Since Xcode 3 has come out I’ve been tinkering with different ways to keep development with Flex and ActionScript 3 working decent for my day-to-day work.

In order to keep this stuff updated better and available for others to use, and hopefully help improve, I’ve created a Google Code project named Core SWF.

Right now this doesn’t have a whole ton of stuff, but it does have:

• Updated ActionScript and MXML language spec files (Including AS in MXML script blocks)
• A basic ActionScript 3 project template (Integrated with the Flex 3 SDK Ant tasks)

Gradually I’ll be adding more advanced project templates.

This is all updated to work with Xcode 3.1 as well.

You can download the very first 0.1 release on the project site.

Ping me for SVN access if you want to help add or improve some stuff. enefekt at that Google email service.

Here we go again. Via MacRumors, Apple has filed a patent application that seems to cover some of the rumored features for the next 3G iPhone on the 2.0 software.

The interesting bit is what the application says about our very own beloved Flash Player:

“In some embodiments, the content can be played with a QuickTime, Windows Media, or Flash plugin”

So will this be in the distant future, or on Monday?

Both Tiger users and Leopard users will be automatically getting Flash Player 9 Update 3 along with the latest Security Updates via Mac OS X’s Software Update.

Nice to get Flash Player updates this way, they have come this way before. This should happen for every release really.

Following up on the efforts that a few others had already started (including someone named Robbish who’s blog is gone), I’ve updated the macros and language spec files for ActionScript 3 to work with Xcode 3.

Xcode 3 switched from pblangspec files to xclangspec. The macros format and pbfilespec files had a few tweaks to be made as well. There are a few lines still left in the pblangspec file, Xcode didn’t seem happy without them, or with them moved into the xclangspec file. I wasn’t able to keep the method parameters in the code completion, it wouldn’t properly work with some of the different characters in there. I tried a few things, but it didn’t work. If I or someone else gets that figured out, it will be updated.

As a brand spankin’ new addition, and as a result of Xcode 3 having better support for XML, I was able to get an xclangspec going for MXML too! I even have ActionScript in the CDATA blocks working! It works hand-in-hand with the ActionScript.xclangspec file.

This is a first stab, and no doubt can be improved on, but at least I’m rockin’ and rollin’ with Xcode 3 now. To use, just drop the files here:
/Developer/Library/Xcode/Specifications/

If you are moving a project over from an older Xcode project, the ActionScript and MXML files may not automatically register. As you work on them, simply do a “Get Info” (Command+I), and select either “sourcecode.actionscript” or “sourcecode.mxml” for the type in the inspector.

Here you go, enjoy!
Flex for Xcode 3 (0.0.1)

I’ve put together an Xcode project template for XAPGen. So if you have the Xcode development tools, just download, unzip, and drop the files packaged up below in the right spot, and you’re ready to rock.

After setup, in Xcode just go to File->New Project, and choose XUL->XAPGen. You have an instant XULRunner project directory ready to build. Just choose the build-and-run target, click “Build”, and you’ll see the default Hello World app get packaged up and launched all automatically.

And of course, the build-all target will build Windows and Linux distributions as well!

When naming your new project name, remember to use all lowercase.

XAPGen for Xcode

The Hivelogic Podcast is awesome. There consistently has been some really good content and interviews in this podcast.

Last month around this same time, there was a really cool episode featuring Brent Simmons, the developer behind NetNewsWire.

Brent is someone who came from a web app developer background and moved into desktop applications that work with the web, and cares a lot about the user experience. He has some very interesting insights into incorporating web technologies into desktop applications.

His focus is on Cocoa development on the Mac, but many of the points he brings up can be applied to cross-os endeavors as well.

Go check it out!