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RegExp

The gskinner has released a new version of regular expression 3.0b.  The new version will likely be a desktop application. The most significant features added are ablility to save your patterns locally, share the patterns. 

http://www.gskinner.com/blog/archives/2009/05/regexr_03b_rele.html

May 28, 2009 Posted by Saran | AS3, Open Source | | No Comments Yet

Top Ten Flex Tools and Resources

When developing Flex and/or AIR applications there are a handful of tools that really make the difference between a good project and a great project. They are all very valuable and provide stability and clarity for the RIA development process; or at least they have for me. From Unit Testing to SVN utilities to frameworks and libraries I’ve found the following ten items to be very useful and helpful. I’d even go so far as to say these are critical for quality Flex RIA development; but as Les says: “It’s just a matter of opinion.”

Cairngorm
Cairngorm is the lightweight micro-architecture for Rich Internet Applications built in Flex or AIR. A collaboration of recognized design patterns, Cairngorm exemplifies and encourages best-practices for RIA development advocated by Adobe Consulting, encourages best-practice leverage of the underlying Flex framework, while making it easier for medium to large teams of software engineers deliver medium to large scale, mission-critical Rich Internet Applications.
http://opensource.adobe.com/wiki/display/cairngorm/Cairngorm
Download: http://download.macromedia.com/pub/opensource/cairngorm/cairngorm2_2_1-bin.zip


Flex Unit
FlexUnit is a unit testing framework for Flex and ActionScript 3.0 applications and libraries. It mimics the functionality of JUnit, a Java unit testing framework, and comes with a graphical test runner.
http://opensource.adobe.com/wiki/display/flexunit/FlexUnit
Download: http://download.macromedia.com/pub/opensource/flexunit/flexunit0_9.zip


Subclipse
Subclipse is an Eclipse Team Provider plug-in providing support for Subversion within the Eclipse IDE. The software is released under the Eclipse Public License (EPL) 1.0 open source license.
http://subclipse.tigris.org/
Eclipse update site URL: http://subclipse.tigris.org/update_1.6.x


Eclipse
Eclipse is a multi-language software development platform comprising an IDE and a plug-in system to extend it. It is written primarily in Java and is used to develop applications in this language and, by means of the various plug-ins, in other languages as well – C, C++, COBOL, Python, Perl, PHP and more.
http://www.eclipse.org
Download: http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/


ASDoc
ASDoc is a command-line tool that you can use to create API language reference documentation as HTML pages from the classes in your Adobe® Flex® application. The Adobe Flex team uses the ASDoc tool to generate the Adobe Flex Language Reference.
http://livedocs.adobe.com/flex/3/html/help.html?content=asdoc_1.html


Flex Ant Tasks
The Adobe® Flex® Ant tasks provide a convenient way to build your Flex projects using an industry-standard build management tool. If you are already using Ant projects to build Flex applications, you can use the Flex Ant tasks to replace your exec or java commands that invoke the mxmlc and compc compilers. If you are not yet using Ant to build your Flex applications, you can take advantage of these custom tasks to quickly and easily set up complex build processes for your Flex applications.
http://livedocs.adobe.com/flex/3/html/help.html?content=anttasks_1.html
Installation: http://livedocs.adobe.com/flex/3/html/help.html?content=anttasks_2.html#224215


Degrafa
Degrafa is a declarative graphics framework open source licensed under MIT.
http://www.degrafa.org
Download: http://www.degrafa.org/code/


as3corelib
The corelib project is an ActionScript 3 Library that contains a number of classes and utilities for working with ActionScript 3. These include classes for MD5 and SHA 1 hashing, Image encoders, and JSON serialization as well as general String, Number and Date APIs.
http://code.google.com/p/as3corelib/
Download: http://as3corelib.googlecode.com/files/as3corelib-.92.1.zip


Flex SDK coding conventions and best practices
Coding standards for writing open-source Flex framework components in ActionScript 3. Adhering to these standards makes the source code look consistent, well-organized, and professional.
http://opensource.adobe.com/wiki/display/flexsdk/Coding+Conventions


