Andy Powell's ColdFusion, Mach-II, Flex, and Spry Blog

Flex or AJAX? Which one is better? Which one will "win" in the RIA space? I am tired of this argument. I'm tired of seeing blog posts keeping this debate alive. It's a non-issue, really.

I think that people make it an issue when they try, or investigate, each technology and find one easier than the other then run with that technology's banner.I am tired of this argument. I'm tired of seeing posts on MXNA keeping this debate alive. It's a non-issue, really. I think that people make it an issue when they try, or investigate, each technology and find one easier than the other then run with that technology's banner.

Flex and AJAX can, should, and do exist in the same space. Their goal is the same: A rich UI and breaking the old and busted request-response model with the new hotness of the event-driven model. Both technologies can achieve the same goal, but via different paths.

I think we, as a community, also need to talk about something else. Flex is not for everyone. Not every ColdFusion developer can be a Flex developer. AJAX, from a learning curve standpoint, is safer for the ColdFusion developer. It's easier, especially with the abundance of frameworks out there designed to make AJAX simple (Spry, jQuery, etc). As ColdFusion developers, we are graced with a tool that makes things very easy for us, and that's the way some of us like it. AJAX lets you leverage your existing JavaScript skill set to get to the "rich" part of RIAs quickly. You don't have to learn anything new if you already know JavaScript.

Conversely, Flex is not easy to learn for a ColdFusion developer (or anyone else for that matter). Yet, once you learn it, it is even more difficult to master. I don't think there are a large number of people who will argue with that fact.

That steep learning curve can lead to a fear of Flex, and fear can lead to anger, and that anger is what, in my opinion, fuels a lot of these "Flex vs. AJAX" arguments. When you take the fear of the new out of it, Flex and AJAX can peacefully co-exist in the same browser without any debate.

Even if you don't add Flex or AJAX to your skill set does that mean your skills are marginalized? Not in the least. There is still a server-side component that needs to be developed. There will always be a demand for server-side development. The prime market now, however, is for developers who have a broad range of skills. It's never a safe practice to put all your eggs in one basket.

These pieces each have their places in a given environment. Sometimes Flex is a better option and sometimes AJAX is the better option. It all depends on the requirements, the team, and the application. They're both viable. They're both part of the future, and they're both changing the face of the web as we know it.

So, let's go forth into the brave new world of RIA technology equality. Give Flex and AJAX their equal place and let's stop these senseless arguments. If you're afraid of getting into Flex, go to a conference, take a class, read a book. Work through your fear. If you're inclined to AJAX, embrace that and run with it. Just stop arguing and develop.


[This posting appeared originally here and is republished in full with the kind permission of the author, in whom all copyright remains vested.]