Blue Flex

Do you frequently use simple actionscript functions in more than one project. Perhaps you’ve got a function to do tracking, parse strings to dates, or return a random colour etc.

I’m sure most folk will have struggled to think of what project they last used a generic function ABC in as they could do with using it for project XYZ and would rather spend 30 mins searching for said function rather than rewrite it.

Well as explained below is a way to stop this from happening and hopefully save you a heap of time.

• Step 1

  – Create a library project.

• So using flexbuilder, go to File->New->Flex Library Project.
• This will create an empty library project.

• Step 2

  – add in your Utilty class to the library project.

• To do this add/create a Utility actionscript file that contains your static functions. Save, and this should then automaticlaly create a SWC file inside the library bin folder. (If it hasn’t and the file added has no errors then check the project properties to make sure the newly added file is being included – see pic)

• Step 3

  – add the reference of the newly created SWC file to any project you intend to use it in.

• So go to your project you wish to use the SWC with, then select the projects properties and inside ‘Flex build path’ select ‘Add SWC’.
• Browse to the the previous library project and select the SWC from its bin folder.

You are now done, any time you update the code in the library project, those changes will be reflected in any project that references the SWC file automatically.