Using the Apollo Extensions for Flex Builder

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The Apollo Extensions for Flex Builder provide you with the tools you need to create Apollo projects, work with the Flex Apollo components, and debug and package your Apollo applications. For information about downloading and installing the Apollo Extensions, see Set up instructions for Flex Builder users.

Contents
Creating Apollo projects Debugging Apollo applications Packaging Apollo applications Creating an Apollo Library project

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Creating Apollo projects

If you have not already done so, install Apollo, Flex Builder 2.0.1, and the Apollo Extensions for Flex Builder, as described in Set up instructions for Flex Builder users.

To create an Apollo project in Flex Builder:

1. Open Flex Builder 2.0.1.
2. Select File | New | Apollo Project (if you are using the Eclipse plug-in configuration, select File | New | Other, expand the Flex node, and select Apollo Project).

3. The New Apollo Project dialog box is displayed.

4. Leave the Basic option selected, and then click the Next button.
5. In the next page of the dialog box, type the Project Name, and optionally modify the default location. Then click the Next button.
6. Click the Next button again, and the Application XML Properties panel is displayed.
7. Specify settings for the Apollo application, and then click the Finish button. For more information about these settings, see The application descriptor file schema.

Debugging Apollo applications

Flex Builder provides full debugging support for Apollo applications. For more information about the debugging capabilities of Flex Builder, refer to the Flex Builder Help.

To debug an Apollo application in Flex Builder:

• Open a source file for the application (such as an MXML file) in Flex Builder.
• Click the Debug button.

• The Debug button is located in the main toolbar:

• You can also select the application name from the Debug submenu of the Flex Builder Run menu.

The application launches and is run in the ADL application (the Apollo Debugger Launcher). Any breakpoints or runtime errors are caught by the Flex Builder debugger and you can debug the application like any other Flex application.

You can also debug an application from the command line, using the Apollo Debug Launcher command line tool. For more information, see Debugging using the Apollo Debug Launcher.

Packaging Apollo applications

When your application is complete and ready to be distributed (or tested running from the desktop), you package it into an AIR file.

To package Apollo applications:

1. Open the project and ensure that the application has no compile errors and runs as expected.
2. Select File | Export.
3. Select Deployable AIR File from the Apollo folder and then click the Next button.
4. Select any files (such as loaded media or SWF files) that you want to include in the AIR file. The application.xml file and the main SWF file for the project are included by default.
5. Specify the destination, including the filename, for the AIR file, and then click the Finish button.

You can also package an Apollo application using the ADT command-line tool. For more information about ADT and its parameters, see the Packaging an Apollo application using the Apollo Developer Tool topic.

Creating an Apollo Library project

In this Alpha release of Apollo, the Apollo Extensions for Flex Builder do not contain a new project wizard to generate an Apollo Library project. Therefore, to create a custom Apollo component in Flex Builder, you need to create a standard Library project and then manually edit it to create a library that references Apollo classes.

To create a library in Flex Builder that references Apollo classes:

1. Select File | New | Flex Library Project.
2. Specify a project name and click Next.
3. Click the Library path tab.
4. Remove ${FRAMEWORKS}/libs/playerglobal.swc.
5. Add apolloglobal.swc and set the link type to External.
6. Click Finish.

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