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Thermo Presentation – MAX 2007 – Chicago

Here is the presentation from MAX 2007 of the new application still in development called Thermo, aimed at designers creating FLEX applications, Enjoy.

Part 1

or Click Here

Part 2

or Click Here

An appology

I am going to appologise here for the lack of constant commentary from me at MAX 2007.  A mixture of jet lag and 18 hour days at the conference are taking their toll, If our fearless leader at CFUG approves then I will be presenting at the next meeting a comprehensive rundown on sessions attended and experiences here in Chicago and over the next week I will attempt to post video and images from the conference.  So that it does not appear that I am copping out entirely below are some highlights so far:

• Flex builder for LINUX available as ALPHA download from the Adobe labs. (I have a copy I will be bringing back and can demo if someone has a linux box for install)
• Thermo, showcased, this is a very cool application in development allowing designers to use photoshop as a design tool to create FLEX applications (very very sweet).
• Tim Buntel moving from coldfusion to the FLEX team.

Check out the MAX blog for more juicy stuff http://blog.adobemax2007.com/

Session 1 Day Two

Microsoft Exchange Integration with Coldfusion 8
Ramchandra Kulkami Senior Computer Scientist, Adobe Systems

Hard time getting started technical difficulties, using VMWare to access a server.

Why Exchange Integration?

• Exchange server widely used
• Difficult to integrate wit cf and java
• New tags to make it easy for cf developers

Scope of exchange integration

• Easy access to manage
  • Calendar
  • Email
  • Contacts
  • Tasks

What you can do

• Create, update, delete, get and respond to calendar events
• Supports non English versions
• Supported in 2000, 2003, 2007

How it works

Cf server goes to webdav/http/https goes to IIS goes to MS exchange server

Tags for exchange integration

• cfexchangeconnection,
• cfechangemail,
• cfexchangetask,
• cfexchangecalendar,
• cfexchangecontact,
• cfexchangefilter

How to access delegated mailbox

cfexchangeconnectionUses his/her login credentials

• Action = open
• Connection = connection_name
• Server = server
• Username = username
• Password = password
• Formbasedauthentication = yes (if authentication not performd on IIS.

 Connection to non English exchange:

• Exchangeserverlanguage = “german”

Example:

2007, only a https connection with this version, retrives the subfolders, can retrive the specifified folder in the tag, and the set recurse value, if not set then will get all folders from root of the mailbox.

 Retrieved:

• Foldersize
• Foldername
• Folderpath

 Calendar example”:Set range, get attachments if applicable

Retrieved:

• All values that are in standard event are retrieved including file name and path to the attachment, plus mime type, this might be usefull for filtering types in a webmail application.

 Most tags have

• Create
• Get
• Getattachments
• Modify
• Delete
• deleteattachments

Create returns the UID

Modify takes UID of the item to be modified

 Cfexchangecaledar

• Create
• Get
• Modify
• Respond
• Getattachments
• deleteattachments

 will post some example code as soon as possible, too much to type in this session basically every event that is needed in outlook to create a task can be set withn the cfexchangecalendar tag.

 Attachments can be added with “;” as a delimiter for more than one item.Attachments can be retrieved,  tag will try and guess the MIME type so no limit to type of attachment.

 Cfexchangemail

• Get
• Getmeetinginfo
• Move
• Set
• Delete
• Getattachments
• Deleteattachments

 Use cfexchangefilter to filter the results, used inside the cfexchangemail tag.Actions same for move messages

 Example:Open a connection, get all meetings that are canceled, use the filter for this, (value=meeting cancel”)

Returned as a query

 CfexchangecontactSame available as in cfexchangecalendar, all values that are available to create a contact available in the tag.

