Caveat: I believe there has been some progress recently on the use of Flex components created as .swcs for use within Flash CS4. You'll probably need to look on Adobe Labs for more info on that.
Other than that, to the best of my knowledge the answers are: > 1. Can Flex libraries (mx.*) be used in Flash CS3/4? Is this as simple > as adding source files and/or SWCs to an FLA project's classpath? And, > where are all these libraries (Windows XP or Vista)? No. This is partly because the compiler included with CS3/4 is different from the compiler used for Flex. The Flex SDK compiler (also used by Flex builder) supports [Embed] tags, supports [Bindable], supports compilation of CSS, resource bundles and MXML. The Flash IDE compiler doesn't. > 2. If yes, any important caveats? See 1. :-) > 3. Am I correct that all the Flash libraries (that is, all those > included in Flash CS3) are available by default (at least in compiled > form) within Flex Builder (the Flex SDK)? No. All the flash.x.xx libraries are available (they are player native libraries) but none of the fl.x.xx libraries are. > [Embed]ding SWFs and SWF Symbols into ActionScript class files is one > way to cause Flash's main display classes of MovieClip and Button to > extend UIComponent. Are there other ways? Ideally we would get art > from the artists and have the runtime accessible objects be managed as > Class instances within the Flex hierarchy, to take advantage of things > like the automation framework. How are others doing this, if they are? We use [Embed] within classes or MXML. We also use resource bundles (.properties files) and CSS, both of which can embed symbols from source .swf files (and from images, mp3s, fonts etc.). Our artists produce those .swfs, we embed the symbols appropriately. > Is there some way to use [Bindable] on properties within Flash CS3? I > have a component that pulls in a class that uses this metadata tag and > it compiles in Flash CS3, but there doesn't appear to be any way to > bind the Bindable property, since there's no MXML and BindingUtils is > in a Flex library not included with Flash. Not as far as I am aware. > Anyone know of simple docs on *creating* custom components, as opposed > to skinning or modifying existing ones? I'm not afraid of coding > around a potentially complex framework, but I'd like to understand how > it's supposed to be done. There is a reference for creating custom Flex components here: http://livedocs.adobe.com/flex/3/html/Part3_as_components_1.html Hope that helps, Ian _______________________________________________ Flashcoders mailing list Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders
