Flex 3 Cookbook

Chapter 25. Compiling and Debugging

Compiling Flex applications is most often done through Flex Builder or through invoking the MXML compiler (mxmlc) on the command line, but there are many other tools that let you compile an application, move files, or invoke applications. Tools such as make, Ant, or Rake, for example, enable you to simplify an entire compilation and deployment routine so that you can invoke it from a single command.

Debugging in Flex is done through the debug version of the Flash Player, which enables you to see the results of trace statements. With Flex Builder 3, you can step through code line by line and inspect the properties of variables. Flex Builder 3 also introduces a new profiling view that lets you examine memory usage and the creation and deletion of objects. Outside of Flex Builder, numerous open source tools expand your options. With Xray and Console.as for Firebug, for example, you can inspect the values of objects, or you can view the output of trace statements with FlashTracer or the Output Panel utility instead of using the Flex Builder IDE. The recipes in this chapter cover debugging with both the tools provided in Flex Builder as well as tracing values and inspecting objects by using Xray and FlashTracer.

25.1. Use Trace Statements Without Flex Builder

Problem

You want to create trace statements that will assist you in debugging your application, but you do not have Flex Builder 3.

Solution

Download and use one of the many open source tracing tools ...