If you¿re a cutting-edge Web developer who wants to create interactive, user-friendly sites that will transform the way people work with the Web, you¿ve probably heard about Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX. By incorporating streaming media, real-time collaboration, and multi-way video, audio, and text messaging into one server solution, Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX enables you to easily add features like shared live white boards, multi-way chat screens, and video conferencing to your sites. The best part? It¿s all delivered through the Macromedia Flash Player so viewers don¿t have to open multiple applications.

Reality Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX: Strategic Solutions for Online Interaction is the only book to give you a behind-the-scenes look at developing real-world FlashCom projects that are practical, cost-effective solutions. As part of the development team you¿re privy to the memos, notes, work-flow, planning, and process charts that are included in a real development process. Over the course of the book you¿ll learn to build entire applications (which are included on the book¿s companion CD-ROM) using both client-side and server-side Communication ActionScript. Different design ideas are presented and either accepted or rejected, and discussions about usability, HCI, and bandwidth realities are revealed so that you¿ll come away with a clear idea of what to expect in development as well as strategies to overcome those challenges.

If you’re a cutting-edge Web developer who wants to create interactive, user-friendly sites that will transform the way people work with the Web, you’ve probably heard about Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX. By incorporating streaming media, real-time collaboration, and multi-way video, audio, and text messaging into one server solution, Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX enables you to easily add features like shared live white boards, multi-way chat screens, and video conferencing to your sites. The best part? It’s all delivered through the Macromedia Flash Player so viewers don’t have to open multiple applications.

Reality Macromedia Flash Communication Server MX: Strategic Solutions for Online Interaction is the only book to give you a behind-the-scenes look at developing real-world FlashCom projects that are practical, cost-effective solutions. As part of the development team you’re privy to the memos, notes, work-flow, planning, and process charts that are included in a real development process. Over the course of the book you’ll learn to build entire applications (which are included on the book’s companion CD-ROM) using both client-side and server-side Communication ActionScript. Different design ideas are presented and either accepted or rejected, and discussions about usability, HCI, and bandwidth realities are revealed so that you’ll come away with a clear idea of what to expect in development as well as strategies to overcome those challenges.

Bad, poor, and worst
Got this book for free from a friend.Hmm..I wondered why he gave me the book for free.Didn’t know until one of my current research’s requirements is Flash Comm Server MX.Flipped through the book and I’d have to say:Ewwww..programmers...stay away from this book!!!!It’s not worth your money.

This book really good for ... CTO
Yeah, that’s right, CTO only need to know what the FlashComm can do, how they do, but doesn’t really need to get dirty like all the programmers out there. So if you are CTO go and get this book, if you want to get dirty with FlashComm then stay away from this book. If you want to buy this book in "mint" condition, please contact me (vht@rocketmail.com), I will place this book on ebay for just 10USD.

this is not a good enough book for me
i have a few points that may be valuable for those who are looking for really professional flashcom books:

1. the example files that come from this book’s website work very poorly due to lack of programming considerations within the book itself. some applications fail to run on the second run because something is wrong with the programming used on the flashcom side or client-side, and the applications simply won’t start unless u reload the applications from the server.

2. the book does not go thoroughly enough with flashcom applications such as user management in a video conference, and server-side scripts that are required for handling issues such as user log on/off, userid, etc.

3. although the book goes to teach real life solutions, but it barely touches the core concept of flashcom applications. i can only comment that this book is on the rim of a glass.

i hope my points will be helpful for those who are looking for a really good flashcom books...

Programming Indeed
Maybe I’m not a typical FlashCom user as far a programming background is concerned. I’m a Java programmer with a little experience in Flash. I don’t write reviews because I don’t believe most of the ones I read anyway and this one is simply in response to one of this book that was factually inaccurate.

I’ve looked at 2 or 3 books that have some information about FlashCom, and this is the best by far. The reason I like this book is because it is pure programming. It contains no FlashCom components at all. Period. I have no idea why a reviewer would say otherwise. (Maybe he’s confused this book with another book.)

Coming from Java, I thought FlashCom would be a piece of cake. It is not (despite what a favorable review claims). You need to coordinate ActionScript, Client-side ActionScript and Server-side ActionScript. I liked the real-world examples in this book and each of the five applications brought together the different versions of ActionScript. The authors used procedural programming rather than OOP. However, in going over the code (and adding my own changes)it is not poorly structured.

I am not a big fan of this book’s format. It goes through the details of dealing with clients, which in my work, I avoid. (We have reps that do that.) I wish that space had been used for more scripts and apps. However, the processes described are real and people who like that kind of stuff will like the book.

Like I said, THIS BOOKS CONTAINS NO FlashCom components, and I’d hate to see it passed over because of a wildly inaccurate review.

As a programmer, I thought this book was awful
I researched a few books online covering FCS and was sold on this one after reading the high reviews. I purchased the book and went through the entire thing in about an hour and gained nothing more than what I have learned from the Macromedia documentation and online resource center. NOTE: I was going into this expecting to learn more about how Flash and Flash Comm Server work together to better code applications between them. This book shows a few simple examples of how to use the built-in components. I strongly recommend NOT buying this book. I was was surprised to see all the high ratings when I came back to add my review, so be sure to read those as I am one of the few that is dissatisfied with this book.