Inspiring

Answered

Flash pro CS55 vs. Flash Builder 45

Forum|Forum|14 years ago
September 29, 2011
5 replies
2348 views

Dear Adobe Community,

I have been a Flash Pro (AS3) programmer for some time, but since the advent of Adobe Air for Android and iOS this year, I've been seen increasing momentum in the use of Flex and Flash Builder 4.5. For both Adobe moderators/experts as well as community members, what in your opinion and experience, are the advantages of staying with Flash Pro to develop mobile apps vs. using Flash Builder 4.5?

thank you for your advice,

Alex

This topic has been closed for replies.

Correct answer Colin Holgate

I love Flash Pro.

If you want to make something that is more about components and liquid layout designs, that the same app can be quickly published for different screens on web, iOS, Android, and PlayBook, then maybe Flash Builder would be right. Especially if you like more technical IDEs, and most of what you're doing is AS3 package based code.

If you're more about using non-component graphics, animations, and completely freeform ways of working (though you can work with AS3 package approaches if you want), then Flash Pro is still a lot of fun to use.

alexyamaneAuthor

Inspiring

Hi everyone,

Thank you all for your insightful perspectives/comments based on your experiences. While I have been using Flash Pro for years, I'm going to start my next project on Flash Builder and see how it's like. I use Flash Pro for mobile app development, so I don't really use any of the Flash animation related aspects of the tools, other than layout of the UI interface for the mobile app.

with best regards,

Alex

M

mola2alex

Inspiring

With the release of Air 3.0, will Flash Pro get the new enhancements such as captive apps for android or native extension support? I typically develop small apps and Flash Pro has always been good enough but if it will never see some of the latest Air goodness, might impact future decisions. Has anyone heard of plans to update Flash Pro with new publish options and air 3.0? Looking everywhere but can't seem to find any good info. I really hope so, I just bought it in May.

S

springframework

Known Participant

You would definitely 100% want to use Flash Builder for coding your AS3. It has way better code hinting, debugging, refractoring, and probably 30 other abilities that Flash CS doesn't have.

The mobile MXML components actually seem to be running really good for me so far.

Innovatology

Participating Frequently

Flash Pro: use for asset design, small projects, mainly timeline scripting or minor ActionScript classes. In anything but the most trivial of projects you should avoid timeline scripting.

Flash Builder: use for larger projects, as3 classes & frameworks, source control, unit-testing, Flex, MXML. No graphics editor. Much better for ActionScript development.

I tend to mix: I use Flash Pro only to create .FLA files which contain graphic assets and no script. Then I embed the FLA in a Flash Builder project and use those assets.

Colin Holgate

Inspiring

What Jon says about using Flash Pro for minor AS classes and also avoiding timeline scripting isn't correct. I mean, it is correct if you are of a mindset that is more on the lines of Eclipse code editing, but there are other ways of working with Flash. It is possible to have very complex AS projects, and also it's possible to do impressively complex things with only timeline code. You can even do that in organized ways!

My general approach is that if I have to work with colleagues, or it's a job requirement to work with classes (like, there's going to be a code review by the client), or I am reusing a previous project's classes, then I'll do it as external packages. If I have to do something really quickly, or if it's a proof of concept, I'll do timeline code. Sometimes I will completely work out a technique using timeline code, and then incorporate the code into a class file to use with the main project.

I made the "select your own seat" application for Carnegie Hall site, almost entirely with timeline code (there is one place where I needed to share some code amongst nine FLAs, so for that I used #include of an external non-class AS file). I also made the MiXit apps on cartoonnetwork.com, and it has around 50 external AS class files, but also quite a bit of timeline layout and animation.

I just like how Flash Pro lets you work with graphical things and the code that drives them, all in one environment.

V

VoodooBurger

Known Participant

I have been asking myself the same question lately.

Ever since Apple opened the doors for apps made in Flash, i have been experimenting with small apps made with Flash Pro.

More and more features have been added with each release of AIR and by now i have lose count of what we can actually do with Flash when it comes to apps.

@Colin: I agree with your angle on Flash Builder beeing more for the code-heavy apps, but is there any features you can't take advantage of developing in Flash Pro?

Colin Holgate

Inspiring

If you have to use Flex components for some reason, then that might rule out Flash Pro. Also, as far as I know you can't easily develop for PlayBook in Flash Pro, you would have to use Flash Builder. At one time you could use the command line to do the build, using a Flash Pro swf, but I think that broke long ago.

Colin HolgateCorrect answer

Inspiring

I love Flash Pro.

If you want to make something that is more about components and liquid layout designs, that the same app can be quickly published for different screens on web, iOS, Android, and PlayBook, then maybe Flash Builder would be right. Especially if you like more technical IDEs, and most of what you're doing is AS3 package based code.

If you're more about using non-component graphics, animations, and completely freeform ways of working (though you can work with AS3 package approaches if you want), then Flash Pro is still a lot of fun to use.

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