====== Tutorial for use Action Script 3 on Linux ======
For this part, you will download [[http://www.eclipse.org/|eclipse]] IDE, [[http://www.adobe.com/products/flex/sdk/|Adobe Flex SDK]] for having a tools for compile, [[http://fdt.powerflasher.com/|FDT]] plugin for eclipse.

Eclipse is free to use and it's about 100 Mo on your drive.

Flex SDK is free but for download it, you not must have an account at Adobe website.

FDT cost between 100 € and 600 € varying type of license. So if you are an open source developer or student, special offers are purposed for you.

Finally when all applications will work, you'll invite LowRA to join us. And she'll do it.

===== Eclipse Night Fever =====
First we will download an eclipse for our website. Why we not use included eclipse from the Linux distribution ? That's because you have not all admins rights for maintain Eclipse. For example, register's code of FDT will not correctly save with the standard installation (with apt-get or other).

At [[http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/|eclipse download page]] you can choose the most lite version **Eclipse IDE for Java Developers**.

Place the archive at your <code bash>~/bin/</code> and type ''(don't forget to adapt the archive name)'' <code bash>tar -xvzf eclipse-java-europa-fall2-linux-gtk.tar.gz</code>.

Now you must check to documentation of your Linux distribution for how to use the Sun Java Virtual Machine. For Debian and Ubuntu systems there's a Free Java Virtual Machine by default and Eclipse run better with the Sun JVM.

Well done, eclipse night can begins.



===== Flex: ON =====
If you come from **Action Script 2** programming, you have probably used the exelent compiler [[http://www.mtasc.org/|MTASC]] developed by Nicolas Cannasse from Motion Twin French companies.

For compile **Action Script 3**, Adobe puporse a free SDK named FLex. With it you can realize some task around Action Script 3 :
  * Compile standard SWF of course, 
  * Compile an application with mxml concept (see [[http://livedocs.adobe.com/flex/201/html/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/html/wwhelp.htm?href=Part7_Build_Deploy_112_1.html|Adobe documentation]])
  * Generate html documentation with ASDoc

Nice, isn't it ?

Let's go to download Flex 2 SDK from [[http://livedocs.adobe.com/flex/201/html/wwhelp/wwhimpl/js/html/wwhelp.htm?href=Part7_Build_Deploy_112_1.html|Flex homepage]]. Choose [[http://www.adobe.com/go/flexsdk2_download|Download the free Flex 2 SDK, including the Flex framework]] at bottom. At **Flex SDK 2.0.1 with HotFix 1** part, check the box. Finally choose the [[http://download.macromedia.com/pub/flex/sdk/flex2_sdk_hf1.zip|Download the Flex SDK 2.0.1 with HotFix 1 for all Platforms]].

After download, move the zip file to <code bash>~/lib/flex/</code> and type <code bash>unzip flex2_sdk_hf1.zip</code>

You can now find something like that :
<code bash>
$ ls
additional-legal-notices.htm  frameworks   readme_hotfix1_159086.htm
asdoc                         lib          readme.htm
bin                           license.htm  resources
flex2_sdk_hf1.zip             player       samples
</code>

  * **bin** contains compilers for all system
  * **libs** contains some jar used by compilers
  * **framework** is directory which have configurations and standard swc
  * **asdoc** is the same as **libs** but just for asdoc generator
  * **player** is wonderful directory with flash players for Windows and Mac systems... Linux, no ? No. 4d0b3 fuck3r !
  * **samples** and **ressources** aren't important for us

Now we will extend Flex SDK installation by including flash players, standard and debugger versions.

For this rendez-vous on [[http://www.adobe.com/support/flashplayer/downloads.html|flash player standalone download page]] and select [[http://download.macromedia.com/pub/flashplayer/updaters/9/flash_player_9_linux_dev.tar.gz|Download the Linux debugger and standalone players]].

For this archive, we extract only two files.
  * //flash_player_9_linux_dev.tar.gz/flash_player_9_linux_dev/standalone/release/flashplayer.tar.gz// extract it to anywhere and move contained **//flashplayer//** to **//~/bin/flashplayer//**
  * //flash_player_9_linux_dev.tar.gz/flash_player_9_linux_dev/standalone/debugger/flashplayer.tar.gz// extract it to anywhere and move contained **//flashplayer//** to **//~/bin/flashplayerdebug//**

You can check the installation :
<code bash>
you@computer:~/bin$ ls -l
total 96844
drwxr-xr-x 7 you you     4096 2008-02-13 09:42 eclipse
-rw-r--r-- 1 you you 82436827 2008-02-12 20:21 eclipse-java-europa-fall2-linux-gtk.tar.gz
-rwxr-xr-x 1 you you  7980068 2007-12-01 03:12 flashplayer
-rwxr-xr-x 1 you you  8622772 2007-12-01 03:46 flashplayerdebug
</code>

If it's ok, you can take a whiskey glass or a coffee depending time of day.

