For pure AS3 development do we still need to overlay the FLEX SDK?

Report · Aug 09, 2013

Hi Guys

I've found this whole SDK overlay business a mess and very confusing. I've found this document

http://www.adobe.com/devnet/air/articles/ane-android-devices.html

which states

"The distribution of the AIR SDK with ASC 2.0 is for pure ActionScript development only. It should not be combined with an existing Flex SDK.

To support Flex application development with newer versions of the AIR SDK, an AIR SDK overlay distribution that does not include ASC 2.0 needs to be overlaid over the Flex SDK bundled with Flash Builder 4.7."

So if we are doing pure AS3 development there is no longer any need to do any 'overlaying' of one SDK Folder onto another. We just need to get the latest AIR SDK with complier ( http://www.adobe.com/devnet/air/air-sdk-download.html )

We should then update the AIR SDK if using Flash Builder via ( http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-builder/kb/overlay-air-sdk-flash-builder. html ) (Note it still uses the term 'overlay' but you are not really overlaying but replacing).

Is this conclusion correct. Do we just need the SDK with the new compilier and nothing else ?

Can someone from Adobe confirm please ?

Thanks

PS - I've asked this question on the Flash Builder Forom but there's been no response.

Report · Aug 09, 2013

Yes, that's correct, for pure AS3 development you need not use the Flex SDK overlay. For this you should use asc2 compiler available at http://www.adobe.com/devnet/air/air-sdk-download.html . Also below are step to overlay your AIR SDK with Flash builder 4.7

1. Exit Flash Builder.

2. Back up the AIR SDK availabe at Application/FB4.7/eclipse/plugins/com.adobe.flash.compiler_4.7.0.349722/ by copying the entire directory and rename it to something AIRSDKversion. Now, you have two folder AIRSDK(default one) and AIRSDKversion(copied one).

3. Download the appropriate AIR SDK file for your operating system e.g. http://www.adobe.com/devnet/air/air-sdk-download.html unzip and save it on your MAC OS X.

4. On Terminal, run the below command

sudo ditto /path/air3-8_sdk_sa_mac /Applications/Adobe\ Flash\ Builder\ 4.7/eclipse/plugins/com.adobe.flash.compiler_4.7.0.349722/AIRSDK

/path/air3-8_sdk_sa_mac -> path where you downloaded the AIR SDK

/Applications/Adobe\ Flash\ Builder\ 4.7/eclipse/plugins/com.adobe.flash.compiler_4.7.0.349722/AIRSDK -> path where you overlay the new AIR SDK

5. (Optional) To access the new AIR 3.8 APIs, update your application descriptor file to the 3.8 namespace.

To update the namespace, change the xmlns attribute in your application descriptor to: <application xmlns="http://ns.adobe.com/air/application/3.8">

6. (Optional) To ensure that the output SWF file targets SWF version 21, pass an additional compiler argument: -swf-version=21.

Hope this will help.

Regards,

Nimit

Report · Aug 14, 2013

Hi Nimit

Thanks for the clarification but I've just found that compiles failed when using mxmlc on the command line with just the combined AIRSDK with ASC 2.0 (V3.7.0.2090). When I used AIR SDK 3.7.0.2090 overlaid over the FLex SDK 3.4 which is supplied with Flash builder 4.7 everything works OK.

Its possible things have changed with AIR SDK v3.8 but can you clarify what is required for command line build just using mxmlc (I.e. no Flash Builder installation).

Thanks