beta

From Web to Desktop

Alessandro Crugnola actionscript , , , , , ,

Yesterday Screenweaver HX was announced as part of the haxe framework.
With SWHX, you create an application by using two layers :

  • the System layer : written in haXe and using the Neko API, you can access the local filesystem, databases, network sockets… You can also easily extend its capabilities by writing your own DLL.
  • the Flash layer : written in haXe or any other technology capable of producing SWF, you can use this layer to display the graphical interface, handle user interactions, play sound and video…

Unfortunately I’m trying to install haxe/swhx on my Windows Vista but I’m not lucky at the moment 🙁

The second project is directly from Adobe labs, called Apollo (flash, html, and pdf together), and currently it’s only a long description of what it can do and a list of F.A.Q., but Adobe says it will be pre-released on Adobe labs in the second half of 2006..

I’ve also found a diagram which display makeup of an Apollo application.

Apollo is the code name for a cross-operating system runtime being developed by Adobe that allows developers to leverage their existing web development skills (Flash, Flex, HTML, JavaScript, Ajax) to build and deploy Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) to the desktop.

Flex2 crazyness

Alessandro Crugnola flex , , , ,

After the interesting actionscript.it conference I decided to give more of my free time to Flex2 and expecially to components creation.
I must admit that ActionScript 3.0 documentation is probably the best documentation I ever seen about flash, but I can’t say the same thing about Flex developement.
Once I had to look for advanced features of Flex components, advanced compiler options etc.. I began to slam against a wall. The developer compoents guide is incomplete and does not cover all the aspects and it has some errors probably due to incorrect revision after the beta program.
So I had to search in the livedocs, but here there are missing links (many links still point to the beta version and they’ve benn removed) and the informations are spread in completely different pages…

Anyway, this is my first test with Flex2 components.. I just made a porting of my color picker as2 component.. that’s because the builtin flex2 picker is too poor.

The problem with the compiled SWC file is that Flex displays also all the other classes used in the component as they are different UI components and I didn’t find anywhere how to compile with compc an swc file which exposes just the UIComponent I want. The documentation says about “-include-component” compiler option, but it’s an error because the compiler does not allow that option!
This is the script I’m using for compiling it:
compc -source-path="." -namespace http://www.sephiroth.it/2006/mxml mxml-manifest.xml -if assets.swf images\assets.swf -if CPicker.png CPicker.png -include-namespaces http://www.sephiroth.it/2006/mxml -output "C:\Program Files\Adobe\Flex Builder 2\Flex SDK 2\frameworks\libs\sephiroth\CPicker.swc"

http://labs.sephiroth.it/flex_colorpicker/

Flash 9 Preview & Flex 2

Alessandro Crugnola flex , , , ,

On Adobe Labs (http://labs.adobe.com) it’s finally available a preview version of Flash 9. described as “A preview of the next release of the Flash authoring tool, scheduled for release in 2007, extends the capabilities of Flash Professional 8 to include support for the new ActionScript 3.0 language in Flash Player 9.”

To download the preview it’s necessary an Adobe account (you can create one, it’s free) while the installation needs a licensed copy of Flash Professional 8 or Studio 8, because a serial number will be asked during the software setup.
Finally, after Flex 2 Betas, we’ll try also the new Flash IDE!

By the way, Flex 2 seems available at http://www.adobe.com/products/flex/ !
As promised the Flex 2 SDK is available for free:
Download Flex 2 SDK

Windows Vista public beta 2

Alessandro Crugnola general , ,

I noticed today that Microsoft published public beta 2 of Windows Vista
I agree with the contract, select the download method (wow, 3.5 Gb!!), and select the location…
… and I got this error:

We are currently experiencing a high level of demand and cannot process your request at this time.

Has been someone able to get the beta?
I’m really interested in the new Windows 🙂
P.S. I saw also that Office 2007 beta is available for mere mortals 🙂
Windows Vista public beta 2
Office 2007 preview

AS3 SoundMixer, my turn

Alessandro Crugnola actionscript , , , , , ,

It seems everybody did a test with the ActionScript3 SoundMixer class 🙂
How many of you still remember the days of FlashKit spectrum analyzer?
It seems so long time ago when we had to find a way for extract spectrum informations from mp3 files..
Btw, now it’s my turn with a little experiment
Flash player 9 beta 3 is required
[kml_flashembed publishmethod=”static” fversion=”10.0.22″ movie=”http://blog.sephiroth.it/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/sound_mixer2.swf” width=”350″ height=”200″ targetclass=”flashmovie” fvars=”mp3=http://blog.sephiroth.it/wp-content/uploads/2006/05/song.mp3″]

Get Adobe Flash player

[/kml_flashembed]

P.S. The song is from Epica:
album: Consign to Oblivion album
track: Huban K’u “A new Age Dawns – prologue”

[attachments docid=773 force_saveas=”1″ logged_users=”0″]

Open Source ActionScript 3 Libraries Updated

Alessandro Crugnola actionscript , , , , , , , , ,

Macromedia (ops.. Adobe) has just released a new beta version (3rd beta) of Flex, Flex Charting Components, Flex Data Service Components and Flash Player 9 (was 8.5).
In addition to new beta builds the open source ActionScript 3 libraries have been updated too.
These libraries include a number of changes:
* Updated to work with beta 3
* Some API renaming (mostly in corelibs : com.adobe.utils)
* Removed some redundant APIs (mostly in com.adobe.utils)
* Fixed bug where events where not being documented in docs
Libraries available are:
* corelib
* FlexUnit
* Flickr
* Mappr
* RSS and Atom libraries
* Odeo
* YouTube
also available for download via SVN using:

svn checkout http://labs.adobe.com/subversion/flashplatform/

For more informations see adobe labs
http://labs.adobe.com/svn/flashplatform/?/projects/

IE’s ActiveX D-Day

Alessandro Crugnola general ,

As Microsoft announced time ago, the next generation of Internet Explorer will change the way the browser handles ActiveX controls with a significant impact on how online advertising and streaming media content is delivered over the Internet.
The software maker plans to give Web developers an extra 60 days to continue making preparations.
The big push now is for developers to recode Web sites and Web applications to cater for the browser update. If not, users won’t be able to directly interact with Microsoft ActiveX controls loaded by the APPLET, EMBED or OBJECT elements without first activating the user interface with an extra mouse click.
Get the Internet Explorer 7 beta preview


http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1943847,00.asp

Microsoft Internet Explorer 7 to public

Alessandro Crugnola general , ,

Microsoft has just released Internet Explorer 7 beta for the public.
For Firefox and Opera users its new features are very familiar, such as the tabbed browsing, quick tabs (a very handly plugin I use in Firefox and which lets to see thumbinails of all the opened borwser pages), zoom and the quick search box…
For the full feature list please read more on Microsoft site: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie7/featuretable.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/ie7/default.mspx