===== FDT =====
Installing FDT is very easy, we will use standard plugin installation method of Eclipse. First run our fresh eclipse <code bash>~/bin/eclipse$ ./eclpise</code>

And we follow instruction like it explain on [[http://fdt.powerflasher.com/index.php?page=try|FDT installation page]].
  * Choose "Help"->"Software Updates"->"Find and install...".
  * Select "Search for new features to install" and choose "Next".
  * Choose "New Remote Site". Insert "FDT" as name and the URL “http://fdt.powerflasher.com/update".
  * Confirm with "OK". Select "FDT" and choose "Finish".
  * Choose **Basic** or **Professional** and press “Next”.

Wait, click //OK//, //Next// or //Finish// when you must until Eclipse need to restart. Do it.

If it's your first time with eclipse, close Welcome's tab. Choose FDT perspective by "Window > Open Perspective > Other" and select "Flash FDT".

Probably you have a warning message about memory. To repair it, we need to close eclipse and edit eclipse confiration file: //eclipse.ini// into our eclipse directory contains. Just add //-Xmx512m// at the last line and save it.

Certainly FDT want to enter a product key. So you can try FDT for 30 days or buy it.

===== Hi Laura, can you come on ? =====
For develop with LowRA, we need to get it by SVN method. In most of case, you need to install //subversion// package with <code bash>urpmi subversion # for fedora or mandriva user
apt-get install subversion # debian or ubuntu user
</code>

When it's done. We go //devel// directory and we'll get LowRA from SVN like [[http://code.google.com/p/lowra/source/checkout|google suggest to us]]. 
<code bash>$ cd ~/devel/
~/devel$ svn checkout http://lowra.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/ lowra-read-only
</code>

A lot of defile in your terminal. It's lordly LowRA. We took a glance at //lowra-read-only// directory.

  * **//bin//**: lowra as swc file 
  * //build//: ant tasks for compile lowra
  * **//docsIncludes//**: some documentations about lowra
  * **//src//**: source code
  * //test//: unit tests
  * //testBin//: where are compile tests
  * //testRunner//: files to run tests 
  * //tools//: annexes files, for now only the dtd of applicationContext

==== Invite LowRA to diner under Eclipse ====
We need to prepare FDT by Eclipse's //** Window > Preferences...**// menu. When it's done, select //**FDT > Core Libraries**//. At right select //**AS3 Core Libraries**//.

We must declare here //Flex 2 SDK//, //LowRA// and every libraries you'll need at future. So romantic, no ?

=== Flex 2 SDK ===
Click to //**Add...**//. Into //Core Library// window:
  * Type: Flex 2 SDK
  * Name: Core Flex 2
  * Path Variable: click to //**Browse...**//

Into //Linked Libraries// window click to //**New...**//.

Into //Edit Variable// window:
  * Name: CORE_FLEX_2
  * Location: enter complete path to your ~/lib/flex //(or use **Folder** button)//

Validate... That's first step. Now do the same with LowRA.

=== LowRA ===
Make sure you are at //**Preferences**// window and //**AS3 Core Libraries**// tab.
Click to //**Add...**//. Into //Core Library// window:
  * Type: Pure AS3 (Flex 3)
  * Name: AS3 SWC LOWRA
  * Path Variable: click to //**Browse...**//

Into //Linked Libraries// window click to //**New...**//.

Into //Edit Variable// window:
  * Name: AS3_SWC_LOWRA
  * Location: enter complete path to your ~/devel/lowra-read-only/bin/Lowra.swc //(or use **File** button)//

Validate until close //**Preferences**// window.




===== The End at One-Eyed-Jack =====
For be sure all is good, no better than create our first Flex 2 project. Locate the //**Flash Explorer**// part. If you not see it, make sure you are on //FDT// view : //**Window > Open Perspective > Other... **// and select //**Flash FDT**//.

At //**Flash Explorer**// section:
  * right click //**New > New Flash Project**//
  * Give it a name **LowRAProject1**.
  * Check //**Action Script 3**// and //**Core Flex 2**//
  * //**Next**//
  * //**Add Linked Library**//
  * //**Add...**//
  * select //**AS3_SWC_LOWRA**//
  * //**OK**//, //**Finish**//, //**Finish**//

Now you need to fix a little bug with Eclipse. For that click right on **LowRAProjet1** in //**Flash Explorer**// window and select //**Properties**//.

Now in //**Ressources**//, locate //**New text file line delimiter**// and choose //**Unix**// from //**Other**// list.

If all is well, you can browse swc files.

Congratulation, you can now invite LowRA to your future projects.