http://www.macromedia.com/desdev/mx/flashcom/articles/instant_poll.html
I've been waiting for this document for a long time. Written by Giacomo "Peldi" Guilizonni, this DesDev article describes how to build a Flash Communication Server Component using the pre-existing FlashCom Components Framework. The article provides a humorous and practical introduction to building components for Flash Communication Server, written a relaxed but technically specific narrative.
The Framework allows you to write pairs of classes, one on the client-side and one on the server-side. The server-side component class can be written just like a regular server-side Actionscript application, but the framework incorporates the server-side component into a larger system, making the client-server architecture all but transparent to the programmer.
I've actually spent the past month intensely studying the FlashCom Framework (those files you see in the flashcom/scriptlibs folder). FlashCom development is actually what I do on a full-time basis now, and I can attest to the ingenuity and elegance behind the framework that makes it such a joy to work with. There's a lot happening behind the scenes, some beautiful code... the FlashCom Framework, designed by Srinivas Manapragada, rivals any Actionscript I've ever seen before in terms of sheer elegance and efficiency. If you ever have a chance, try studying those scriptlibs files. The code contains many valuable lessons on client-server architecture and Actionscript programming techniques that you won't find anywhere else. The framework is both compact and complex, but if you start walking through the code from the "components.asc" as a starting point, it's not impossible to map out completely.
Anyways, check out Peldi's article, it's a great starting point for anyone interested in Flash Communication Server development. Once you've used components, you won't want to build FlashCom applications in any other way.
-Sam
Posted by samuel at October 1, 2002 06:08 AM