Appendix A. Setup Instructions

Be sure to complete the installation of all required files before working through the lessons in the book.

Software Installation

There are three phases of the installation:

• Installing Flash Builder

• Installing lesson files

• Installing Flash Debug Player (if a problem exists)

Installing Flash Builder

If you do not have Flash Builder 4 installed, step through the following installation directions:

1. Browse to http://www.adobe.com/products/flashbuilder/ and click Get the Trial.
2. Download Flash Builder 4 for your operating system.
3. Install Flash Builder 4, accepting all the default options. The trial period on Flash Builder 4 is 60 days.

Installing Lesson Files

Once again, it is important that all the required files are in place before working through the lessons in the book.

From the CD included with your book, copy the flex4tfs directory to the root of your drive.

In this directory, there is a subdirectory named flexGrocer, in which you will be doing most of your work. Also included are directories for each lesson in the book with starting code and completed code for the work you do in the lesson. Some lessons may also have an intermediate directory, which highlights major steps in the lesson, or an independent directory, which holds projects that are unrelated to the main application but demonstrate an important technique or concept.

Installing Flash Debug Player

At various times in the book, you will be using features of Flash Debug Player. If you receive a notice saying you do not have Flash Debug Player installed, follow these steps to install it:

Windows

1. Locate the Flash Player (Player) install directory:
   

   applicationInstallDirectory/Adobe/Adobe Flash Builder 4/Player/win.

   Note

   

   In a default 32-bit installation, this directory in Windows is C:Program FilesAdobeAdobe Flash Builder 4playerwin.

2. To install Flash Debug Player for Internet Explorer, run the Install Flash Player 10 ActiveX.exe program. For other versions of web browsers, run the Install Flash Player 10 Plugin.exe program.

Macintosh

1. Locate the Flash Player (Player) install directory:
   

   applicationInstallDirectory/Adobe/Adobe Flash Builder 4/Player/mac.

   Note

   

   In a default installation, this directory would be /Applications/Adobe/Adobe Flash Builder 4/Player/mac.

2. To install Flash Debug Player, run the Flash Player 10 Silent Installer program.

Importing Projects

Anytime during the course of this book that your code is no longer working, or you simply wish to jump ahead or revisit a lesson, you can import the appropriate FXP (Flex Project) for that lesson.

The FXP format is an archive file that includes project information, files, and folders. The project includes all assets and dependencies for your Flex project.

Each lesson of the book minimally has start and complete files representing the code for that lesson at its beginning and end if all steps are executed. The FXP files for the lessons have this format:

driveRoot/flex4TFS/LessonXX/start/FlexGrocer.fxp
driveRoot/flex4TFS/LessonXX/complete/FlexGrocer.fxp

Some lessons have intermediate files that represent major steps internal to the lesson. Those follow this format:

driveRoot/flex4TFS/LessonXX/intermediate/FlexGrocer-NameOfStep.fxp

Finally, a few lessons have independent files that represent small applications intended to demonstrate a singular concept but that are not directly related to the code in your FlexGrocer project. Those follow this format:

driveRoot/flex4TFS/LessonXX/independent/projectName.fxp

Importing Lesson Files

You import an FXP file by choosing File > Import > Flash Builder Project.

When you attempt to import a project in Flash Builder, the IDE determines whether you already have a project with the same Universally Unique Identifier (UUID). This will occur if you have previously imported any lesson.

When You Have an Existing Project

In this case, Flash Builder will allow you to overwrite the existing project with a fresh copy. You simply need to choose the Overwrite existing project radio button and choose the FlexGrocer project from the drop-down menu. Then click Finish.

This is the ideal way to import a new lesson as it simply overwrites the older code and leaves you with a single FlexGrocer project.

When You Don’t Have an Existing Project

If you have never imported the FlexGrocer project before, the overwrite option will not be available.

In this case, choose the Import new copy of project radio button and set the Extract new projects to input field to driveRoot/flex4tfs/flexGrocer. Then click Finish.

When Flash Builder Prevents Overwriting an Existing Project

If you already have a project named FlexGrocer in your workspace, and Flash Builder does not recognize this as the same project identifier, it will not allow you to overwrite that project. In this case simply right-click the FlexGrocer project and choose Delete from the Package Explorer.

A dialog box will appear and ask if you want to delete the FlashBuilder project only or also the files for the project from the file system. Choose the Also delete contents radio button.

After deleting these files, repeat these directions to import the needed project.