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Latest Apache Flex News (June 2012)

Categories: Flex; Tagged with: Apache Flex • Flex; @ June 23rd, 2012 13:35

Apache Flex is an application framework for easily building Flash-based applications for mobile devices, the browser and desktop. Summary: A large community is losing momentum as it waits for Adobe to complete the source code transition and infrastructure.

Here are the latest flex news from Apache Flex:

The Apache Flex Project has received the entire Flex Framework. This includes all components that were completed in Adobe’s 4.6.0 release and a few others. Essentially if you take the existing compiler to the frameworks code, you would get what amounts to the current Adobe release.
The automation framework that was a part of the Adobe Flex 4.6.0 framework is close to being donated, but has not been signed off yet. We expect this in the coming weeks.
The Apache Flex Project has received the “mxmlc Flex Compiler”. This means we can now make changes to the existing compiler that shipped with Adobe’s 4.6.0. This will allow us to make bug-fixes and small optimizations while we wait for the new “Falcon” compiler.
The testing framework that Adobe used known as Mustela has been donated. This will allow us to make changes to the compiler and framework while still maintaining compatibility with the previous versions. There are a series of tests that still need to be written, but at least the framework is there.
The Apache Flex team has created a set of build scripts so that anybody can easily build their own copy of the framework. Apache ANT scripts will be officially supported, but other developers have offered to make build scripts for Maven.
Pre-compiled builds have been created and posted. They are not the ‘official’ 4.8.0 version yet, but they are getting close. You can download them and put them in your Flash Builder or IntelliJ SDKs directory and see how they look with your existing projects today. This is a parity release to the current Adobe 4.6.0 release.
Apache committers have begun donating various components to the framework, including an FXGImage component, some collections classes, some major work around validation, busy indicators for non-mobile components, and some navigators. These components have not been integrated into the trunk (the main project), but you should expect to see some of them in the future.
Lots of work is happening around localization and internationalization. A bunch of new locales have been submitted with more on the way.
A team has formed to build what amounts to an automated installer for Apache Flex SDK. This is an AIR application that will allow a user to do a single-click install of the SDK, and integrate it into Flash Builder 4.6.0 (and possibly other IDEs).
Check-in tests and the button tests for Mustella are up and working. Jenkins Continuous Integration is up and running as well.

http://incubator.apache.org/flex/index.html

Apache Flex: MXML or ActionScript ?

Categories: Flex; Tagged with: ApacheFlex • Flex; @ April 22nd, 2012 21:59

Deciding to create components in MXML or ActionScript

One of the first decisions that you must make when creating custom components is deciding whether to write
them in MXML or in ActionScript. Ultimately, it is the requirements of your application that determine how you
develop your custom component.
Some basic guidelines include the following:

•MXML components and ActionScript components both define new ActionScript classes.
•Almost anything that you can do in a custom ActionScript custom component, you can also do in a custom MXML component. However, for simple components, such as components that modify the behavior of an existing component or add a basic feature to an existing component, it is simpler and faster to create them in MXML.
•When your new component is a composite component that contains other components, and you can express the positions and sizes of those other components using one of the Flex layout containers, you should use MXML to define your component.
•To modify the behavior of the component, such as the way a container lays out its children, use ActionScript.
•To create a visual component by creating a subclass from UIComponent, use ActionScript.
•To create a nonvisual component, such as a formatter, validator, or effect, use ActionScript.
•To add logging support to your control, use ActionScript. For more information, see “Logging” on page 227 in Building and Deploying Adobe Flex 3 Applications.

Flex3 官方文档中如上释疑. 2010年我参加Flex Developer Day时, 有开发者提问国内是否有大型企业应用实例? 未得到正面回答. 倒是群硕的团队还上台张扬了一把, 他们的项目大约是奥运时CCTV直播网站.

其实即便国内有大型的企业应用, 也不一定能获得足够价值的经验.

07年底开始做的教育应用, 大致有120W行代码, 其中有60%+的为AS代码, 除了入口文件及部分复杂UI使用MXML之外, 清一色都是AS代码, 所有的UI都小心谨慎的创建, 销毁. 在10年的DevDay时, 坐在我旁边的某研发他们也是纯AS.

几年过去了, Flex贡献给了Apache, Flex也已经4.6了, 接触的代码多了, 习惯了清纯的AS代码, 当满篇都是MXML标签时, 我不淡定了.

