Chapter 23. Compiling, Debugging, and Deploying

Compiling Flex applications is most often done through Flash Builder or through invoking the MXML compiler (mxmlc) on the command line, but there are many other tools that let you compile applications, move files, or invoke applications. Tools such as make, Ant, and Rake, for example, enable you to simplify an entire compilation and deployment routine so that you can invoke it using 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 Flash Builder, you can step through code line by line and inspect the properties of variables. Flash Builder also introduces a new profiling view that lets you examine memory usage and the creation and deletion of objects. Outside of Flash Builder, numerous open source tools expand your options. With De MonsterDebugger, for example, you can inspect the values of objects, or you can view the output of trace statements with a free open source utility such as FlashTracer instead of using the Flash Builder IDE. The recipes in this chapter cover both debugging with the tools provided in Flash Builder, and tracing values and inspecting objects by using De MonsterDebugger and FlashTracer.