Ok, to some of you this may be a pretty funny article. Many of those who attend the Flash Users Group know my stance and views on Flex. I am not what you would consider a proponent of Flex but I do understand that it has a place in the Rich Internet Application development field. I was recently given a copy of Flex Builder 2 to try out in order that I might review the software and report my findings. I went into this testing phase with an open mind eager to learn more about Flex and Flex Builder.
The IDE
I’m a Flash Developer when it comes down to it; so working within an entirely new IDE was a bit disconcerting for me. When getting into Flex Builder you need to start thinking a bit differently. No longer is your good friend Mr. Timeline sitting at the top of your screen ready to welcome your assets and code. Flex Builder 2 is built off of Eclipse (http://www.eclipse.org/). Java developers will likely feel comfortable in the IDE of Flex Builder since Flex Builder itself remains true to much of the basic Eclipse IDE. Those of you used to cranking out the AS2 and AS3 classes should feel at home quickly.
Creating a Project
One of the first things you are presented with when getting started in Flex Builder 2 is the dialog allowing you to setup a new project and define what type of project it is that you will be developing.
Creating a new document or Project in Flex Builder 2.
Many people think of MXML, the typical greenish-tinted background and working in the Design view when they think of Flex Builder. As you can see in the screen shot above there are many options when creating new documents in Flex Builder 2. You can create a pure ActionScript Project using Flex Builder 2 as well.
MXML you say? For those of you who have no idea what I am talking about, MXML is the XML Markup language used to define elements (user interface components, etc) that make-up the interface for the user viewing the resulting swf file.
A nice feature of the project setup process presents you with the opportunity to define your Source and Library paths for all of the related files in your project.
Defining Source and Library Paths.
Learning Your Way Around the Flex Project
Once you get your project setup you then have a nice Navigator that will allow you to view what files make up your Flex Project. In the image below you can see that we have several different support files (js, html, and swf files) that are created for you by Flex Builder 2. You can see that we also have an MXML file that has been created for us. This file will likely be your primary file for development.
The Navigator view for the Flex project.
Design View
Design view has to be my favorite part of Flex Builder 2. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m as big of a code monkey as the next guy but who wants to blindly write XML to define a user interface. Design view in Flex Builder 2 feels a lot like Microsoft Visual Studio to me. The screen below shows that you have all your basics: Components, a Properties Panel, our Navigator and the ability to switch back and forth between Design and Source views.
Design View.
Source View.
Adding components to the form (Stage area for you Flashers) is simple. Just drag the components out and onto the form as you would using components in the Flash IDE. The Properties panel is awesome – it not only provides you with a means to visually change the selected item in the form but also provides a way to set and view Events assigned to that particular item.
The Properties Panel.
Overall
Overall the Flex Builder 2 has some really nice features including an integrated compiler for exporting your code to SWF and code collapsing. Another amazing feature is the intelligence of the code completion. Those of you writing custom classes will love that Flex Builder will be aware of the methods and properties you have defined.
Though I am not a lover of Flex itself, I think that Flex Builder is a great tool for writing ActionScript. In fact, some people use Flex Builder 2 to do just that and that alone! It still feels a little too much like Eclipse for me. I almost wish they would have built on top of the Dreamweaver engine instead. Overall, I give Flex Builder 2 ½ stars out of 4.
Learn More
You can read more about additional features in Flex Builder 2 by visiting the Flex Builder page on Adobe.com
You can download a trial of Flex Builder 2 here.
Flex Builder is available for purchase and is currently only $249. If you want to add on the charting components Flex Builder 2 will run you $699. Visit the Adobe Store for additional information.
