Chapter 2. Using Flash Builder 4
IN THIS CHAPTER
Getting and installing Flash Builder 4
Installing Flash Builder as an Eclipse plug-in
Getting to know Flash Builder features
Using views and perspectives
Using workspaces and projects
Creating a Flex project
Using the Help system
Searching for and refactoring code
Using Flash Builder 4 new features
Integrating Flash Builder 4 and Flash Professional CS5
Flash Builder 4 is Adobe's preferred development tool for building applications with the Flex 4 SDK. Flash Builder is available for both Windows and Mac OS X.
Although you can develop and deploy Flex applications to the Web or the desktop with the free Flex SDK, Flash Builder is a worthwhile investment that can increase developer productivity, reduce bugs, speed up coding, and generally make the process of developing a Flex application much more enjoyable.
Note
As I described in Chapter 1, Flash Builder was named Flex Builder in releases prior to version 4. It's been renamed by Adobe to position it as the preferred programmer's editor for all Flash Player programming, whether by Flash or Flex developers.
Getting Flash Builder
You can get Flash Builder from Adobe as a free limited-time trial, or you can purchase a license. Two licenses currently are available for Flash Builder 4:
Flash Builder 4 Standard Edition. This license includes everything you need to build basic Flex applications for the desktop and the Web, but it does not include a license for the Flex Data Visualization components or certain ...
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