Is Flash or Flex better to build a user interactive ordering “wizard” website?

Question

i want to see if these \"build a . . .\" flash sites (to support a user customized ordering process) are done using regular flash or Flex?

1. Site 1
2. Sit

Answer 1

Flex VS Flash [Summary]

#Adobe FLEX                                     | #Adobe Flash
#Programmer based                               | #Designer based
+Rapid RIA (MXML for designers)                 | +Stage & Timeline Based
+Easy to build up simple stuff (think LEGO)     | -From scratch
+Skinning                                       | -No skinning
-Problematic skinning                           | +Easy to design graphical parts
-Missing several parts (graphically)            | +Easy to design graphical parts
-Lots of documentation reading (for everything) | +Err... bare functions?
-Bugs lots of it (And working around it)        | +Base functions may do little, but they are bug free
+Many "special" user interactions built in      | -Err... code it yourself
+Highly modular (file wise)                     | -Not so (though MovieClips are arguably modular)
-Size of .SWF (Including the flex framework)    | +Bare minimal stuff
+Access to special Mobile phone features        | -Neg
+ADOBE AIR -> Desktop application features      | -Neg
-Animated movies are near impossible to make    | +So you make them here and export them to FLEX

Long version

The question of Flash or Flex is really based on preference. For in your case, it is nearly interchangeable. Hence, to truely understand the major differences, you need to understand their history [sort of, it's a really long list down]

Flash [The older brother]:

Flash was created for the web display / distribution of vector based animation / graphics / application by Macromedia. Note that this was initially created in an era where Dial-Up is still common place. And drove to great popularity, due to its flashPlayer engine, displaying "stunning"/"wowing" animations / websites / applications despite its small small [.swf file] size. [Remember the era of splash pages?, and flash animations].

While initially having a small code base [AS1/2], that was originally meant for interactive animations. Many web designers, were quick to exploit the timeline, having different "pages"/"content" on each frame [think modern day states], and having multiple nested timelines via movieclips. It was crude, but it works =) And flash pages were seen almost everywhere.

Especially since it could work on any computer, any browser (a kick to both Apple and Windows).

And with the growth of flash, so was the growth of its code base (AS1 -> AS2). That was, till it was purchased over by its long bitter rival #Adobe. In which the code base was completely redone from the ground up, to the AS3 you see today. Which gave it a much structured coding base (as compared to the unplanned built up of AS1/2), along with a suite of many other features (better encryption, memory protection / etc)

Flex [The smart-ass younger sister]:

Unknown to most users of Flash, under the hood of the player, frames, timelines have always been "simulated" by code. And AS3 makes it much easier to manipulate the timeline via code. However Flash, has several drawbacks for the growing era of RIA (Rich-internet applications), that has gain momentum due to Flash / Java. Such as sever-client data connection (though there are work arounds), and more importantly...

The timeline...

Originally used to easily manipulate animations, Flex just kicks that whole system out of the window. And with good reason too. In many cases of RIA done in flash, you would have "movieclips" jumping to various frames, which simulates the current state system. And was actually counter productive to RIA development (Though it was mitigated by Frame labels), while producing huge un-needed overheads. As it was essentially simulating states.

Hence flex was born (okay, timeline is only one of the several reasons), taking away the roots of "animation" in flash (and the vector drawing capabilities). And recreating an IDE, that is mainly programmers orientated. (ever thought its weird to be greeted by an animation timeline as a programmer?). Timeline is out, states are in. And as an additional "icing" to the cake, MXML was born. As a means of rapidly prototyping and creating interfaces, for RAPID RIA development. Which became one of its major selling points.

FLEX: Allows you to rapidly create RIA for any platform / browser (your phone too)

Though the shift from timeline oriented flash to flex may be difficult (it was difficult for me), Flex at the end of the day proved to be much more suited for RIA development. While making coding much nicer then Flash.

Flash Catalyst [the child of the two]

The side-effect of FLEX, you can never leave Flash, if you need animations done, and gone is the simple stage that flash provided. Not the heavily XML based nested stage FLEX provided. Hence the "love-child" Flash Catalyst was created. (Though I suspect it may be based of WIX). As a means of rapidly designing flash websites. You see, a major major draw back flex had, was that it lack the "stage" flash had. And not all websites is meant to use the MXML templates given. And if you wanted to force your way (workarounds such as skinning), it was a pain. So this love child was created. (Try creating a simple custom graphic button in flash vs flex).

While retaining the timeline (sort of) and stage like interface of flash. It retains the state based properties of flex. And presto. Flash Catalyst was born.

It is generally meant as means to "create" the desired look / feel, for a website, before exporting it over to FLEX / FLASH. (Automatically, handling all the workarounds).

And they are all under the same happy family called ADOBE:

(Possibly, part of the marketing scheme). Is that all these products ARE INTERCONNECTED. And they support projects linked to one another. For example, a FLEX application can load a FLASH movieclip, which can be develop in a timeline based nature. Similarly, Flash Catalyst can export itself to flex.

So which is better? The answer is NONE! : Its a matter for style and preference. Personally, complex animations, are done in Flash (timeline-> then convert to AS3). RIA development is done in FLEX. And their incest child is unused by me (Its neither here nor there, sadly for it).

However if you have always been used to timeline based designs (art students?), Flex will kill you. Similarly, if you have always been a programmer in JAVA or C++, Flash will kill you. (OK, that may be exaggeration).

Additionally...

As for under the hood: Most likely a code base in AS3 that generates the permutation / combinations. I highly doubt that there is an image for every possible combination (cupcake), for it is much easier, to use various 'images/graphics' (cream as set A, cupcake base as set B, toppings as set C). And to tie each set to the given options. And 'generate' the final image.

And for tutorial, on those examples:

http://active.tutsplus.com/tutorials/flex/build-an-xml-driven-contact-list-using-flex-3/

Basically you have a custom display for each option, and stack them up. Though I suggest reading up a lot of the basic Flex tutorials before this.