I REALLY LIKE Flex 2.0. Even though the product is in beta, the new features are awesome. The ability to develop applications that use Hibernate as a data source is key for Java developers. Flex also supports JMS integration, allowing true push capabilities of your applications. So from a Java Deveopers perspective, this is really cool. We now have a real competitor for AJAX.

Flex can do many things that AJAX can not do, check out this sample application from Adobe. I admit, I am no AJAX expert, I am not even a novice. But from the samples that I have seen of AJAX applications, I really do not see AJAX doing the transitions and true Rich Internet Application features that you find with Flex.

The major PRO AJAX statements are interactivity and portablity. However one of the major CONS to AJAX is the fact that Javascript must be enabled, there by defeating the the whole portablity discussion.

Flex 2.0on the other hand does not require Javascript to run in the browser. The oxymoron to this is that the scripting language of Flex 2.0 is ActionScript which is now fully ECMAScript Compliant. Flex 2.0 applications run in the Flash Player. The Flash Player is supported on all major Operating Systems with all the major browsers on those OS's, including IE, Mozilla, FireFox, Safari, Opera, and AOL. Flash is no longer a tool for creating splash screens or building movie or game information sites. With Flex 2.0,

...more to come on this topic, I am sure.