Programming Flex 2 is written by Chafic Kazoun and Joey Lott, one a new name to tech literature, the other an old pro, and is, I can say quite unreservedly, excellent. There aren't many Flex books out there yet. I've tried a few and haven't really got on too well with them so far, but this one spoke to me very clearly. It takes a highly technical angle, and is very exacting in the way it explains the technology, which was an approach I appreciated. At no point did I feel I was getting anything less than a full understanding of what was going on. Particularly good is the way that MXML, the mark-up language Flex uses, is consistently explained with reference to how it translates into ActionScript, something I felt other Flex books skipped over but is essential to understanding it as a programmer.
Of course this is "Programming Flex 2", so it may not be as palatable to more casual users. But unfortunately I'm not sure there is a suitable entry-level book out there yet. Also, it should be pointed out there is no ActionScript 3, reference in this book, so you have to rely on online documentation (or join the wait for O'Reilly's long overdue AS3 Pocket Reference).
I have high hopes for Flex 2, and the future of the Flash platform. And if Adobe would just stop releasing new products every other month, maybe the rest of the world will have a chance to jump on the bandwagon too.
Article comments
1 - Helen Hunt
Nice review! But I believe there's a newer version of this book, which covers Flex 3. Check it oout!