We’re rollin’ so let’s keep it going with a short one.
There is more RIA work out there now than developers which is bad if you need to pull someone in to help on a project.
I have never been disappointed by the amount of quality information and help the various online communities provide, but if there comes a time when you need to pull someone in to do some development you might be stuck on your own.
It’s been a while… actually a very long while since my first post, but finally here is the second. A lot of bloggers are writing about exactly the same issues dealing with RIAs as I am so I know it’s on everyone’s mind. Here’s my take.
The majority of developers are still more efficient in other technologies like js, php, cf, ruby, and .net. If a comparable solution can be developed in one of those technologies by comparison the RIA version will take longer to develop. Do the benefits = cost?
I was first seduced by Flex with how easy it was to prototype an application. Building a HTML layout and design would have personally taken me months, but only took a couple of hours! In Flex Builder I simply arranged the containers and controls, added a view change to each button and then had a great looking and functional prototype. (yea, I’m NOT a designer so the default skin was better than anything I could do.) It took significantly more time to actually building out the application than we originally planned. Basic things we were used to doing in ColdFusion took up to 10 times longer in Flex. We had to learn the Flex/AS methodology and new syntax on the fly and during a lot of sleepless nights. Would all that headache be worth it on your project?
Also, be sure not to underestimate the future maintenance and update costs. Unfortunately we’re not working on Flex everyday so whenever I open up the code I have to remember where everything is and how it works.
The hardest part of quoting a web project is trying to determine what the prospective client is expecting. Often the prospective client has only a vague idea themselves of what they are looking to have developed.
Last week I received an RFP (Request For Proposal). The RFP document gave an overview of the client’s business, it’s current web site and the features they are desiring in their redesign. I still have some questions to ask, but it has been much easier to quote. Therefore, I don’t feel I need to pad the quote much to cover the inevitable surprise feature. People looking to hire a web development company can save money by creating a detailed RFP first. The more detailed the RFP the more accurate each quote will be. The other benefit is that if other firms are quoting on the same RFP, then the client will receive an “apples to apples” quote.
If you are looking to hire a web development firm for your next project, here is a good article regarding how to create and RFP document.
Our first Adobe AIR application has been released for about a month and so far has turned out to be a success. Looking back on our three Rich Internet Application (RIA) projects so far (two Flex 2 and one AIR), this one made the most sense as an RIA. Here’s the thought process we’ve gone through when deciding if a project should be developed in an RIA technology:
We find that the simplest solution is usually the best. This is the KISS Principle, “Keep It Simple, Stupid!” Flex is sexy, but could the same be accomplished using vanilla HTML and CSS?
I’ve seen a general concern on the blogosphere lately that the majority of Flex applications are just rewrites of simple web pages. The most interesting Flex applications are still being released on private intranets, but that’s starting to change. Putting up a simple contact us form in Flex is probably a bad idea. I do think it’s great to rewrite code in another technology as a learning exercise. Just make sure to keep it on your development box.
That’s enough for now I’ll continue with “#2 Worth the Time/Cost?” next time.
