Adobe MAX 2011 - Developing cross-OS mobile apps with Adobe Flash Builder, Flex, AIR & ADEP

At Adobe MAX on Sunday (preconference), Garth Braithwaite and I will be delivering a very cool hands-on code camp.  This is a 480-minute session and a bring-your-own computer session so if you register for it, you will need to do some preparation.  Some of the preparations will be posted on this site but they will also be pushed to all registered attendees.

In this lab you'll get up and running building a mobile application with Adobe AIR. The lab will focus on the smartphone form factor, so bring your Android phone, BlackBerry PlayBook tablet, or iPhone. We'll do an introduction to AIR for mobile and then dive into the Flex framework to see how it makes building standalone applications easy. You'll learn how to use native device features like the camera or GPS, plus how to create and manage views, data, and layout within your application. You'll also get a hands-on look at how to debug, optimize, and deploy to devices using Flash Builder.

Part of this course will be focused in on using the Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform (ADEP) and connecting to it using Flash Builder.

Here is a rough sketch of the session:

Lab 1: Building a new Mobile Application Project
Lab 2: Pushing Data Between Views
Lab 3: Packaging and Deploying the Application
        3.1 Android Release
        3.2 iOS Release
        3.3 BlackBerry Tablet OS Release
Lab 4: Getting System Details
Lab 5: Adding a Back (Home) Button to the ActionBar
Lab 6: Zoom Gestures
Lab 7: Pan Gestures
Lab 8: Rotate Gestures
Lab 9: Accelerometer

LUNCH
BREAK

Lab 10: Install the Flash Builder ADEP Plugins
Lab 11: Starting and learning the ADEP Server
Lab 12: Installing the ADEP SDK and Samples packages
Lab 13: Extract, Set up and Run the sampledb
Lab 14: Enable Remote Data Services via the Felix Console
Lab 15: Retrieving and Installing the ADEP SDK into Flash Builder
Lab 16: Setting up a new Flash Builder ADEP Project
Lab 17: Building the Flex Client Application for ADEP
               Demonstrating the Application
Lab 18: Adding Nodes and XML Content to ADEP
Lab 19: Building a Flex Mobile Project that consumes ADEP Services
               How to build the ADEP_XML View
               Getting Details about each wine
Lab 20: Advanced ADEP mobile services
Lab 21: Building a RESTful mobile application with ADEP
Lab 22: Learn how to use cross-­platform push messaging
Lab 23: Learning how to use local notifications
Lab 24: Adding two-­factor authentication

CAVEATS:

There is no guarantee this is the final list of labs however it should be relatively close.  

Requirements:
- comfortable with XML syntax
- some coding experience would be good

There are still some seats left for this session.  You can register at:
https://max.adobe.com/schedule/by-day/
Preconference session 403-A

A FREE Adobe Flex/AIR Mobile Code Camp

In advance of Adobe MAX 2011 - Monday, September 26, 2011, 9:00 AM in Vancouver, BC

REGISTER NOW - LIMITED SPACE!

SFU Segal School of Business

500 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC (map)

Rooms 1200-1500 on Main Floor

SELECTED BY: PATTY LEE

Adobe Sr. Technical Evangelist Duane Nickull will lead a FREE full-day hands-on development class to teach all attendees how to build mobile applications that run on iOS, BlackBerry Playbook Tablet OS and all Android 2.2 or later devices.  This course is meant to be taken hands-on, code-camp style with your own computer.  

What you will learn:

- how to set up your mobile development environment on your own computer (a preparation guide will be sent out in advance)

- how mobile applications are architected and run in cross-platform scenarios

And then nothing but coding!!

Learn how to create mobile applications to target iOS, Android, and BlackBerry PlayBook operating systems via hands-on development. Topics will include architecture of portable code (code that runs on more than one platform); setting up your mobile application project; using and sharing data between views; accessing and using smartphone and tablet features such as cameras, microphones, and accelerometers; native application integration; file system browsing and storage; graphics and layout; deploying to your devices; and more.

You will also learn how to install and use the Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform (ADEP), a services (OSGi) platform written in Java, and how to connect to it to build enterprise class applications.

When you leave this session, you will be immersed in knowledge and have the ability to create your own mobile applications for your company or new startup.

