A few perspectives on managing itemRenderer changes at runtime in AdvancedDataGrid.

The provided examples use Sparkline components and show how to change the item renderer to use a particular Sparkline configuration (in terms of properties and styles).

After having discussed how to apply styles to Flex custom components, let’s learn how to add Events to Flex custom components such that they can be smoothly integrated in any other custom component or in any application.

The covered subjects are:

• Introduction to Flex Events
• Listening to Events
• Sending Events
• Creating a Custom Event Type
• Creating a Custom Event Class
• The Event Flow

After having understood in details the Flex Component Life Cycle, let’s look at ways to add styles to Flex custom components.

You can find a lot of information about styling a component in Adobe documentation, but the most interesting parts are somewhat hidden at the bottom of different pages of multiple sections.

So, here’s my synthesis describing the two “best ways” of Styling a Flex Custom Component efficiently.

There are a lot of Flex Explorer applications available on line. These explorers can really help when you want to refresh your knowledge on the Flex capabilities or when you plan to fine tune specific styles or effects.

Whether you’re trying to design a good looking button or data grid, configuring a fancy glow effect, implementing a complex regular expression, configuring a BlazeDS channel or just searching for inspiration; there is probably a Flex Explorer for you.

Here is my own list of explorers, that I also gathered in my Flex Tool Box page for quick and easy reference.

Now that we have a nice looking Preloader, we’re close to be ready starting developing new Flex Custom Components.

Anyway, before doing so, we need to clearly understand what is the Flex Component Life Cycle. A good understanding of this Life Cycle is really mandatory to be able to develop “correctly” a Flex Custom Component.

Code extracts are provided to illustrate the different principles discussed below, use the “See code sample” links to look at them, use the “See explanations” links to come back to the explanations.

As I plan to publish several flex examples on this blog, I decided to start with the component you’ll probably see the most: the preloader!

You should already know very well the default Flex preloader since most of the available samples that can be found on blogs are still using it. To be honest, I was surprised that so many bloggers had no beautiful preloaders since I thought it would take me a few minutes to create my own. Hum… was I a little bit too optimistic? It took me much more!

After a few issues linked to my previous provider, here it is, my own blog!

Now that everything seems to be more or less in place, it’s time to… blog!

What can you expect soon?

• Flex tips & tricks
• User Interface Design
• And much more…

And, while waiting for my first real posts, listen to Anna Ternheim or take a look here to understand what means Blogagic.