Chapter 1. Starting OpenLaszlo

OpenLaszlo programs are XML documents, so you can use any text editor to write one. Then, you can use the LZX compiler to convert it to an SWF file or DHTML. A convenient way to pass an OpenLaszlo program to the compiler is by sending a message to the OpenLaszlo Server via a Web browser. Compiling an OpenLaszlo program this way saves time because the OpenLaszlo Server will send the result directly to the browser that will then execute the generated Flash/DHTML.

Because of the importance of the OpenLaszlo Server, we will take time to examine it, learn how to install it, and understand its architecture. The OpenLaszlo Server is the first topic of discussion in this chapter. Afterwards, I will introduce you to LZX, the language used to write OpenLaszlo programs. LZX is an object-oriented programming (OOP) language and OpenLaszlo comes with hundreds of built-in LZX classes that help you write applications more rapidly. All these classes are directly or indirectly derived from the LzNode class. As such, the language lesson in this chapter starts by presenting an OOP tutorial followed by a thorough look at the LzNode class.