Adobe MAX 2011 - Rock and Roll!

In case you've been hiding under a rock for the past decade, you should know that Adobe MAX 2011 is going to be the best tech event of the year. This year, Adobe MAX 2011 will be held at the Los Angeles, CA convention Center for the third straight year. I will be on hand to present tons of new materials, concentrating on only hands-on code camps with Bring-your-own-computer sessions.

The first one I want to tell you about is the 480-minute long session  PB1300 - 

Deploying cross-vendor, cross-OS mobile applications with Adobe AIR

The description of this session is not really on track but here is what you will learn in this full day lab session.  The title should be Developing cross-OS mobile applications with Adobe Flash Builder, Flex, AIR, and ADEP.

- Setting up your development environment.  Note that we will send out a full preparation guide in advance that will explain how to set up Flash Builder with the new Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform (ADEP) and the plugins and tweaks to build applications for BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet OS, all Android devices, and iOS.

Rather than the session title of "Deploying", at Adobe MAX 2011 you will be "Building".  This means a full day of hands-on coding with two instructors (myself and Garth Braithwaite) as well as some great TAs such as Matt MacKenzie and Stacy Young who we hope to entice into teaching some of their expertise.

In this MAX 2011 lab you'll get up and running building mobile applications with Adobe Flash Builder, using both the Flex Framework and Adobe AIR. The lab will focus on the smartphone form factor, so bring your devices. We'll do an introduction to AIR for mobile and then dive into the Flex Framework to see how it makes building standalone applications easy. You'll learn how to use native device features like the camera or the accelerometer plus how to create and manage views, data, and layout within your application. You'll also get a hands-on look at how to debug, optimize, and deploy to devices using Flash Builder and connect to remote services from ADEP.

This special Adobe MAX 2011 preconference session is only run once on Sunday 9:00 to 5:00 PM!
https://max.adobe.com/schedule/by-day/

Announcement: Adobe’s biggest CEM event of the year

In conjunction with Adobe MAX 2011, there will be a new event. The Adobe Digital Enterprise Summit 2011 will take place October 3-4, 2011 at both the JW Marriott and L.A. LIVE in
Los Angeles, California, USA.  The Adobe Digital Enterprise Summit is the first dedicated Customer Experience Management (CEM) conference where attendees will learn about new architectural disciplines and product innovation, as well as understand the latest industry trends and core principles of CEM.  We have filmed an earlier bit on CEM to describe it from an architectural perspective.  This is a new discipline of EAI that will affect every Fortune 1000 company in the next decade.

Top reasons why you should attend
· Learn from industry thought leaders on delivering multichannel experiences using cutting edge technologies.
· Understand Adobe's roadmap into the next era of enterprise architecture and why it matters.
· Gain exposure to new product innovation, insights into the latest industry trends, and access to key personnel from Adobe including CEM experts.

What you will take away
· Insight into the new world of the digital consumer and how to engage them
· An ability to understand how to generate ROI based on great customer experiences
· Understanding how to create an army of positive advocates for your brand by delivering the best experiences for your employees, users, and customers.

To learn more about ADEP and CEM, follow these twitter accounts:
http://twitter.com/#!/eptechies
http://twitter.com/#!/duanechaos
http://twitter.com/#!/AdobeCEM
http://twitter.com/#!/ADEP_Developer

Early-bird pricing is available ONLY in July, 2011 (Expires July 31).
· Contact me (dnickull at adobe dot com) and register by July 31st and you can attend for only $1,195, which is $300 off the price of a full conference pass and an additional $100 savings off of the published Early Bird price.
· Return registrants (Loyalists): A Loyalist is any Digital Enterprise Summit attendee who has attended a previous Adobe MAX, Day Ignite, or Omniture Summit. Loyalist pricing  is the lowest available for any attendees.

Education, government, and international attendees can attend for an equally low rate.  Oh yes - I will be there!

Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform

There are two new announcements from Adobe that are the most exciting products I have ever seen us release.   Flash Builder 4.5.1 brings a new model for portable development for mobile, meaning you can use a large portion of the same code base for desktop, laptop, tablet and smart phone targets.  This tool along with the Flex 4.5.1 framework is a complete game changer.

