Here is my review of the Foundation Flash Applications for Mobile Devices.
First let me say this, great work guys! It’s the first book dedicated to Flash Lite for Mobile Devices and I think it nailed the main point: Flash Lite developers need to think as mobile developers. This is something that many developers approaching Flash Lite forget or need to learn.
The books also covers the various players 1.1, 2.0 and 2.1 which is great since it gives an idea of the different type of content that you can create. The book covers pretty much all the different API avalable for every player and it gives coding example. Some tips, tricks and best practices are always present in the explanations. I liked a lot the practical examples with real code and samples (download them here). It’s always hard to read software books without the aid of sample code that you can play with.
The appendixes have all the FSCommnad2 explained and error codes. There is a chapter on integrating Flash Lite with other technologies such as J2ME, Python and C++. Always good to know you can extend your application when you hit the boundaries.
Very few information is outdated but it’s not the authors fault. In general is due to the mobile world, it really moves fast. Also Flash Lite is gaining popularity and there are always new things coming out every week, for example the Verizon Flash Lite ecosystem. The part where the book talks about Symbian sis installer and invoking other applications on the phone might not work on the latest Nokia 3rd edition since both the sis installer and the security environment have changed.
The last part of the book covers Flash Lite distribution in general and what are the alternatives available on the market. But remember that we are at the early stage of Flash Lite distribution. The Verizon Flash Lite ecosystem will help this. In any case, this book is a must have. It basically covers everything you need to know about Flash Lite world.
If you have any specific questions about the book check the book’s site.
Alessandro
