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Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2013 09:13:42 +0100
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 <CAD8jDGJLGKFf=+mESLAWZWaEfUSxkYcDLyryB27esnTd4rj2aQ@mail.gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [FlexJS] FW: Cross-compiling to build components
From: Frank Wienberg <frank@jangaroo.net>
To: dev@flex.apache.org
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Hi,

great to hear of this new approach!
I never understood why you guys implement Flex components for HTML5 in JS,
not in ActionScript. Once you have AS3 API "stubs" of the browser APIs
(DOM, BOM, remember my suggestions about a [Native] annotation some time
ago?), you would not be limited to building compound components like this,
but you could implement *any* component in AS3, in other words, port your
JS code to AS3! Or is there any show stopper for that with the FalconJx
compiler that I am not aware of? (Maybe the missing [Native] support?)


On Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 8:46 PM, Peter Ent <pent@adobe.com> wrote:

> Hi,
>
> I've extended the Wiki page for creating components on the FlexJS Wiki
> pages. I've also placed the sample code I used, called "DataGridXcompile",
> in the FlexJS examples directory.
>
> Peter Ent
> Adobe Systems
>
> On 12/6/13 1:14 PM, "Peter Ent" <pent@adobe.com> wrote:
>
> >I will update the wiki.
> >Thanks.
> >--peter
> >
> >On 12/6/13 1:08 PM, "OmPrakash Muppirala" <bigosmallm@gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >>This is fantastic news, Peter!
> >>
> >>If you can add a page in the wiki describing the process of converting a
> >>simple AS3 component into JS, that would be so much helpful for folks
> >>like
> >>me, who want to help with building components for FlexJS.
> >>
> >>Thanks,
> >>Om
> >>On Dec 6, 2013 9:39 AM, "Erik de Bruin" <erik@ixsoftware.nl> wrote:
> >>
> >>> Way to go, Peter!
> >>>
> >>> Let me know if there is a way to optimise the process. There is a lot
> >>> we can do with FalconJx and maybe the framework architecture that will
> >>> allow us to do more with this paradigm...
> >>>
> >>> EdB
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On Fri, Dec 6, 2013 at 6:31 PM, Cosma Colanicchia <cosmacol@gmail.com>
> >>> wrote:
> >>> > Very nice job!
> >>> >
> >>> >
> >>> > 2013/12/6 Mr. Rich <mrrich.net@gmail.com>
> >>> >
> >>> >> Great news Peter,
> >>> >> On Dec 6, 2013 11:42 AM, "Peter Ent" <pent@adobe.com> wrote:
> >>> >>
> >>> >> > Hi,
> >>> >> >
> >>> >> > I've just finished an experiment with pretty good results.
> >>> >> >
> >>> >> > A little while ago I created a first pass at a FlexJS DataGrid.
> >>>This
> >>> >> meant
> >>> >> > building both the ActionScript and the JavaScript components and
> >>>all
> >>> of
> >>> >> > their parts (data model, view, and so forth). Creating a new
> >>>component
> >>> >> for
> >>> >> > FlexJS follows the same pattern: build the component in one
> >>>language
> >>> and
> >>> >> > then build it in the other.
> >>> >> >
> >>> >> > The experiment was to take the ActionScript component and compile
> >>>it
> >>> into
> >>> >> > JavaScript and compare the result with my hand-crafted JavaScript
> >>> >> version.
> >>> >> > Well, the result was a success. Doing this uncovered some issues
> >>>with
> >>> the
> >>> >> > FalconJX compiler that were resolved by either Alex Harui or Erik
> >>>de
> >>> >> Bruin,
> >>> >> > which I think, strengthened the compiler. Once things were ironed
> >>>out,
> >>> >> the
> >>> >> > ActionScript DataGrid compiled cleanly into JavaScript and ran.
> >>> >> >
> >>> >> > This experiment worked for the DataGrid because it is really a
> >>> composite
> >>> >> > component. That is, the DataGrid I created is a Container with a
> >>> >> ButtonBar
> >>> >> > for column headers and Lists for the columns; the DataGrid
> >>> co-ordinates
> >>> >> the
> >>> >> > events between all of the lists. This technique would not work for
> >>> >> > components that have very custom JavaScript requirements or which
> >>>have
> >>> >> > "native" JavaScript/HTML versions (such a Label or a Button).
> >>> >> >
> >>> >> > What this experiment means is that some components - specifically
> >>>ones
> >>> >> > that are composed of existing components - can be created and
> >>>tested
> >>> in
> >>> >> > ActionScript, then cross-compiled into JavaScript to provide a
> >>> fast-path
> >>> >> to
> >>> >> > the JavaScript version. This technique may not work 100% in all
> >>>cases,
> >>> >> but
> >>> >> > what it has shown me is that you can get a lot of good code on the
> >>> >> > JavaScript side from the ActionScript source, at least enough to
> >>> quickly
> >>> >> > finish the JavaScript version.
> >>> >> >
> >>> >> > Regards,
> >>> >> > Peter Ent
> >>> >> > Adobe Systems
> >>> >> >
> >>> >>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> --
> >>> Ix Multimedia Software
> >>>
> >>> Jan Luykenstraat 27
> >>> 3521 VB Utrecht
> >>>
> >>> T. 06-51952295
> >>> I. www.ixsoftware.nl
> >>>
> >
>
>

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