Flash Builder 4.5.1 outputs applications for Android, RIM PlayBook, and Apple iOS devices, including the i(Devices).   All of us have been busy writing several applications and will roll some out in the coming weeks as well as leading a large hands-on mega lab at Adobe MAX this October in Los Angeles, CA.  Last year, two instances of this class sold out in advance so if you want to immerse yourself in mobile development, strongly consider reserving your spot ASAP.  Several other evangelists from Adobe including Greg Wilson, Michael Chaize, Ryan Stewart, Kevin Hoyt, Serge Jespers, Ben Forta, Mihai Corlan, Anne Kathrine Petteroe, Mike Jones, Paul Trani and more will be diving deep into all the subjects.   See the blog roll for a list of all evangelists.

We are also introducing the new Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform (ADEP), which embodies multiple functionalities formerly offered by Adobe LiveCycle ES, Day Software, and more.  ADEP is a bold platform, which solves a major issue emerging in modern enterprise architecture.  The architectural discipline of Customer Experience Management (CEM) is important for modern enterprises to grasp and act upon.   CEM is described from an architectural perspective within the blog post and video here.

ADEP offers customers many choices (such as HTML5 or SWF), which I believe is best decided on a per requirements basis.  A further explanation from the Adobe website reveals some of the problems ADEP solves:

"Companies that want to differentiate themselves from the competition realize that they must deliver applications that engage customers as they access information and interact with the business and its frontline employees. And customers want access on
any device or across any channel. Central to accomplishing that goal is simple, yet engaging, interfaces that enable customers to access information and processes, even if they are contained in corporate systems. Efforts to merely extend access to such systems have not proven successful due to the complexity of user interfaces that have been designed for specialists, not customers and the frontline employees who serve them."

The obvious enrichment a platform can deliver is a common pipeline for data and processing, designed from the bottom up with Cloud and Social Media DNA.  The data modeling capabilities also offer enterprise developers some really cool new features.

Over the next few weeks we will continue to post articles to expose bits of the platform and explain what it means in terms of existing LiveCycle ES customers.

Hope to see you at Adobe MAX 2011!

Tutorial: Accessing Microphone on Android in Adobe AIR

This video is the latest in a long series of tutorials on how to use the new Flash Builder for Flex Mobile Development.  This particular exercise targets Android however the same code can be run on iOS (cross compiled using 4.5.1) and BlackBerry Tablet OS.  Here is the video:



The project will be released shortly to the Android marketplace along with the full source code and some great new graphics thanks to my brother Paul Trani!  If you want the project source code for Flash Builder 4.5.1 + in the meantime, please email me direct dnickull at adobe dot com.

This will be part of the AIR Mobile Code Camp at Adobe MAX 2011 in October!  Sign up now!

Preparation Guide for Hands on Workshop

Flash and the City is next week in New York.  If you are registered and taking the course to learn Flex/AIR mobile development, you will need to do some preparation in advance of walking into the room.  This blog post outlines the steps necessary to be ready on Thursday, June 9.

If you have any trouble with the setup, please send an email to me at dnickull at adobe-dot-com. I also plan to be in the lab room 20 minutes before the session to answer any questions or help out.

See you there! This is going to be the best workshop I have ever had the pleasure of teaching!  An expanded version of this course will be taught at this year's Adobe MAX in Los Angeles.

Sincerely,
Duane Nickull
Adobe Senior Technical Evangelist

System Requirements for BYOL lab

Mandatory:

1. Bring your own laptop.  Operating System: Windows or Mac OS X.
2. Bring a power cord.
3. If you have a Google Android Device running the 2.2 or later operating system, please bring that and;
4. A cable to tether it to your laptop. It is not required that you bring your Android Device but it is highly recommended.

If you have more than one laptop, please bring one with a touch pad that supports transformation gestures (most newer Macs support this) and a camera and microphone.

Mandatory Software required.
Flash Builder 4.5 - http://www.adobe.com/go/try_flashbuilder

Flash Builder may be installed as a trial. This will also install the AIR runtime and SDK.

