Napkee - make your mockups come alive, updated

balsamiq mockups exported to png (Photo credit: ZhangYining)

Introduction to Napkee

Napkee is a free mockup creation tool and code generation tool for converting your UI Mockups created in Balsamiq Mockups into HTML, CSS and JavaScript based on Twitter Bootstrap framework at a click of a button. The current version of this tool is Napkee 2.0 alpha. 

Start building a complete UI from mock-up build with balsamiq and convert it to an funtioncal application client. Its a great tool for rapid prototyping.

Napkee Legacy

Previous version of this tool now known as Napkee Legacy is still available for download but it won't be updated in the future and is discontinued. It can be downloaded from http://www.napkee.com/legacy/. It included two project natures, Web and Flex.

The first one generated a set of HTML, CSS and Javascript files and the second one generated a Flex Builder 3.x ready project. In Flex nature based on settings in Napkee's preferences you could either choose to export it to a web flex project or to generate an AIR based standalone code.

Napkee - make your mockups come alive

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BlackBerry 10 SDK for Adobe AIR

BlackBerry SDK for Adobe AIR is now available at https://developer.blackberry.com/air/. Using this applications can be built for BlackBerry 10 devices or the BlackBerry PlayBook.

Adobe Flash Builder integrates the BlackBerry 10 SDK for Adobe AIR, ActionScript and the Adobe Flex framework. It allows development, testing, debug and deployment of Adobe AIR applications for BlackBerry 10 devices.

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Introduction to MVC Architecture of Cairngorm

A simple diagram depicting the relationship between the Model, View, and Controller. Note: the solid lines indicate a direct association, and the dashed line indicate an indirect association (e.g., observer pattern). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: This diagram depicts how the Model View Controller Architecture works. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: The model, view, and controller (MVC) pattern relative to the user. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cairngorm is based on Model View Controller (MVC) framework, specifically designed to facilitate complex state and data synchronization between the client and the server. Cairngorm separates implementation of the view layer from the Model (data) implementation.

View layer throw events and bind to data stored in the Model. 

Components on the View can bind to Value Objects or other properties in the Model (data) layer.

Value Objects (VOs) are used to store related properties, simple variables can be stored as direct properties of the ModelLocator class. 

A static reference to the ModelLocator singleton instance is used by the View layers to locate the required data.

he Controller layer is implemented as a singleton class FrontController. The FrontController instance receives every View-generated Event and dispatches the events to the assigned Command class based on the event's declared type.

The Command class processes the event by calling the Command class' execute() method, which is defined in ICommand interface. 

The event object may include data if required. The execute() method can update the central Model, as well as invoke a Service class which typically involves communication with a remote server. The IResponder interface is also implemented by the Command class, includes onResult and onFault methods to handle responses returned from the invoked remote service.

Working with XML data in Flex

English: Office Open XML main components (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Prerequisite for this Blog
1. Data Binding
2. Events
3. Network Monitor Requesting and Retrieving XML Data from a Remote Server.

Classes / MXML Components

• HTTPService - HTTP GET and POST operations
• WebService - SOAP/WSDL operations
• RemoteObject - remote object connection using AMF

As per MXML 2009, All non visual components should be declared with the Declaration block as below.

1:  <fx:Declarations>  
2:        <!-- Place non-visual elements (e.g., services, value objects) here -->  
3:  </fx:Declarations>  

send() - sends a request to the service dataProvider - this property is used to fill data to UI components.

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Flex 4.x Release

About Flex 4 Release

Adobe Flex 4 was code named Gumbo. This version will focus on improving workflow between developers and designers, and will also include an improved component framework model to decouple the visual design of your Flex applications from the underlying code.

What's new in Flash Builder 4 beta | Adobe Developer Connection

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Getting Started With Flex SDK

Flex architecture contains following components:

•Adobe Flex Builder

•Adobe Live Cycle Data Services ES

•Adobe Flex Charting

•Adobe Flex SDK

Flex SDK is a free tool containing the following components:

• Command line compiler
• Debugger

the following link provides step-by-step instructions for creating an Adobe AIR applications using Flex SDK
Creating your first application using Flex SDK

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