Comments on: Flex Builder is having an identity crisis http://blog.wrench.com.au/2008/11/20/flex-builder-is-having-an-identity-crisis/ Flash, Flex and Technology Tue, 07 Feb 2012 20:25:31 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Jason Langdon http://blog.wrench.com.au/2008/11/20/flex-builder-is-having-an-identity-crisis/#comment-6374 Jason Langdon Fri, 28 Nov 2008 15:10:03 +0000 http://blog.wrench.com.au/?p=81#comment-6374 @Stephen - thanks for the comments. And I whole heartedly agree, the Flash IDE action editor is a pile of crap. I know also refuse to code in it, instead going from FlashDevelop to the IDE for graphics and the odd timeline change and then back to FlashDevelop. I actually completed this project using that type of workflow - http://programs.sbs.com.au/mygeneration/ Obviously my preference would be to have all of the FlashDevelop goodness (or Flex Builder for that matter) right in the Flash IDE where it belongs. So come on Adobe, please integrate an industry best action editor in CS5! @Stephen - thanks for the comments. And I whole heartedly agree, the Flash IDE action editor is a pile of crap. I know also refuse to code in it, instead going from FlashDevelop to the IDE for graphics and the odd timeline change and then back to FlashDevelop. I actually completed this project using that type of workflow - http://programs.sbs.com.au/mygeneration/

Obviously my preference would be to have all of the FlashDevelop goodness (or Flex Builder for that matter) right in the Flash IDE where it belongs.

So come on Adobe, please integrate an industry best action editor in CS5!

]]> By: Stephen Buckley http://blog.wrench.com.au/2008/11/20/flex-builder-is-having-an-identity-crisis/#comment-6369 Stephen Buckley Sat, 22 Nov 2008 16:07:42 +0000 http://blog.wrench.com.au/?p=81#comment-6369 As someone who migrates between quite large AS3 applications some built in Flash and some in Flex there are a number of workflow issues that the model as it stands fails to address. There is no roundtrip between Flash Professional and Flash Catalyst as yet. The code editor is Flash Professional is the bain of my life, hence I have been using FDT for the last 3 years ( FlashDevelop in some cases) or Flex builder. Some of this split comes down to the fact that AS3 was not ready in time for Flash 8 as originally planned. No development effort has gone into the improvement of Flash Pro code editor for the last 3 years, so for those of us who have to maintain legacy systems the process is like pulling teeth. (I have to be dragged kicking and screaming from my FDT or Flex builder goodness) The mental gymnastics of jumping around the different workflows is sending me grey. ;0) There is not a good single solution for documenting both AS2 and AS3 that works seamlessly. Now before I get a deluge of posts telling me I am wrong and that ASdocs is flawless, trust me I have last week managed to blow it and get some of the most obtuse error messages I have ever seen. There is therefore a good case for a number of new tools in Flash Pro a better code editor, a built in documentation generator, the ability to save FXG and FXL roundtriping to Catalyst, and a command line Flash compiler that will load FLA's and its variants so that you can build large non Flex based projects which have dependencies as part of an automated build, and output updated docs via Ant, Maven or Patchpanel I know we have elements of this via JFSL but its far from perfect and now is the right time for the Flash community to start raising the bar on what we what to see in Flash as new tooling is being built. If we don't raise these issues now Flash Pro will become the beggar at the feast. Max San francisco was awesome by the way As someone who migrates between quite large AS3 applications some built in Flash and some in Flex there are a number of workflow issues that the model as it stands fails to address.

There is no roundtrip between Flash Professional and Flash Catalyst as yet.
The code editor is Flash Professional is the bain of my life, hence I have been using FDT for the last 3 years ( FlashDevelop in some cases) or Flex builder.

Some of this split comes down to the fact that AS3 was not ready in time for Flash 8 as originally planned.

No development effort has gone into the improvement of Flash Pro code editor for the last 3 years, so for those of us who have to maintain legacy systems the process is like pulling teeth. (I have to be dragged kicking and screaming from my FDT or Flex builder goodness)

The mental gymnastics of jumping around the different workflows is sending me grey. ;0)

There is not a good single solution for documenting both AS2 and AS3 that works seamlessly.

Now before I get a deluge of posts telling me I am wrong and that ASdocs is flawless, trust me I have last week managed to blow it and get some of the most obtuse error messages I have ever seen.

There is therefore a good case for a number of new tools in Flash Pro a better code editor, a built in documentation generator, the ability to save FXG and FXL roundtriping to Catalyst, and a command line Flash compiler that will load FLA’s and its variants so that you can build large non Flex based projects which have dependencies as part of an automated build, and output updated docs via Ant, Maven or Patchpanel

I know we have elements of this via JFSL but its far from perfect and now is the right time for the Flash community to start raising the bar on what we what to see in Flash as new tooling is being built. If we don’t raise these issues now Flash Pro will become the beggar at the feast.

Max San francisco was awesome by the way

]]> By: Jason Langdon http://blog.wrench.com.au/2008/11/20/flex-builder-is-having-an-identity-crisis/#comment-6368 Jason Langdon Fri, 21 Nov 2008 18:10:30 +0000 http://blog.wrench.com.au/?p=81#comment-6368 Nice one Tink ;-) They sound like pretty good choices to me! And the idea of a suite including Flex is something I'd be very interested in. Nice one Tink ;-) They sound like pretty good choices to me!

And the idea of a suite including Flex is something I’d be very interested in.

]]> By: Tink http://blog.wrench.com.au/2008/11/20/flex-builder-is-having-an-identity-crisis/#comment-6365 Tink Fri, 21 Nov 2008 17:40:17 +0000 http://blog.wrench.com.au/?p=81#comment-6365 Flash Designer, Flash Catalyst & Flash Developer would do me, all targeting the Flash Player, all part of the Flash Platform. They could then release Flash Suite. Flash Designer, Flash Catalyst & Flash Developer would do me, all targeting the Flash Player, all part of the Flash Platform.

They could then release Flash Suite.

]]> By: Rev. Dan http://blog.wrench.com.au/2008/11/20/flex-builder-is-having-an-identity-crisis/#comment-6363 Rev. Dan Thu, 20 Nov 2008 20:13:46 +0000 http://blog.wrench.com.au/?p=81#comment-6363 They should rename Flex Builder to "Reagent." (Reegent, Catalyst, Flash) They should rename Flex Builder to “Reagent.” (Reegent, Catalyst, Flash)

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