Optional Software
If you plan to build for the BlackBerry Tablet operating system, please follow the instructions here: http://technoracle.blogspot.com/2011/02/getting-your-flash-builder-ide-set-up.html

Mandatory Courseware:
All courseware will be distributed at the venue itself. If you have time in advance, please download the zip archive from http://www.22ndcenturyofficial.com/ForBlogDoNotDelete/FATC.zip

Notes:

Windows
• 2GHz or faster processor
• Microsoft® Windows® XP with Service Pack 3, Windows Vista® Ultimate or
Enterprise (32 or 64
bit running in 32‐bit mode), Windows Server® 2008 (32 bit), or Windows 7 (32
or 64 bit running
in 32‐bit mode)
• 1GB of RAM (2GB recommended)
• 3.5GB of available hard‐disk space for installation; additional free space
required during
installation (cannot install on removable flash‐based storage devices)
• 1024x768 display (1280x800 recommended) with 16‐bit video card
• DVD‐ROM drive
• QuickTime 7.6.2 software required for multimedia features
• Eclipse 3.4.2 or 3.5 (for plug‐in installation)
• Java™ Virtual Machine (32 bit): IBM® JRE 1.5, Sun™ JRE 1.5, IBM JRE 1.6,
or Sun JRE 1.6

Mac OS
• Multicore Intel® processor
• Mac OS X v10.5.7 or v10.6
• 1GB of RAM (2GB recommended)
• 4GB of available hard‐disk space for installation; additional free space
required during
installation (cannot install on a volume that uses a case‐sensitive file
system or on removable
flash‐based storage devices)
• 1024x768 display (1280x800 recommended) with 16‐bit video card
• DVD‐ROM drive
• QuickTime 7.6.2 software required for multimedia features

Video Tutorial: Using Transform Gestures in Mobile Development

This is a quick video that shows the code to control zoom gestures when developing mobile applications with Flash Builder 4.5.  The source code is available if anyone wants it.  Just ping me at dnickull at adobe dot com.



Code Explained:

Line 9: The init() function is called on the viewActivate event for this example as it is a mobile application based on views.  You could queue it from other events.

Line 11:  the Variable myBC is a Spark BorderContainer.
Line 16: The BorderContainer is cast into a sprite and the event passed to the onZoom function is used to scale the sprite on the X and Y planes on lines 19 and 20.  If you want to keep the user from shrinking the sprite below a specific size, the test is done on line 17 to detect the scale.  You only need to test either X or Y and the proportions are constrained.  The best practice for most cases will be to put some sort of minimal scale on such items as it will be possible the user scales it too small and can no longer use a two finger zoom gesture.

To learn more about this topic, make sure to attend Adobe MAX 2011 in Los Angeles and register for the Hands on Mobile AIR camp I will be leading.  Registration is open now and even though we had two mega-labs last year, they both sold out very early.

I am also teaching a similar course next week at Flash and the City in New York City June 9 from 9:00 AM to 2:00 PMN local time.  There are some spaces still available.  Mobile developers are in high demand.  Increase your skills!

Adobe MAX 2011 - A Special Deal for Loyalists!

Have you attended Adobe MAX in years past?  If so, you should know about this special promotion for our loyalists (defined as people who have attended MAX previously).  Until May 31st, 2011, you can use this special URL and token to register for Adobe MAX 2011 here.

Please help us spread the good word via twitter too!    Here is a cut and paste tweet (below) or just use the tweet button on this page.  We need help to reach all the loyalists.

Previous #AdobeMAX goers, register before 5/31 for a discount! http://adobe.ly/maxloyal

What is cool about Adobe MAX this year is the fact there is a second event running in parallel with MAX.  The Adobe Digital Enterprise Summit 2011 will take place October 3rd and 4th. Why should you attend?  For starters, I will be speaking at this event.  Second, staying at the forefront of enterprise architecture requires constant exposure to new technical innovations and an understanding of industry trends.   Come to this event and connect with a thriving ecosystem of thought leaders, partners, and technology solution providers. If you are a business decision-maker, technology leader, or marketing professional interested in deepening customer intimacy and extending brand value within your organization, this event is for you.

See you there!

ciao!

Adobe MAX 2011

The new site for Adobe MAX 2011 is now live at http://max.adobe.com/.  You can already register and will get a substantial break by doing so this early in the game. The early bird pricing ends July, 2011.

Adobe MAX awards:

If you have done something really cool in the last year using Adobe technology, consider applying for an Adobe MAX award.  The MAX Awards provide an opportunity to gain industry visibility for you or your clients' projects. The contest will open on Wednesday, June 1, 2011 and close on Friday, July 29, 2011, at noon (Pacific Time).

The categories for 2011 are: Advertising and Branding, Digital Publishing, Enterprise, and Entertainment. Finalists are selected in each category by the Adobe Judging Councils. The top three finalists in each category will be invited to showcase their work prior to and during MAX 2011 to support online voting for the category winners. Online voting will open one week prior to MAX, and the category winners will be announced live at MAX. Award entrants are also eligible for Honorable Mention recognition.

The information you provide in your MAX Awards application will be used internally by Adobe for purposes of judging the awards and may be reproduced, publicly displayed, or used in press releases by or for Adobe for the sole purpose of promoting the MAX event and MAX Awards. Your contact information will be used by Adobe only and will not be distributed or shared.

There is also a Community Pavilion this year again.

Community Lounge

The Community Lounge offers a comfortable forum where designers, developers, and others in the Adobe community can mingle with peers, share ideas, and network. This is your opportunity to spend one-on-one time with these product experts.
Unconference discussions

Unconference discussions are participant-driven presentations and discussions centered on a theme that are open to all. Attendees have the opportunity to sign up and present on topics of their choice. Last year these discussions were very popular. From project post-mortems to open panels, these discussions provide an opportunity for sharing and receiving information and connecting with your community. Multiple discussion themes similar to last year are in planning stages — stay tuned for more details on the Unconference discussions.
MAX Playground

Hang out in the MAX Playground and try your hand at the latest video games. If you prefer classic games, check out the retro area featuring cool games from the past.

I'll be there!  See you there!

Extending LiveCycle ES 2.5 for Java Developers

The full courseware that Scott MacDonald, Gary Gilchrist and I delivered during MAX 2010 is now available online.  Anyone may use this material as a self-paced tutorial to understand how Java Developers can extend the native capabilities of Adobe LiveCycle ES.

The course is available as a ZIP file here (right-click and then select Save target as ...")

http://www.web2open.org/courses/LCES4JavaDevs-CourseArchive.zip

This course covers the following topics:

Extending LiveCycle ES for Java Developers

TABLE OF CONTENTS
OVERVIEW
EXERCISE 1: UNDERSTANDING CUSTOM COMPONENTS

EXERCISE 2: DEVELOPING THE CUSTOM COMPONENT .
Task 2‐1: Start Eclipse and create a new project
Task 2‐2: Add the required Java library files
Task 2‐3: Defining the service interface
Task 2‐4: Defining the service implementation
Task 2‐5: Defining the component XML file

EXERCISE 3: DEPLOYING YOUR COMPONENT
Task 3‐1: Package your component into a JAR file
Task 3‐2: Importing the component using Workbench ES2

EXERCISE 4: USING THE COMPONENT WITHIN A PROCESS
Task 4‐1: Create the EncryptManyDocuments/EncryptManyDocuments process and invoke it from
Workbench.
Task 4‐2: Programmatically invoking the EncryptManyDocuments process.

Solution code is provided as well as extra notes on the code for the programmatic invocation: 

Adobe MAX 2011 - Crowdsource Request!

Adobe MAX 2011 will probably once again be the best place and time you can be all year long to learn about Adobe LiveCycle ES.  We've already started assembling ideas for topics internally but I would really like to seek input from the LiveCycle Developer Community.  Specifically, please send me an email to dnickull at adobe dot com and tell me what topics you would like to see taught at Adobe MAX in Los Angeles, October 1-5, 2011.

Adobe MAX 2011!

Adobe MAX - Save the date!

This year's MAX will happen October 1-5, 2011, once again at the Los Angeles, CA convention center.  I will be there!

If you are not familiar with Adobe MAX, it is a once a year dream to be up close and in person with those who drive Adobe, from product management to engineers to sales & marketing. Adobe MAX showcases the latest tools and technologies that are shaping the future of digital experiences. Learn directly from industry leaders and Adobe experts and connect with peers. Make sure you get MAX updates as they are announced and sign up for the mailing list today.

Other action items:

Follow @AdobeMAX on twitter

Hit us up on Facebook

Follow @duanechaos on Twitter - (Hint - there may be some exclusive offers coming from my account!)