Everything you want to do is actually pretty easy with JSFL. Get the
API documentation for it on Adobe's site and start digging. You'll be
amazed at everything you can do with it. I've written many tools with
JSFL. Basically, there isn't much you can do in Flash that you can't do
with JSFL.
The secret here is that you don't want to use JSFL only. You make an FLA
to create a swf Panel and use Actionscript to do stuff that's a pain in
the butt to do in JSFL, and you talk back and forth between the two.
For instance, parsing XML in JSFL sucks. But it's easy to do in Flash.
So you have Flash ask JSFL to open a dialog to find your XML, pass the
path to the XML to Flash, Flash loads and parses the XML and passes the
pieces of data to subroutines in JSFL.
There are no shortcuts when it comes to learning JSFL. You simply have
to read the API documentation and play around with the methods.
Luckily, it's a searchable PDF and the documentation is well organized.
I try to avoid complex MMExecute commands as much as I can. Jesse
Warden wrote an MMExecute wrapper method awhile back. If you search for
JesterXL JSFL you might find it. I use Actionscript for what it does
best and pass stuff back to JSFL to do what it does best. I don't try
to run complex JSFL in Actionscript using MMExecute. It's too prone to
error and the debugging process for Flash panels sucks.
If you have to make a change to your Actionscript in the Flash panel
itself, you have to publish it, quit Flash, copy your panel into the
WindowSWF folder (or set your FLA to publish there) and relaunch Flash
because the panels only load in when Flash launches. Not fun, so I
mitigate that by not using complicated MMExecute commands.
Word to the wise: Make sure you dock your panel when you're using it.
There are all kinds of stupid bugs with certain JSFL commands that put
things on the stage if your panel is not docked. I had to learn the
hard way.
_______________________________________________
[email protected]
To change your subscription options or search the archive:
http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders
Brought to you by Fig Leaf Software
Premier Authorized Adobe Consulting and Training
http://www.figleaf.com
http://training.figleaf.com
