Flash Builder 4.7

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Follow these instructions to use Flash Builder 4.7 for developing Royale applications. These instructions will guide you through building the Royale SDK and making modifications to your Flash Builder 4.7 installation so that it recognizes Royale.

Modify Flash Builder 4.7 Installation

You need to upgrade Flash Builder to run with Java 7 or Java 8. This link will take you to those instructions: http://blogs.adobe.com/flashplayer/2016/09/running-adobe-flash-builder-on-mac-with-java-78.html

Build Royale SDK

As of this writing, a special installer is not yet working for Royale, so these instructions use the Github Royale repository. There are also special launch configuration tools that can help you use Flash Builder with Royale, but they are not yet working as of this writing.

Clone the royale-asjs repository for Royale SDK from Github. Once that has done, build it in its entirety:

% ant

This will build Royale ASJS, downloading third-party software as needed (you will need to answer some questions along the way).

Once the build has completed, you need to turn this into an SDK that Flash Builder 4.7 will recognize.

% ant -f InstallAdobeSDKs.xml

The InstallAdobeSDKs.xml ANT script requires additional items to be downloaded. The script will not download them for you, but will give you instructions and pause so you can download them yourself. Once each piece is downloaded, press any key to move to the next until all parts have been downloaded.

The script then finishes on its own and the royale-asjs repository is now ready for you to use with Flash Builder 4.7

Configure Flash Builder 4.7

Add the Royale SDK

Start Flash Builder and open its preferences. Navigate to the "Flash Builder" section and "Installed Flex SDKs". In the dialog that is presented, use the "Browse" button to locate the directory you just built and configured with ANT. Pick "OK" to install it.

As an option, you can select it from the list and make it the default SDK if you plan on creating mostly Royale applications.

Import Launch Configurations

In Flash Builder, "launch configurations" provide scripts that perform useful tasks. The Royale package comes with a set of launch configurations to do things like build a JavaScript version of your application. Follow these steps to bring the Royale launch configurations into Flash Builder:

1. In Flash Builder, select the "File" menu and "Import".
2. Find the "Run/Debug" section and expand it.
3. Pick "Launch Configurations", then "Next".
4. In the dialog that appears, browse to the "ide/flashbuilder" sub-directory in the Royale SDK directory.
5. Select "flashbuilder" in the left pane or pick the check box next to it, selecting all of the launch configurations.
6. Pick Finish.

The launch configurations will be imported and appear in the "Run" - "External Tools" menu.

Creating a Royale Project

As a test, create a sample Royale application. Keep in mind that Flash Builder will refer to these as Flex projects.

Go to the "File" menu and pick "New Flex Project". In the dialog that appears, enter the name for your sample (e.g., "Hello World") and select the Royale SDK you have just installed. Pick "Finish".

Flash Builder will create a sample application, but it will not have the correct Royale code in it:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    <application xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009" layout="absolute"min_size>	
</application>

You can convert this initial file into a working Royale application as follows:

1. Select the project's name in the Package Explorer.
2. From the "Run" menu, pick "External Tools" and then "Convert New Flex Project to Royale Project".

After a few moments the file's contents will be replaced with:

<js:Application xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009"
               xmlns:js="library://ns.apache.org/royale/basic" >
    <js:valuesImpl>
        <js:SimpleCSSValuesImpl />
    </js:valuesImpl>
    <js:initialView>
        <js:View>
    	<js:Label text="Hello World!" />
        </js:View>
    </js:initialView>
</js:Application> 

Now you can run it as a Web Application.

At this point you can create, run, and debug Royale applications from Flash Builder. The applications will use the Flash Player.

Building Applications for the Browser

Flash Builder normally builds applications to run in the Flash Player. But Royale is designed to also run as JavaScript/HTML natively in the browser. To do this, your Royale ActionScript and MXML files need to be cross-compiled (or "transpiled") into JavaScript. Flash Builder can do this a launch configuration tool.

1. Select either your project in the Package Explorer or select the main application MXML file.
2. From the "Run" menu, pick "External Tools" and "ASJSC (Debug Build)"

Flash Builder will launch the compiler to convert your application into JavaScript. The result be in the bin/js-debug directory. In that directory will be an index.html file you can open from your browser.