RE: [flexcomponents] Component Packaging, Delivery, and Installation

[Ted Patrick]

Ralf,   I want to make sure that the component format works for the Flex SDK, Flex Builder, and Flex Data Service (web-tier compiler). Given all of these are file systems I think that is the right answer. It should be simple to provide directions to install from our file system into any of these product configurations.   I also like the simplicity of Eclipse plug-ins. The process for installing them is predictable across every single extension and all platforms. Nothing to compile or configure, just unzip and restart Eclipse. If we could make components this easy to install we will have succeeded.   Stage 1: Define a file system that is easy to understand for component distribution. Stage 2: Automate creation and configuration of this file system.   Ralf, glad to see you here! :)   Cheers,   Ted :)   From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Ralf Bokelberg Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2006 2:29 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [flexcomponents] Component Packaging, Delivery, and Installation   Ok Ted, when i said swc, i really ment the whole package we had with flash. I didn't really think about it. Since we are using eclipse, maybe we could leverage eclipse's plugin mechanism for that. A plugin can provide html documentation, which integrates nicely with eclipse's help. The source and swc  could be  in the plugin directory too.  Flexbuilder could easily find the source in the plugin directory. Installation of plugins is easy, just unpack the zip  into the plugins directory. Cheers, Ralf. On 7/15/06, Ted Patrick <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Ralf,   Nothing is technically wrong with SWC for the component itself but 95% of the time more is needed.   Here are a few:   SWC lacks documentation HTML. SWC lacks code examples of component use. SWC lacks instructions of how to install it. If you want to distribute source as/mxml, SWC doesn't cover this.   The discussion here is intended to answer this question?   "When a component is delivered, what does the developer receive and how is it organized?"   SWC is just one piece of the puzzle.   Regards,   Ted J   From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto: [EMAIL PROTECTED]] On Behalf Of Ralf Bokelberg Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2006 11:45 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [flexcomponents] Component Packaging, Delivery, and Installation   What's wrong with swc? Cheers, Ralf. On 7/15/06, Ted Patrick <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > >Cool... so... how do we do it? > > We just do it and move forward. > > The goal is to make sure 100% sure that any Flex developers can install > components. We make the file system consistent and simple so that > everyone understands a component ZIP file or file system. We do this as > a group and define a standard for any component developer to aspire to. > > a. Reference Example Component FileSystem/ZIP. > b. Page on Flex.org to denote standard. > c. FlexComponents endorses it as a 'standards body'. > d. KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid. > e. Get an Adobe WhitePaper written. > f. Get Adobe ASDocs released or use Mike's toolset! > g. We automate compilation/packaging for component developers. Make a > file system this way, edit an XML Build document, run this script, out > pops a perfect ZIP with SOURCE, SWC, DOCS, LICENSE, INSTALLATION, ready > to roll! Repeatable, consistent, simple. ( I can hear Anatole typing out > an ANT script to do this right now... :) ) > > The standard is a goal, something that developers should aspire to. If > you want to write poorly formatted code without comments you are free to > do so. I think eventually people will realize the quality of the > components is based on these details. If docs are sharp, licensing, > installation spot on perfect, it says that this developer took the time > to do things right. It also makes a much stronger case for developers > licensing components. Developers do not license crap, they license code > that saves them time and money. > > We just need to take dead aim on a really great format to allow > components to be distributed. If the format is easy for any developer to > use, then we have succeeded. > > If we pruned things back to cover just a component distribution format > then that would be perfect with me. > > IMHO, > > Ted :) > > > > > > > Yahoo! Groups Links > > > > > > > -- Ralf Bokelberg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Flex & Flash Consultant based in Cologne/Germany -- Ralf Bokelberg <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Flex & Flash Consultant based in Cologne/Germany __._,_.___ YAHOO! GROUPS LINKS  Visit your group "flexcomponents" on the web.    To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:  [EMAIL PROTECTED]    Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to the Yahoo! Terms of Service. __,_._,___