Article:		What Is a Flash MX Component?
Subject:		Why are MX components large in size
Date:		2003-07-22 08:05:36
From:		anonymous2
I started using drop down, push button, and radion button on one of my application and noticed the size of my swf file increase from 10K to 32K. Please note that I am publishing my project using the compress option. Any ideas why this is happening?

Showing messages 1 through 3 of 3.

• MX Component uses
  2003-08-27 07:14:28  anonymous2 [View]
  
  
  I have been reading about the new flash components and I am interested in it. I would like to create a flash gui for my java application. Will this MX component set allow me to do that for a stand alone java application?
  
  The ideal for me would be to have a quasi stand alone flash gui that interacts with my java app. I am told it is possible, but have not gotten confirmation that it is.
  
  --I am a visual basic and C++ programmer who is trying to explore new ground and could use some information- or direction to information sources.
  CW
• AS3
  2007-09-14 02:19:28  ssathisjk [View]
  
  
  can as3 beat other web tools

• Why are MX components large in size
  2003-07-23 07:22:02  Colin Moock | [View]
  
  
  This is a common debate on most flash programming boards. The two biggest reasons for the size of the components are:
  
  1) they're designed to be used as a group, so you take a big hit for the first one you use, and much less for each one thereafter. e.g., if you just use a listbox, you'll notice a big jump in filesize as the core libraries for components are added to your app. if you then add a radio button, you'll notice that the additional size is less than the cost of using the radio button on its own. and if you need a scrollbar, you get it for free (there's already a scrollbar in the listbox).
  
  2) the components have a much richer featureset than you might think. they respond to keyboard control, and accessible input devices, have their own focus model, work with dataproviders, etc, etc. macromedia's goal is to make them behave like real operating system controls, so that online flash apps feel like traditional desktop apps. to paraphrase macromedia's mike chambers (www.markme.com): if you can build an equivalent feature set in less code, macromedia has a job for you.
  
  it seems to me that it might make sense to ship "lite" versions of the components, that have a stripped down feature set. however, if everyone used those, then flash content would be much less usable and completely inaccessible.
  
  for a long discussion about file size and component quality involving several macromedia employees (including nigel pegg, who developed most of the original mx components), see: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/ezmlm/ezmlm-cgi?1:sss:27250#b