If you haven’t had time to explore the previous public beta releases of Flash Builder 4, you might be wondering what’s new in Flash Builder 4 – even if you have, there are some new additions post beta 2 and maybe some features that you’ve missed.
Our product marketing team have done a great job at summarizing the new features here, but in case you want the detail on every new feature included this version of the product (and there are 70+ new features) I’ve listed them out below, together with links to documentation so that you can learn more.
Working with projects
Convert to server project – converts a non-server Flex project to a server project (using PHP, ColdFusion, BlazeDS, LCDS or .NET)
Convert to AIR project – converts a Flex project targeting Flash Player to an AIR project
Package explorer – provides a hierarchical view of the project, packages, classes, referenced libraries and other assets
Expand compiled assets – introspect classes within a referenced SWC library
HTML wrapper – wrapper code for Flex application uses SWFObject
MX-only workflow – take advantage of Flex 4 language features and compiler, without using the Spark component set
FXP export – save a Flex project as an FXP file
>> More information on working with projects can be found in the Flash Builder documentation.
Code editing
Updated content assist – code hinting/completion for all Flex 4 language features, classes and components
Generate getter/setter – replace an existing public variable definition with private variable and public getter and setter
Generate event handler – create an event handler function for an event on a component
Generate service call – generate a method for calling an operation for a defined service
File template support – edit default templates for MXML, ActionScript and CSS files
ASDoc content display – hover over code or use code hinting to display ASDoc information
ASDoc panel –select code to display information in ASDoc panel
States code visibility – de-emphasize code that is not applicable to the current state
Move refactoring – move multiple classes and packages within a project
Rename refactoring – rename classes and packages within a project
Indent code – correct indentation on selected code (with preferences to control indentation style)
Content assist proposal cycling – refine hints shown for code completion, select from: All, Properties, Events, Effects, Styles
Content assist camel case – type camel case characters to view matching properties (e.g. ADG for Advanced Data Grid)
View call hierarchy – display all the callers of a selected function, variable, class, or interface identifier
Organize imports – alphabetically sort import statements for required classes
Override indicators – icon in the gutter bar in code view indicates which methods are overridden
Indent on code paste – code pasted into an existing class or MXML document is automatically indented
Code folding – expand/collapse blocks of ActionScript code
>> More information on code editing features can be found in the Flash Builder documentation.
Profiler
Show N Paths to GCRoot – Expand a path to an instance of an object to view whether there is a back-reference to GC Root
>> More information on the profiler can be found in the Flash Builder documentation.
Debugger improvements
Expression evaluations – inspect and modify code expressions that are evaluated whenever debugging is selected
Run to line debug – command to break out of a loop during a debugging session
Conditional breakpoints – specify conditions for breakpoints to stop the debugger from executing when specific conditions are met
Watchpoints – halt execution when the watched variable changes value
>> More information on debugging can be found in the Flash Builder documentation.
Testing
Unit testing – generate and edit repeatable FlexUnit tests that can be run from scripts or directly within Flash Builder
Automation support for Spark components
Automation support for Adobe AIR applications
>> More information on unit testing can be found in the Flash Builder documentation.
>> More information on testing and automation can be found in the Flex 4 documentation.
Connect to data
Services explorer – view, edit and use service operations and data types
Services wizard – generate client-side data model and service operations for data services
Service generation from database – generate sample server-side CRUD code based on database tables
Service introspection – support for the following data services:
- XML (local)
- Web Services
- BlazeDS
- LCDS
- PHP
- ColdFusion
- HTTP
Network monitor – examine the data that flows between an application and a data service, as well as XML, AMF, and JSON data, which are sent using SOAP, AMF, HTTP, and HTTPS protocols
Service operation testing – call service operations, pass parameters and inspect returned data
Authentication for services – support for service operations that require authentication
Data management – generate code that enables synchronization of updates to data on the server from the client application
Data paging – generate code that supports incremental fetching of data from the server based on user interaction
Bind data to controls – drag and drop configuration of service operations to UI components in design view
>> More information on accessing data with Flex can be found in the Flash Builder documentation.
UI development
Theme selector – browse and apply graphical and CSS-based themes to a Flex application
Appearance panel – make changes to application-wide styles using the property inspector panel
Configure data grid columns – visually configure columns and column properties
Form generation – create user interface form layouts based upon a data model
Details form generation – create master/detail form layouts based upon a data model
Chart generation – create data-bound charting controls from service operations
Design view render graphics tags, spark skins – high-fidelity preview of user interface within design view, with full support for Flash Catalyst projects
Create/Edit component skin – generate template skins, copy existing skin or edit skin for a Spark component
Create/Edit Item renderer – generate template item renderer or edit item renderer for Spark-based components and MX tree, datagrid and advanced datagrid components
Layout control – adjust properties for Flex 4 layouts using the property inspector panel
>> More information on building a user interface can be found in the Flash Builder documentation.
Designer/developer workflow
FXP import – import existing Flex projects or projects from (the upcoming version of) Flash Catalyst into a new or existing Flex project
FXPL import into existing project – import component skin libraries from (the upcoming version of) Flash Catalyst
Fix Catalyst font embeds – fixes references to locally installed fonts that are not available in the same location
Flash Professional project support – create projects linked to an FLA, launch/test/publish in (the upcoming version of) Flash Professional from Flash Builder
Flash Professional component launch and edit – insert FLA-based component in design view and roundtrip with (the upcoming version of ) Flash Professional to edit/update
Theme import – import packaged theme assets for use with theme browser feature
>> More information on working with projects can be found in the Flash Builder documentation.
Deployment
Command line builds – synchronize individual build settings with a nightly build environment
>> More information on using command line builds can be found in the Flash Builder documentation.
Documentation
Community-based Help – find help content from both Adobe-authored documentation and community resources. Comment upon and rate content within the help client.
Updated documentation – Flash Builder 4 & Flex 4 books
New documentation – Accessing data with Flex 4 book and Flex migration guide
New online materials – TestDrive and Flex 4 in a Week
Phew… as I think you’ll agree, that’s quite a list 🙂
If you haven’t yet tried out Flash Builder 4, you can download a 60 day trial version from here.
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