Flex Language Reference
The Flex 3.3 Language Reference provides syntax and usage information for every element in the ActionScript™ language. It documents all elements in Adobe® Flash® Player and Adobe® AIR™ that are officially supported by Adobe.
http://livedocs.adobe.com/flex/3/langref/

May 28, 2009 Posted by Saran | Flex, Open Source | | No Comments Yet

List of Really Useful Free Tools For JavaScript Developers

JavaScript has a critical role in modern web development; JavaScript frameworks like jQuery, MooTools, Prototype, etc and other JavaScript libraries have made our lives significantly easy. However with emergence of Rich Internet Applications(RIA) and their rapid adoption, the need to write more powerful, robust and reliable JavaScript is constantly rising.

Whether you are a JavaScript novice or an experienced developer; tools that you use have direct impact on your productivity. Thanks to open source movement, owning great tools doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune; actually you may not even need to spend anything. Here is a list of really useful free tools for JavaScript developers.

Testing

  • JSLint – The JavaScript Verifier
    JSLint takes a JavaScript source and scans it. If it finds a problem, it returns a message describing the problem and an approximate location within the source. The problem is not necessarily a syntax error, although it often is. JSLint looks at some style conventions as well as structural problems. It does not prove that your program is correct. It just provides another set of eyes to help spot problems.
  • JsUnit
    JsUnit is a Unit Testing framework for client-side (in-browser) JavaScript. It is essentially a port of JUnit to JavaScript. Also included is a platform for automating the execution of tests on multiple browsers and multiple machines running different OSs.
  • YUI Test
    YUI Test is a testing framework for browser-based JavaScript solutions. Using YUI Test, you can easily add unit testing to your JavaScript solutions.
  • Obtrusive JavaScript Checker
    Available as a Firefox extension, Greasemonkey user script, as well as a Ubiquity command; Obtrusive JavaScript Checker is a tool to traverse through all elements in a web page, and when it finds a HTML element with inline events (which is bad, JavaScript should be unobtrusive), it highlights it with a red border.
  • Crosscheck
    Crosscheck is an open source testing framework for verifying your in-browser JavaScript. It helps you ensure that your code will run in many different browsers such as Internet Explorer and Firefox, but without needing installations of those browsers.
  • JSLitmus
    JSLitmus is a lightweight tool for creating ad-hoc JavaScript benchmark tests.
  • JavaScriptMVC’s Test Plugin
    Testing library for JavaScriptMVC that provides event simulation, unit testing, Ajax fixtures, and a console.

Debugging

  • Javascript Debug Toolkit
    JavaScript Debug Toolkit is a an eclipse plugin to debug JavaScript cross browser，it can debug JavaScript in IE,Firefox,Safari,Chrome,Opera and even in mobile browser.
  • Firebug
    One of the post popular web developer tool – Firebug is a Firefox add-on that allows you to edit, debug, and monitor CSS, HTML, and JavaScript live in any web page. It provides JavaScript logging and debugging console with useful features such as AJAX requests logging, JavaScript interpreter, DOM explorer and more. You can use Firebug Lite in IE, Opera, and Safari.
  • Venkman
    Venkman provides a powerful JavaScript debugging environment for Gecko-based browsers. The debugger is available as an add-on for Firefox & Mozilla. Venkman is both a graphic and a console debugger. Features such as breakpoint management, call stack inspection, and variable/object inspection are available from the user interface and from console commands, letting you work in the way you are most accustomed to.
  • NitobiBug
    NitobiBug is a browser-based JavaScript object logger and inspection tool – similar to Firebug. NitobiBug runs across different browsers (IE6+, Safari, Opera, Firefox) to provide a consistent and powerful tool for developing rich Ajax applications.
  • DamnIT
    DamnIT is a free service that emails you when a user encounters a JavaScript error in your web page.
  • JS Bin
    JS Bin is an online  web application specifically designed to help JavaScript developers test code snippets within some context, and debug the code collaboratively. JS Bin allows you to online edit and test JavaScript and HTML code. Once you’re done you can save, and send the URL to a peer for review or help.
  • Blackbird
    A lot of JavaScript developers simply use alert() to show various messages in order to debug their code. Blackbird offers a simple way to log messages in JavaScript and an attractive console to view and filter them.

