Where do you write your code?

Question

I've just started to learn Flex. One question I have is where
you put the ActionScript code?
I know i can put it in several locations (e.g. inline, within
a script-tag, in actionscript-files, in actionscript classes) but
what's the best way to go?
Up until now I haven't done so much coding, so I have just
written the code inside a <mx:Script>-tag in my MXML-file.
I'm starting to realize though that having both MXML and
ActionScript in the same file is a bit inconvinient when the amount
of code increases.
Since I come from the dark side ;) (Microsoft), I'm used to
having to files for each page/component; one with the "UI code"
(MXML in this case) and one with the logic (AS in this case). I
like that model, so I tried to do something similiar in Flex. My
MXML-file looks like this:
<mx:Application xmlns:mx="
http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
layout="absolute" applicationComplete="MainCode()">
<mx:Script source="MainCode.as" />
<!-- Other MXML code -->
</mx:Application>
Then I create the MainCode.as and give it a function called
MainCode(). That way, I now have the code in a separate file/class,
and themethod becomes the starting point of the execution. Kind of
like the "document class" in Flash.
First, this seemed like a good solution to me BUT soon I
realized it has a big flaw. Since the class is not hard linked to
the MXML, I will not get any intellisense/codehints about the
components/controls I use in the MXML (at least I don't in
FlashDevelop).
So, how do you do it? Is there a way that is considered "best
practice"?

Answer 1

"haagel" <[email protected]> wrote in
message
news:[email protected]...
> I've just started to learn Flex. One question I have is
where you put the
> ActionScript code?
> I know i can put it in several locations (e.g. inline,
within a
> script-tag, in
> actionscript-files, in actionscript classes) but what's
the best way to
> go?
>
> Up until now I haven't done so much coding, so I have
just written the
> code
> inside a <mx:Script>-tag in my MXML-file. I'm
starting to realize though
> that
> having both MXML and ActionScript in the same file is a
bit inconvinient
> when
> the amount of code increases.
>
> Since I come from the dark side ;) (Microsoft), I'm used
to having to
> files
> for each page/component; one with the "UI code" (MXML in
this case) and
> one
> with the logic (AS in this case). I like that model, so
I tried to do
> something
> similiar in Flex. My MXML-file looks like this:
>
> <mx:Application xmlns:mx="
http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
> layout="absolute"
> applicationComplete="MainCode()">
> <mx:Script source="MainCode.as" />
> <!-- Other MXML code -->
> </mx:Application>
>
> Then I create the MainCode.as and give it a function
called MainCode().
> That
> way, I now have the code in a separate file/class, and
themethod becomes
> the
> starting point of the execution. Kind of like the
"document class" in
> Flash.
>
> First, this seemed like a good solution to me BUT soon I
realized it has a
> big
> flaw. Since the class is not hard linked to the MXML, I
will not get any
> intellisense/codehints about the components/controls I
use in the MXML (at
> least I don't in FlashDevelop).
>
> So, how do you do it? Is there a way that is considered
"best practice"?
It's better to do one of two things:
1) Get everything pretty much complete and then only pull it
out to an as
file when you're done. That way you get code hinting all the
way up to the
time that you pull out the code. Note that this will _not_ be
a class and
should not have a constructor, etc. or be named the same
thing as any MXML
file in your project.
2) Only pull out things that can truly stand alone, and make
them separate
class. You need to look up these terms on google or your
favorite search
engine "loosely coupled Flex components."
Also note that you can use more than one script tag, and
these will be
visible in outline view. Unfortunately you can't give them
ID's. Also,
using bookmarks can help with managing files with both MXML
and AS.