思想斗争良久, 到底孰优孰劣? 在多数common的情况下, 几乎不分上下. 我觉得AS代码更优雅更易读, 可人家说了: 我们可以Design, 不用代码, 一眼就看出来了…:(

如上View, 假如我们只用MXML或只用AS来实现, 似乎看不出明显差异来, 其实相比选择编程方式, 可能对组件/Class的划分可能更加重要.

不论用MXML还是AS, Class设计好更加关键:

1.1.1 可以设计成一个Common的组件;

1.1 可以作为一个组合的UserList

2.1/2.2 作为显示用户基本信息的组件;

这样划分, 不论MXML还是AS都可以很好的降低耦合, 更可重用, 但不论如何, 我还是喜欢干净的AS代码.

HTML5 学习笔记: localStorage/sessionStorage

Categories: FrontEnd • HTML5; Tagged with: HTML5 • localStorage • sessionStorage • WebStorage; @ March 17th, 2012 19:17

HTML5新增的功能之一: 本地存储. 类似于Flex 的SharedObject.


localStorage.userName = data;  // Save data
var lastName = localStorage.userName; // Get data from local sotrage

>>Demo及代码<<

ref: http://www.w3schools.com/html5/html5_webstorage.asp

Install Subversion for Eclipse Indigo3.7/Helios3.6/Galileo3.5 Eclipse安装Subversion插件

Categories: Flex • Java; Tagged with: Eclipse • Subversion • SVN; @ March 17th, 2012 16:02

Subversive installation instructions

http://www.eclipse.org/subversive/documentation/gettingStarted/aboutSubversive/install.php

Update sites:

Indigo 3.7

Update Site is a part of Indigo Update Site. Look at Help > Install New Software… > select Indigo – http://download.eclipse.org/releases/indigo > Collaboration Tools

Helios 3.6

Update Site is a part of Helios Update Site. Look at Help > Install New Software… > select Helios – http://download.eclipse.org/releases/helios > Collaboration Tools

Galileo 3.5

Try: http://download.eclipse.org/releases/galileo> Collaboration Tools

Or: http://subclipse.tigris.org/update_1.6.x

more info: http://www.eclipse.org/subversive/downloads.php

一点关于Flex的牢骚

Categories: Flex; Tagged with: Apache Flex; @ March 9th, 2012 23:16

2月份Adobe有发布3个flash平台下的白皮书: http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flashplatform/whitepapers.html

之前有看到微博上转来转去的flash runtime白皮书. 我没有太多兴趣参与他们的讨论, 也只是今天才有空扫了两眼”Adobe’s view of Flex and its commitments to Flex in the future”

07年底开始接触使用Flex, 08年开始做项目, 掐指一算, 四五年过去了. 记得最开始看的一本书是打印出来的<< Programming Flex 2: The Comprehensive Guide to Creating Rich Internet Applications with Adobe Flex>> 光阴似箭, 由2及3, 直到如今的4.6;

上个月公司采购了一批FlashBuilder4.6的授权, 相比4.0, 4.6需要更高的配置, 无奈之下, 我们纷纷转回4.0. 其实从4.0开始, 我就一直不断的抱怨, 甚至有很多次对着电脑骂娘, 但是这都无济于事, 骂娘也得继续用它.

Flex的build效率也不敢恭维, 平日工作里, 我们需要暂定若干个一分钟来等待一个小module的编译.

大多时候, 我觉得Flex是个不错的框架, 不论对于企业级应用还是面向消费者的软件都是不错的选择. 虽然Flex有很多不足之处, 但并不能掩盖其在RIA领域的地位. Flex贡献给Apache后, 有很多人开始摇摆不定, 但我并不觉得HTML5能在企业应用领域盖得过Flex.

我对Flex的社区, 尤其是中文社区, 从来都没有丝毫的归属感. 太多的游戏, flash, 很少很少看到有人讨论企业级应用. 多数的活动都与我无关. 微博上的帖子也是flash, 3D, gaming. 似乎Flex正在远去, 大家更喜欢用flash这个词语. 很多猎头向我抱怨, 为什么懂Flex的人这么难找? 于此对应的是, 去年有一个国内AS大站的’运营’联系我, 要给我介绍一个Flex的工作: 公司是一家房地产公司. 可能是做3D效果.对于这样的机会, 我只能一笑而过.

春天正在北上, 我继续一笑而过.

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