The first is called
styling, a method that involves setting the style attributes of each component
through an external file or styling code. This is a useful approach and one that you
will likely use most often. It is efficient, and especially when you use the external file
method, fits very well into the workflow.
25
STYLING
Chapter 2
A second method to change the look of an application is to change its properties. We will be looking
at this in Chapter 3, along with how to use states and transitions.
When you want to make a dramatic change to the look of an application, you need to go in and modify
the images that create the components. This third method involves changing the SWC files for the
components, and Chapters 4 and 5 will show you how to use Fireworks, Illustrator, and Photoshop to
do this.
Using styling in Flex
Changing the styling of an application can be tricky at first, but Flex includes a useful tool to make it
considerably easier. The Flex Style Explorer is an online tool that can be found at http://
examples.adobe.com/flex3/consulting/styleexplorer/Flex3StyleExplorer.html.
The Flex Style Explorer
The Style Explorer (Figure 2-1) lets you interact with components and visually modify them. More
importantly, it is an effective development tool that allows you to create CSS within the site and then
bring it into your application. In the Style Explorer you can see the effect that changing the styling of
a component has and then transfer it over to your project.
Pages:
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46