 Example:Use structs for address details for business & home

 CfexchangetaskThe same for move messages

 Example returned all attributes of a task in outlook. Setting up exchange server for cfexchangeExchange virtual folder should be created in IIS

Allow access to MSE in webservice extension of IIS

Mailbox access can be set in AD users and computers

 TroubleshootingExchange server accessible from cf server

• Ping exchange server from cf server

Make sure exchange server is accessible from OWA

If using https protocol make sure exchange certificate is present in the certificate store of cf server

If exchange server requires form based authentication then set formbasedauthentication to true

In some cases cfexchangeconnection tag throws error…

http response code:<code>

if exchange name configured in IIS not ‘exchange’ then specify exchangeapplicationname attribute

if username not same as mailbox name specify mailboxname attribute

some servers require servername\username.

 Microsoft de-emphasised webdav in 2007 they recommend web servicesSo getattachment not working for cfexchange

 MS exchange integration, very useful for me making use of familiar tag based code, could be very powerful way to integrate an exchange calendar.

 

Full demo of exchange functionality showcased conference booking .

Logged in as a user

Got meeting requests, can see availability of a room on a particular date

My sessions for Day 1

Kicked off the day with CSS part 1 introduction to CSS, unfortunately this session was basically not really what I expected,  to be honest.  I think I was hoping to get more detail on css in the code but was how to create css using dreamweaver cs3, so plenty of “How to create CSS” but underlying knowledge was lacking.  I guess some web developers would find this usefull when developing HTML sites primarily.

Second session was A virtual Trading Floor: Bringing Wall Street to the ClassRoom, Alec Lamon, Charles Rejonis, Eric Wyher.  The Wharton Securities Exchange (WSX) is a virtual trading environment using an interface modeled after actual Wall Street trading software. WSX allows groups of students to trade simulated securities among the group in real time, using limit and market orders to understand the behavior and mechanics of exchanges. WSX, powered by ColdFusion, Flex, and Flex Data Services, has been used by thousands of students in Finance classes at the Wharton School since 2001. The speakers discussed why Wharton wanted to move from a client/server version of the application to a web-based rich Internet application, the challenges of providing real-time multiplayer interaction over the web, and how ColdFusion, Flex, and Flex Data Services were used to address these issues.  Avery interesting presentation but not really something I could put in place at Patersons as this is all simulated I am using live data from the ASX.

Third session: Cross Media Design: Managed Workflows with Adobe Creative Suite 3, Gary Cosimini.
Saw how Creative Suite 3 in combination with advanced editorial workflow and asset management systems can be extended to provide a more integrated platform for highly collaborative, streamlined cross-media workflows. Understand how managed systems built on top of Creative Suite can produce a more productive workflow for creating, structuring, searching and repurposing content for multiple channels. This session demonstrated advanced technologies and Web services such as XMP, XML, XSLT, SOAP, Bridge and Version Cue APIs and built-in scripting tools across the Creative Suite applications.

Session Four: Building Stunning Flex Applications with Flex Builder and Creative Suite 3.
demonstration on the new workflow features for getting various artwork into your Flex applications from Illustrator, Flash, Photoshop, and Fireworks. Saw how to easily use artwork created in your favorite applications as custom skins for components.
How to create unique looks using nothing but the software’s built-in CSS styling mechanism with the help of the new graphical CSS Design View in Flex Builder.

Keynote day 1

Kevin Lynch – Chief Software Architect, Adobe Systems
Introduction and welcome to the conference, MAX 2007

 Very big launch the hall is packed with well in excess of 4000 tech heads keen to see the latest and greatest.

Officially launched the Adobe developer connection, which is the new developer site and program aimed at developer community, check it out here http://developer.adobe.com/, also link to the ADC intronetworks application http://adc.intronetworks.com/

Took the audience through the history of engaging content from 80’s through to the noughties, from floppy to CD to RIA encouraging developers and designers to help push the boundaries of engaging content using Adobe technologies

Video was showcased, 70% of video online is now using flash.  H.264, becoming an industry standard in video for HD, now being embedded in the flash player.  www.halo3.com - a great use of Flash video.

