Flex 2 and Ajax working together
The team at Nitobi has just released a Flex Ajax dashboard showing off what is possible when you combine Ajax and Flex 2 using the FA Bridge. Dave Johnson posted the demo over on his blog.
As all of you know, I'm extremely skeptical about Ajax when it comes to Rich Internet Application development. However the guys at Nitobi have some really cool Ajax components that I have to admit are pretty impressive. This demo combines their Ajax Grid with Adobe Flex 2 Charting for the full effect.
What I like about this demo so much is that I think it will expose Ajax developers to one of Flex's brightest spots - the charting components. It's one thing to build part of your application in Ajax, but trying to present data graphically can be a nightmare. This not only presents it graphically, but in a way that Ajax users should appreciate - with transitions and animations that add subtle enhancements to the application.
As I always say, Ajax has been great for the web. It's made it more interactive, more responsive, and a much better user experience. It has its limitations, just like any technology, and in some cases, such as data visualization, Flex can be used to shore up those limitations. The Nitobi demo proves how powerful that combination can be.