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Flash Builder Burrito

Posted On May 7, 2012 by Sneha Latha filed under Miscellaneous

Flash builder release made a revolution on net that development of the web application simpler and creating a fantastic user interface has become easier than ever before. It has integrated their web development languages like Flex, action script and MXML into a single environment. Flash known for the grand feature of cross platform support that it can run at almost any OS and browsers, adding to which to support the mobiles platforms too, they have developed the Flash Lite Player which made the flash to run on mobile too.

Now days, Mobile application market are expecting a great futures and having good growth rate and new mobile app stores are being started. So for the application that we develop can have good scope over the application stores if the idea we have is greatly welcomed over the public or it help to solve the everyday problem of the smart phones holders.

Smart phones are at scenery to love the androids and people started to find irresistible to them since lot of supports and application available on net as well as open source matters too. Smart phones prices started to fit every one pockets too, Micromax released the android for 6k and Samsung have the androids for 10k. Now even middle class people can have their dream to go for the androids.

Considering these advantageous factors, adobe added additional features and new scopes to the flash builder by their new release. They have taken another leap step by bringing next release of Flash builder code named “Burrito” and Flex development package with code name “Hero”. They both are targeted for the mobile platforms. They have aimed at providing the developers excellent user friendly platform for the development of mobile applications. Now let’s take a look out into what are newly added to the latest release of Flash Builder.

New @ Flash Builder Environment:

Mobile Projects (Flex / Action Script)

They have given the exclusive projection creation for the mobile. That can be done either in the Action script or by the flex. In the flex projects have the two modes Design & Source,  you can use the ready componenets in design view for the faster designing and in action script we have only the coding features  only.

2. Design as per Target Platform

a. At creation of Project

Even at the starting of creation of the new project the mobile platform you planned to work for are asked. Currently in the preview release the Google Android is been supported. However the Air is been supported in iOS it's not specified over this window. It's expected the pre final release of the Flash Builder will have a wide support over the various mobile platforms include BlackBerry Tablet OS.

You can specify that the application need the full screen view or allowing the application to re orient that when the mobile is in vertical position application viewed normally when the mobile is rotated horizontally you design in a manner to fit that orientation of view too.

b. While working with designing of app

When designing the application, you can specify the particular mobile model that you are targeted for. It has a pre defined list of mobile list that have the android at running.

So if the mobile model that you are planned to design for is missing at the list it also simple to add. For example take Micromax A60 it’s a android platform that missing at the list, then just click on the pencil icon on the right and you will get a window in which click on the Add button to add your device. Just give the model specification and click ok to confirm them.

Also as said earlier, for the mobile screen can be viewed horizontally and vertically and you can design the application for the both the views. Mobile usually have accelerometer sensor for detecting such. In the flash builder you can design the application for the both the views. Just it's a click of a button at the top

For the elements to use those limited only Spark components to be used and mx components except the spacer and charts are restricted to use. Practically they are not available in the design. These mobile ready spark components have essential elements include text box, labels, button, Image, Scrollbars, Check box and Option control. The other layout components like groups and spacers available. These are mobile ready components no need for the additional setup just you insert them on the screen and start coding them. They looks are very attractive for the user interface.

For the quick navigation and for ease accessibility features like knowing the application title or particular page title at where we are they have given the action bar at the top. These action bars are usually seen in androids applications.

These holds many purposeful function it holds title and you can add navigation controls and action button at these. In the application you might have different forms that showing the list on the one form and for the detailed view you should need another form. Flash builder term them as different views of the application. Thus allows you to create the multiple views and navigation between can be easily implemented through simple function called "pushView" with that you can add different transition and transfer the objects as input to another view.

While testing the application you can either simulate them at the desktop or it provides the functionality to directly test at the mobile. All you need is to connect the mobile device to the pc and you see the real time running of your application.

Survival in Mobile Interface

We know that processing speed and memory of the smart phones have drastic different from the phones. The Flash Builder Burrito have the coding that specifically designed for mobiles that are less memory consumption and powerful at operations. However if you still doubt on the app you created and interested in knowing the application memory consumption at various operation of it. You run the Profile test on it. By which you know the application memory consumption at various time and peak memory usage by the application too.  Thus taking test like it for your application you prevent your application being terminated for excess memory usage in mobile. 

They also have good integration with the buttons such a Menu button and back button are integrated to easily work with the applications. The back can default switch back to the previous menus.
                Also you can utilize the AIR to get the mobile hardware access like accelerometers to create more rich applications. They have given skins that tend to adjust as per the screen resolution and you can also specify different skin backgrounds for the different screen sizes.    For the touch mobiles, flex give even access to the multi touches and features to understand the touch gestures.

That’s all…?

No, Adobe claims that only the main features are given in the Flash Builder Burrito and the pre final release expected to be with some more features surprises. All we discussed are added features only they added in this version. Have more reading labs.adobe.com for more information’s.

References

http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flashbuilder_burrito/
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flashbuilder/articles/whatsnew-flashbuilder-45.html
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flex/articles/mobile_development_hero_burrito.html
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flex/articles/coding_enhancements_burrito.html
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flex/articles/mobile-development-flex-flashbuilder.html
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flexsdk_hero/samples/
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flex/articles/introducing-flex45sdk.html

About Author:

Parthiban.T is currently doing his BE in Mechanical Engineering at Mepco Schlenk Engineering College, Sivakasi. You can reach him through deepan2k5@gmail.com

 

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