HTTP Monitoring

  • Fiddler
    Fiddler is a Web Debugging Proxy which logs all HTTP(S) traffic between your computer and the Internet. Fiddler allows you to inspect all HTTP(S) traffic, set breakpoints, and “fiddle” with incoming or outgoing data.
  • TamperData
    TamperData is a Firefox extension to track and modify http/https requests. You can use it for security testing of Web based applications and tracking request/responses.
  • Live HTTP Headers
    Allows you to view HTTP headers of a page while browsing. You can use Live HTTP Headers for debugging web application, find out which kind of web server the remote site is using, and see cookies sent by remote site.

Documentation

  • jGrouseDoc
    jGrouseDoc allows generation of API documentation from the comments in the source code. The tool allows you to document all the necessary constructs that you might need – not only functions and variables, but also classes, interfaces, namespaces, packages and others. And it does not matter at all which JavaScript frameworks are being used – you can document your code the way you want it, not the way it is being imposed by a framework or a tool.
  • JSDoc Toolkit
    A documentation generator for JavaScript. Written in JavaScript; it automatically generates template-formatted, multi-page HTML (or XML, JSON, or any other text-based) documentation from commented JavaScript source code.

Compression

  • Online Javascript Compression Tool
    An online JavaScript compressor that allows you to compress your JavaScript files using a few different compression algorithms like JSMin and Packer. Compressed JavaScript files are ideal for production environments since they typically reduce the size of the file by 30-90%.  Most of the filesize reduction is achieved by removing comments and extra whitespace characters that are not needed by web browsers or visitors.
  • Scriptalizer
    An Online tool that combines multiple JavaScript files into one.
  • Dojo ShrinkSafe
    A Java command line utility that allows you to reduce the size, and therefore latency, of JavaScript by browsers. Instead of brittle regular expressions, the Dojo compressor is based on Rhino, a JavaScript engine from the Mozilla project. Being based on a real parse stream, the Dojo compressor can get a better idea for the context of a token (variable name, etc.) than the regular-expression based tools.
  • YUI Compressor
    The YUI Compressor is a JavaScript compressor which, in addition to removing comments and white-spaces, obfuscates local variables using the smallest possible variable name. This obfuscation is safe, even when using constructs such as ‘eval’ or ‘with’ (although the compression is not optimal is those cases) Compared to jsmin, the average savings is around 20%.

Formatting

  • JavaScript Beautifier
    This beautifier can process your messy or compacted JavaScript, making it all neatly and consistently formatted and readable.

Editors & IDE

  • Aptana Studio
    Aptana Studio is a complete web development environment that provides JavaScript code completion and debugging, HTML/CSS/JavaScript code assist, and support for all the leading Ajax libraries. Aptana Studio even provides code assist for any JavaScript in your page – including your own!
  • Komodo Edit
    Komodo Edit is a free – open source editor that provides auto complete, call tips, multi-language file support, syntax coloring, syntax checking, Vi emulation, Emacs key bindings, and more. One of the most useful feature is ability to extend Komodo Edit. You can find numerous extensions useful for JavaScript developers (e.g., JSLint plugin for Komodo, Venkman JavaScript Debugger, etc).
  • Spket IDE
    Spket IDE is powerful toolkit for JavaScript and XML development. The powerful editor for JavaScript, XUL/XBL and Yahoo! Widget development. The JavaScript editor provides features like code completion, syntax highlighting and content outline that helps developers productively create efficient JavaScript code. Spket IDE is free for non-commercial use.

