What are the advantages of using Adobe Flex?

Question

I've used Adobe Flex to develop a web application and I simply don't have an opinion of it, it looks good to the user and the code can't be seen for most users, but, is that it? What other advantage does Flex has?

Answer 1

Advantages:

• It runs on the flash player, which can be found almost everywhere.

• It's backed by a major company, Adobe.

• There are plenty of frameworks and tools built for and around it from Adobe and the community.

• IDE support comes from Adobe with FlashBuilder, and Jetbrains with Intellij.

• Developing RIA with Flex can be considered easier than with HTML and JavaScript.

• Flex apps can easily run outside the browser, and offline.

Disadvantages:

• HTML5 is here and is supported by everyone. Even by Adobe and Microsoft.

• There is no good alternative flash player like there are alternative web browsers.

• Flash is proprietary and not a web standard.

• Flex is no longer open source, and neither IDE tools are free.

Just like all things, Flex doesn't work for every website. Flex is designed as a RIA tool, not as a replacement for your standard dynamic website. Which, unfortunately, many business don't understand.

Answer 2

Advantages
Flex is a framework built using ActionScript.
It highly used in making Rich Internet Applications. Its easier to up and running flex applications.
Truly Write Once Run Everywhere and not Write one and Debug Everywhere (javascript surely has this problem, I'd like to get it resolved).
No more browser wars (I support html 5, but that's different).
From Adobe. But its open-source. Flex SDK is open-source.
Runs on mobile devices as well (Flex SDK Hero).
You can use which ever IDE or editor you want. Ant builds are just fine. The problem with all the free editors are no code-hinting. I truly miss that because without code hinting, its difficult with such a huge library. Again we have Eclipse pig (Flash Builder) which you can pay for and other premium IDEs.
The bottom line is its all flash. It suits to both designers and programmers equally. That's why I'm interested in everything flash at the first place. There is not tool in this whole planet which does this kind of seamless integration. I'm a programmer and I have the artistic nature in me as well. So I can program and design all with the same tool.
Good and large libraries.
You could do virtually anything with AS3 (and flex in turn). Yeah! You can even control micro-controllers like Arduino, Phidgets etc all the way to high level stuff like making web sites.
With the upcoming molehill release of the flash player, the 3D realm will kill start to a whole new experience never before seen!!
Disadvantage
Well there aren't much to be thought of. Anyway, the thing is since the framework is huge, the learning curve is more. Cramming everything into your brain will take more time.
The IDEs which actually are required (it will make your life a lot more easier), is really costly.

Answer 3

As of version 4.5.1, Flex now supports Android OS, Blackberry Tablet OS, and iOS:

http://gregsramblings.com/2011/06/20/finally-its-here-flex-on-ios-android-and-blackberry-playbook/

Let me know if I'm wrong, but it looks like this is the only SDK that will support deployment to all three of those systems.