Adobe Media Player is now available: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/mediaplayer/

Online scrap book at http://www.scrapblog.com

Kevin demo’ed a bunch of AIR applications:

tweetr: http://www.tweet-r.com/
Snippage: http://snippage.gabocorp.com/
Pronto — Desktop mail client using services from www.communigate.com
Analytics Reporting For Google Analytics: http://www.aboutnico.be/index.php/google-analytics-air-beta-sign-up/
Paypal Desktop: www.paypal.com, currently in development but demo’d here
SAP Spend Analytics: www.sap.com currently in development but demo’d here
Digimix: www.digimix.com Alan Queen 
Pownce: www.pownce.com
Nickelodeon: www.nickelodeon.com currently in development but demo’d here
AOL: http://music.aol.com/help/syndication/desktop-widgets
Desktop Magnets: http://www.wezcrozier.com/DesktopMagnets.rar
Buzzword: showed importing of Microsoft Word documents to Buzzword. Now purchased by Adobe

Also look at http://www.anthropologie.com for some great innovation

Day 1 MAX 2007

Making lots of notes and visiting lots of interesting sessions, will write all up tonight and post ASAP, watch this space.

Welcome Reception and O’Reilly Ignite! Event

Back to the McCormick for 4pm, just to do some writing up on today’s festivities, Welcome reception was a grand affair with cocktail food, beer amd wine flowing freely.  Again caught up with Kai and numerous other developers from around the states.  I think this is going to be a great place to do some serious networking.  16 Adobe Community members each did a 5-minute presentation showcasing innovative projects that were created by community members.  Geoff Bowers did a great preso on “How to be a  better contributor to the open source community.  Attendees of the conference now need to vote on they’re favorite one by SMS.  The 2 most popular ones will be presented again during MAX 2007 general sessions.

8pm, everyone back on they’re respective buses and back to the hotel, for the After Hours Lounge, The after hours lounge is an area for the attendees to mix with Peers and play some XBOX 360 or WII, there’s also 8 LAN connected PC’s for some QUAKE 4 fragging.  All very geeky, But we love it!!   Up early tomorrow for the breakfast then 1^st keynote of the week, they are focused on defining Adobes direction Adobe technology and the future of web and desk topsoftware

Quick walk around

Had a look around, this place is enormous, sat down for a catch up with Kai and Dianne, Dianne went of for a session on cross platform publishing with CS3 leaving myself with Kai for a catch up and discuss the future of coldfusion and Adobes commitment (or lack of) to CF’ers and communities, especially in far flung reaches like Perth WA. I am sure there wil be plent of discussion like this as the conference progresses

In our wanderings checked out the AIR Park, where the Adobe shop is located, was a little disappointed to see very little literature on Premiere, Encore, Photoshop etc. Plenty though for the discerning developer – Coldfusion, J2EE, AJAX and FLEX and the usual Adobe merchandise – T-shirts, executive toys, mugs and cuddly toys. Met up and said Hi to Geoff Bowers (Daemon and Farcry), Matt Voermann (Adobe), said my farewells then back on the bus for trip back to the hotel and a freshen up before tonights Welcome Reception and O’Reilly Ignite! Event.

Pre-Event Registration

Everything seems well organized. A shuttle bus waiting to take me to the McCormick facilityfor registration. I believe there are 4000+ delegates here this year, the organizers are gonna be busy. Got on the bus at 7.50 to get to the McCormick, WOW this place is enormous I think I will be walking miles between sessions. Took the queue for the registration. Dianne is next to me. Dianne is a good friend of mine, I met at the first WEBDU in Sydney (then MXDU). Wife to Kai Koenig, FLEX Guru Extraordinaire. Will post his blog later for more reports on MAX.

Registration was reasonably easy, except I was not on the list so had to go elsewhere to register and get my pass and Swag Bag. The bag seems high quality and is a shoulder Messenger/Laptop type filled with the usual corporate advertising Media plus nice hard cover notebook/event guide, Adobe Visual Communicator and hard plastic water bottle. I guess we’ll get more goodies as the conference progresses, I mean what else are these events for, if of the toys to play.