Other Tools

  • Google’s AJAX APIs Playground
    The AJAX API Playground is loaded with samples for Google JavaScript APIs (Maps, Search, Feeds, Calendar, Visualization, Language, Blogger, Libraries and Earth, etc) that you can edit and run to help you explore what Google’s APIs have to offer. There are also save and export features. The save feature allows you to hold onto an edited sample so you can continue working on it later, while export lets you modify a sample and publish the code to a permanent URL.
  • QuirksMode – Compatibility Tables
    Most popular source to check compatibility status of major web browsers for CSS2, CSS3, DOM Core, DOM HTML, DOM CSS, DOM Events and CSS Object Model View.
  • HTML to JavaScript Convertor
    The HTML to JavaScript convertor takes your markup and converts it to a series of document.write() statements that you can use in a block of JavaScript.
  • Glimmer
    Glimmer is a desktop application that allows you to easily create interactive elements on your web pages by harnessing the power of the jQuery library. It allows you to easily create interactive experiences like rotating photo-galleries/mastheads,drop-down navigation, hover effects, or custom animations.
  • jQuery Function Builder
    You can use this tool to quickly build up a collection of functions that will be called when the page has loaded/is ready.
  • JavaScript Regex Generator
    An online tools for creating regular expression

Other Browser Extensions

  • Web Developer Extension For Firefox, Flock & Seamonkey
    The Web Developer extension adds a menu and a toolbar to the browser with various web developer tools including ability to validate your XHTML, find JavaScript/CSS errors, visualize a web page’s structure, testing web forms, change XHTML on-the-fly, inspect HTTP headers information, etc.
  • Opera Dragonfly
    Opera Dragonfly is a cross device, cross platform debugging environment for the Opera browser—debug JavaScript, inspect and edit CSS and the DOM, and view any errors on your mobile or computer.
  • Developer Toolbar For IE6/7
    The Microsoft Internet Explorer Developer Toolbar provides a variety of tools for quickly creating, understanding, and troubleshooting Web pages

Cheat Sheets

May 28, 2009 Posted by Saran | JavaScript | | No Comments Yet

FlashDevelop 3.0.0 RC4 released

The FD 3.0.0 RC4 is released.  In this release they have fixed some bugs and improved performance. 

Download URL:

http://www.flashdevelop.org/downloads/releases/FlashDevelop-3.0.0-RC4.exe

May 27, 2009 Posted by Saran | General, Open Source | | No Comments Yet

Kido’z browser

“KIDO’Z is a pretty nifty Adobe AIR-powered desktop browser app that gives kids a safe and fun environment to play games, watch videos and/or visit pre-approved websites. When you first install the AIR app as a parent, you can configure the age and gender of your offspring as well as your location and preferred language… All content only shows up when a KIDO’Z team member approved the content beforehand, and to add more layers of security all scripts, file downloads, pop-ups and any other attempts that could lead to content which has not been approved, are thoroughly blocked. To use the app, kids won’t need to know how to read or write since obviously the whole UI is quite visual of nature, and very colorful to boot.”

http://kidoz.net/

May 27, 2009 Posted by Saran | AIR, General | | No Comments Yet

Flash CS4 update now available

Adobe Flash® CS4 Professional (10.0.2) addresses a number of performance issues. Some key fixes are:

  • Fixed a performance issues when dragging objects on stage, scrubbing the timeline, or entering symbol edit mode in large AS 2.0 and AS 3.0 files.
  • Fixed a performance issues when opening large files or files with many nested symbols.
  • Fixed a performance issues when working in the library such as scrolling, selecting items in the library, dragging item to stage, or editing symbol from library.

Bugs fixed in this release:

