Adobe Flex and Air Portfolio
Traditionally, web applications have not had the same functionality as software applications installed on a computer. There has been limitations to the amount of features built into a web application due to the technology. Adobe Flex and Air eliminate these limitations. Now Web developers can build applications that behave just like software applications without the publishing and licensing problems that are inherent with installable desktop software.
We have several Adobe Flex applications in our portfolio. These are innovative applications that increase our clients product offerings and productivity. Using Adobe Flex and Air, we are able to build remarkable applications quickly and inexpensively.
Adobe Flex Portfolio
GIAPlanner.net
Our client, GIA Publications, is a publisher of music used in most Catholic churches. They realized that it is time consuming for church music directors to plan the music for church each weekend. GIAplanner.net is a service that helps church music directors with this task.
The application has a variety of templates for each Catholic mass used throughout the year. The user selects the day of the mass for which they are planning. The application then builds the mass template using the readings scheduled for that particular day in the church calendar. Then the application provides suggested music based on the Bible readings and the hymnals the church has in the pews. Each suggested hymn from the hymnal can be dragged into the selected spot in the template. Parts of the mass that are used each week can be saved and inserted into the plan with a single drag and drop.
After the mass plan is complete, the user may print the plan and/or email a PDF of the plan to the musicians and choir members involved in the mass. Each mass is archived to be used in the future.
Using Adobe Flex gave us the ability to store the data in the users browser. This allows for faster searching and sorting of data. We were also able to incorporate the drag and drop functionality traditionally found in desktop applications. However, because GIAplanner.net is a web application, the application can be easily updated without having the redistribute software for each new release.
USG Hispanic Culture Training
USG is a leading supplier of drywall materials and tools for the construction industry. Increasingly, drywall contractors are of Hispanic ethnicity. In an effort to attract Hispanic contractors to buy USG products, USG is training building supply companies on how to reach out to these customers.
How this works is USG sales representative bring their laptop to the USG building materials supplier. The supplier completes a quiz that gauges his or her knowledge of Hispanic culture. The application then customizes a training/marketing program for the supplier to follow of which may be printed as a PDF document. The representive may also further customize the training program based on their knowledge of the supplier.
The representative may not have access to the Internet to complete the process of creating the PDF training program. Therefore, the application must work without access to the Internet. However, USG wanted the application to work as a Web application some time in the future. We suggested building the application using Adobe Flex and Air. With Flex we were able to build a this application to be used on the Web, then used Air to create an offline desktop application. The data for the application is stored in a SQLlite database. The PDF generation was accomplished using another third party application.
