Flex makes opening popup windows a very easy task, and generally speaking closing them is simple as long as you know what type of display element they are. However, let's assume you wanted to close all popups regardless of what they are. The only current example I could find on closing all popups in Flex assumed that every popup was of the same type (nonetheless, this post was extremely helpful to me in solving this problem). I am building a proof-of-concept application using Flex and AIR.

This is a quick post on a simple problem in case anyone runs into this issue and can't determine the reason. I had existing AIR applications set up in my beta install of Flex 3. As recommended by the installer, I removed the beta before installing the final version of Flex 3 released yesterday. ObviouslyI open Flex 3 for the first time, my pre-existing projects are missing.

I have read in various places that the Cairngorm framework for Flex isn't really designed for working with AIR. Therefore, I approached a recent project with some hesitation since that is exactly what I intended to use. First of all, not only are we standardized on Cairngorm where I work, but I, personally, appreciate the way it helps me organize and structure my application.

In the interest of sharing I am posting a dumb mistake I made while working on a Flex/AIR project that uses Cairngorm. Hopefully my shame will help someone one day. I also want to open this up to others to share some of their most embarrassing Flex/AIR mistakes in the comments.

My latest article is out in the latest issue of the Adobe Edge. It gives a basic overview of using Flex and Ajax and tries to take an objective look at the comparative benefits and difficulties of each (which can be a controversial topic since some people seem to take it as a matter of religion). Of course, I think it is always better to have more tools in your arsenal, and I am a fan of using both Flex and Ajax.

I have been intending on diving into Adobe AIR since it was released, but up until now I mainly developed the sample applications that come with the O'Reilly pocket guides. Well, as I hinted in this week's open source update, I finally got around to building a legitimate (even if simple) AIR application.

As I alluded to earlier, I am very happy to announce that registration for Flex Camp Boston is now open! At a measly $10 (which includes lunch) and including some of the most respected Flex and AIR experts, this is definitely an event you will not want to miss! I am still fine tuning the agenda, but here is a sampling of some of the amazing speakers we already have lined up: Christophe Coenraets - Adobe Paul Reilly - Adobe Peter Farland - Adobe Tom Jordahl - Adobe Joe Berkovitz - Allurent, Inc.

I recently published an article in the most recent, Flex-focused Fusion Authority Quarterly Update (Volume 2 Issue 2) titled "Cairngorm Crystallized: Examining the Cairngorm Microarchitecture from a Workflow Perspective" along with my coworker and friend, Michael Corbridge. I found that other Cairngorm tutorials often got overly focused on the why rather than the how. Personally, I have found that the why only becomes clear with the doing.

Yes, indeed! I can't reveal too much yet as I am currently finalizing the venue while working on securing speakers and developing the agenda and web site. However, you can save the date: December 7 from 8 AM to 5 PM. More details will be coming out very soon! If you are interested in speaking or volunteering to help, feel free to contact me.

MAX Keynote StageNow that I am back at work (groan), I thought it worthwhile to take a look back at MAX and examine some overall impressions of Adobe's direction. First, let me say that I am pleased both with the general direction of Adobe as I see it, as well as ColdFusion's place within that, which seems secure. I actually spent much of the conference focused on products other than ColdFusion, specifically Flex and AIR.