  • AS2 Doc Crashes CS4 when buttons not rendered correctly
  • Auto Format beaks the code if encounters ++ or — with an array inside if statement
  • Clicking through movie clip with large preview takes long to select in the Library in AS 3.0 file
  • Scrubbing and pressing Enter to play timeline is not smooth, slower in AS3 documents
  • W and H of instance incorrect after frame 2 if apply tween to instance with filter
  • 3D tools appear incorrectly to a child movie clip when applying skew and rotation to the parent 2d movie clip.
  • Changing W/H for nested 2d>3d movie clip from PI does not work. After scrubbing the hot text, it snaps back to the original size.
  • Dragging from Library to Stage is slow in some files in CS4
  • Selecting items in the library is slow in CS4
  • Scrolling the library (vertical scroll bar) is slow compared to CS3
  • In a FLA with lots of library items, double clicking a symbol “in the edit mode” hangs Flash on Mac.
  • Library contents explode CS4 memory (CS3 sits at 75M)
  • Performance issue with Stagecore (AS 3.0 fla) – scrubbing, moving, altering objects.
  • Object visibility is compromised when created inside empty groups in AS 3.0 fla files.
  • Double clicking symbol or symbol name in library hangs Flash; library contains a lot of items
  • Text with device font disappears when it is selectable
  • Component parameters don’t work for scenes greater than scene 1
  • Selecting frames with textfields is a lot slower if the Components Inspector panel is opened
  • Empty maskee incorrectly renders mask invisible rather than visible
  • Crash when opening a  fla that uses a font symbol whose name was identical to the Postscript name of the underlying font and the font is missing
  • Optimize a section within a shape leaves gaps in the shape
  • Optimize opening and closing FLA files, frame manipulation for FLAs with many frames
  • Win only: Crash on exit when the text field is in edit mode and clicking X button to quit without save
  • Compiler errors when opening “Air Settings” while adl still running.
  • (screens) timeline playhead can’t scrub and jitters when playing anything that spans frames
  • gotoAndPlay(“framelabel”) compiles differently in CS3 versus CS4
  • Scrubbing the timeline and selecting frames is much slower in CS4 than in CS3
  • Crash when creating a text object on stage when there are corrupted fonts
  • Graphic symbol looping setting changes when apply color effect to instance in PI
  • Files with lots of nested clips suffer from performance issue (file open) in Flash CS4
  • Edit in Place of 2d objects which has 3d movieclips nested inside is not functioning correctly.
  • Edit in place is slow for complex instances in FP10 documents
  • Breaking apart a nested movie clip erases instance name of child movie clip
  • Efficient calculation between keyframes so dragging is faster and generally makes people happier if spans are long and complex.
  • AS3 Components not compiling correctly when using the Component Definition dialog
  • Window Only: Flash crashes when double clicking a fla to open while a current fla is opened with text block selected
  • Can’t interact with Flash because modal dialog is up, but hidden behind the workspace when switching between applications
  • From crash reporter: crash on Mac when double click to enter symbol edit mode (when the black dotted rectangle is drawn)
  • Mac IDE flashes when right-clicking on Library after doing Test Movie
  • Performance is slow after double clicking movie clip to enter edit mode and exit
  • Setting an instance’s width and/or height to 1 makes W and H hot text unusable in the vertical PI.
  • Hot text in the Vertical PI for X, Y, W, H displays only 1 decimal point while edit field displays 2
  • Export image: Dimension values in Export dialog and Vertical PI do not match which is misleading to user.
  • Crash when selecting text field on stage with many fonts on user’s system.
  • Text PI is stuck and some controls on the PI are not drawn with certain fonts on user’s system
  • The JSAPI that allows users to publish FLA files without opening them was inadvertently removed when the Project Panel was deprecated.  fl.publishDocument( flaURI [, publishProfile] ) is added. 
  • “Export classes in frame” behavior is different in CS3 than in CS4
  • Drag and drop large nested symbol from library to stage hangs Flash
  • Dragging from Library to Stage slow on subsequent drag or after scrubbing the timeline
  • Scrubbing and pressing Enter to play timeline is not smooth, slower in AS3 documents
  • W and H of instance incorrect after frame 2 if apply tween to instance with filter
  • Large amounts of text nested in a symbol causes performance problems in non-AS3 documents
  • Playback in authoring is not smooth (playhead skips frames), cannot stop it when hitting enter, eventually hangs and takes long to respond (both AS 2.0 and AS 3.0)
  • Performance Creating Exported Symbol when the classpath contains lots of files and folder
  • Create ease, undo after first edit removes ease
  • Selecting and deselecting raw shape after convert to symbol spikes memory and/or crashes
  • FLA crash on open when fonts loaded
  • Mac only: User input resets to previous setting when attempting to change any value in Vertical PI input area
  • Accessing a Windows SWF after it has been moved or deleted crashes Flash
  • Crashing when re-opening FLA after canceling publish
  • Crash in test movie when running a file with video and filters

May 25, 2009 Posted by Saran | Uncategorized | | No Comments Yet