A ‘Flash’ of Freshness : Repurposing Existing Flash Content for Use in Mobile Development

A ‘Flash’ of Freshness: Repurposing Existing Flash Content for Use in Mobile Development

A ‘Flash’ of Freshness: Repurposing Existing Flash Content

for Use in Mobile Development


Agenda• Introductions• Objective• What we are not going to cover• Basic reusability - Example #1• Advanced reusability - Example #1• Advanced reusability - Example #2 • Applying previous examples to mobile• Creating an IPad app• Questions


Introductions• Mike Raines– eLearning & Web Developer

for ICF International– Flash, ActionScript, HTML,

JavaScript experience

[email protected]

@elearnDevGeek

mailto:[email protected]


Objectives• How to repurpose existing Flash content for use in mobile

development• Techniques for maximizing reusability in your Flash projects


What we are not going to cover• Developer Certificates• Provisioning Profiles• Final packaging for app stores


Visual Aids

• ActionScript• Flash• FlashBuilder• Dreamweaver• XML


What do I mean by ‘Reusability’?• Develop once, use many times


Basic Reusability

• Simple MovieClip• No ActionScript in

MovieClip


Basic reusability

• Add ActionScript elsewhere– Main timeline– Another MovieClip


Advanced reusability


Example #1: Flash / XML banner• Creating a class• What is a class?– Basic set of instructions– Not reinventing the wheel– Building on what has come before


Example #1: Flash / XML banner• Why Build a class?• Reuse• Make it’s purpose very specific


Example #1: Flash / XML Banner• Why use XML?– Specific != boring– Expand reusability


Example #2 Flash / XML interactions• Same concept – more complexity


That’s great but how does this apply to mobile?


Applying previous examples to mobile via FlashBuilder & AIR

• Loading a SWF at runtime• Embedding a SWF• Importing SWC library


Loading a basic SWF• Loaded SWF’s offer more flexibility– Loaded SWF’s can be “defined” at runtime via user

action or external data (XML, JSON)• Loaded SWF’s CANNOT contain ActionScript*


Embedding a basic SWF• Embedded SWF’s are hard coded into your

app– Embedded SWF’s are compiled during the build

process• Embedded SWF’s CAN contain code


SWC explained“An Adobe SWC file is a package of precompiled Flash symbols and ActionScript code that allows a Flash or Flex developer to distribute classes and assets, or to avoid recompiling symbols and code that will not change.[1] SWC files can be generated by the Flash authoring tool, and by Flex. They are sometimes referred to as class libraries and cannot be directly executed by the Flash Player.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_SWC_file

http://http:/en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_SWC_file





Exporting SWC from Flash


Importing SWC into FlashBuilder


Do I need a SWC for each SWF?• Yes!• No!• Maybe?


Some assembly required• Existing Flash pieces will need modification– Paths– Strict ActionScript code– File types


Creating an IPad app


Creating a project with FlashBuilder • You have some options


Creating an IPad app: steps• Name• Build Paths• SDK


Creating an IPad app: steps• Platform• Basic app settings


Creating an IPad app: steps• Target device


Creating an IPad app: steps• Library path– Assets– Classes


Creating an IPad App: steps• Library path– Flex SDK– SWCs


Creating an IPad app: steps• Certificate• Provisioning

Profile


Creating an IPad app: steps• Package

contents


Creating an IPad app: starting files

Main.as

Main-app.xml


Contact UseLearnDevTech blog: http://elearndevtech.blogspot.com

Twitter :@ICFI , @elearnDevGeek,@gardelearndev, @mas_edev

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A ‘Flash’ of Freshness : Repurposing Existing Flash Content for Use in Mobile Development