Happy Holi!

I leave for my annual pilgrimage to India tomorrow and will be away for a month. Blogging will be rare if at all during this time.

I've had several requests for the code from my Flex/CF presentation last night. I'll be posting it very soon on the CAPFUG site - first, I need to 'clean' it (remove eclipse project files, etc.), script the DB, and put together instructions for installation ;) I'll blog to let everyone know once the files are there.

Just thought I'd remind everyone in the DC area that I'm talking about Flex/CF integration (everything from the simple stuff to FDS) at the Capital Area Flex User Group meeting tonight (http://www.dc-flex.org).

I'm most likely not Breezing this one but I'll be giving a VERY similar talk at the FlexManiacs conference in June (http://flex2conference.figleaf.com/) and I also plan to present the same talk again from my office via Breeze. I've just been way too busy to set-up the broadcast for tonight.

I just saw the new demo video for Zoho Notebook. It's a very cool looking online tool very similar to Microsoft OneNote (which I think is one of the best Microsoft products). You can see the demo video (it's pre-release) online at http://www.zoho.com/notebook/

Adobe just released 2 important labs releases that further their commitment to interoperability between Flex and AJAX:

1. Ajax Data Services library
   A new JavaScript library that lets Ajax developers access the powerful messaging and data management capabilities of the Flex Data Services product directly from JavaScript.
   With this library, companies can integrate application clients built using Ajax technologies with the same back-end data services used by Flex application clients. This means that data from Flex applications can now be automatically synchronized with other Ajax applications, ensuring that both users see the most current, accurate information.
2. Flex Ajax Bridge (FABridge) update
   Adobe already provides FABridge to allow JavaScript-enabled components to interoperate with Flex-enabled components embedded in the same web page. But as of today, significant updates have been made to FABridge, enabling better interoperability on the client. With the introduction of Ajax Data Services, combined with FABridge, developers can now leverage the full benefits of both the Flex 2 SDK programming model and the powerful Flex Data Services providing full interoperability with existing or new Ajax applications.

The new releases are online at:
Ajax Data Services library
http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/Ajax_Data_Services
Flex Ajax Bridge (FABridge) update
http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/Flex-Ajax_Bridge

For the past couple of years when asked what skill to learn AFTER mastering ColdFusion in order to be more marketable, most CF developers wouldn't hesitate to say 'Java'.
I'm proud to say that for the past 3+ years I've always answered 'Flex'. Many readers of CFDJ were unhappy about my trying to add more Flex and Web 2.0 content in the magazine, so I've stopped pushing the issue... but I've got to say, I still think it's a terrible injustice to not discuss Flex more in CFDJ.

One of the greatest current uses of Flex is for development of Web 2.0 applications. Whether you're into Flex or not, you have to admit that Web 2.0 apps are cool - and I have noticed a growing demand not only for Flex developers but for Web 2.0 developers in general.
The reason I'm writing about this is that ZDNet just released an interesting article about how several of the largest IT companies are about to make major investments in Web 2.0 and about the fact that it's hitting mainstream. The article is available at http://blogs.zdnet.com/Hinchcliffe/?p=79. If you don't believe that the demand for Web 2.0 developers is growing then I strongly suggest reading this article.

To everyone who thought I was crazy for thinking folks should learn Flex several years ago - a big 'I told you so' goes out to you. I'm just teasing, of course... but I'm dead serious about the fact that Web 2.0 will make you more marketable.

In case you haven't heard, you can sign-up for the Scorpio pre-release beta https://prerelease.adobe.com/callout/apply.html?callid={E9F64ADB-DADA-485E-BFFE-60E0D783EBEF}. If you're constantly jumping on and off new projects, work for a company that's sure to adopt CF 8 shortly after it's released, or work for a company currently evaluating CF but undecided then I strongly recommend taking a look at the features in the next releases early anytime you get the opportunity.

Fellow Adobe Community Expert Kevin Schmidt just launched a blog. Kevin is into both ColdFusion and Flex. You can read his blog at http://www.flexinabox.com/

I've used a lot of different desktop software packages for diagramming software - some I like, some I don't, but most of them are relatively the same. Unfortunately, I've never found a web-based diagramming tool I like... until now.

A coworker recently introduced me to gliffy (http://www.gliffy.com/) - a Flash based online diagramming application that's very simple to use but is pretty robust. Oh, and it's free, too.