I think Cairngorm has it’s faults but I find that most criticisms are generally based an OOP-purist arguments and not based on how the framework fails to serve it’s purpose in the real world. For example, there is a lot of talk about it’s incompatibility with unit testing as it’s so easy to reference ModelLocator in every component. But you don’t have to do that - a smarter way is to only reference ModelLocator in your top-level views (which in my case are modules) and inject the model, or pieces of it, down the line into lower-level components.

My other issue with Cairngorm was the lack of a good event notification system for views but the Universal Mind Extensions for Cairngorm seem to help with this and other issues.

Lastly, you might like to use Mediators to keep your views ‘dumb’. This isn’t prescribed by the Cairngorm framework but it’s easy to implement.

I would love to do a writeup, but it is time consuming, and I am not sure I have that time currently. I might come out with something about puremvc soon, as I have been using it for some time now, and surely has something to say about it.

Until then, you might want to read my Patterns of GUI Architecture in Cairngorm and PureMVC post.

You are right, in that one should expect more than 5 minutes, until the framework has been understood. And as I also wrote, I might be wrong here. Still, one should only have to know the concepts on how the framework works, and hereby be able to use it. One should not have to know the intricate details, to be able to use it. If you tell me, that once I know Mate better, all will be clear, I trust you to be right. I have not found the EventMap xml to be intuitive yet.

But, when you write:

Also, you don’t have to use the HTTPServiceInvoker stuff if you don’t like coding in the XML. It’s your choice based on your project. You could use nothing but MethodInvoker and be able to easily imitate Cairngorm’s Command and PureMVC’s Command and Mediator.

somehow I just knew that comment would come in. And it is a valid one, cause you are right, I could just make the EventMap a simple dispatcher to some real as3 code.

BUT: The EventMap is a very important part and concept of Mate. A large part of the framework is centered around the EventMap. It is thought of to be the place to use for this. This is the intention of the framework. If one is to start using Mate, one should also buy into the concept of the EventMap. It is an important area of Mate, where it think it helps you. And it might. I just doubt it.

Also, you don’t have to use the HTTPServiceInvoker stuff if you don’t like coding in the XML. It’s your choice based on your project. You could use nothing but MethodInvoker and be able to easily imitate Cairngorm’s Command and PureMVC’s Command and Mediator.

If you want to use the deeper stuff, it’s your choice. It’s not complex at all. Learning a little more about Mate will pay off in spades.