Comments on: Creating specialized compilers with the Flex Compiler API http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/ Fri, 21 Nov 2008 13:05:55 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: TK http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-7649 TK Fri, 07 Nov 2008 21:16:16 +0000 http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-7649 <p>Awesome. Well that's great to know. Thanks for the great post, Theo!</p> Awesome. Well that’s great to know. Thanks for the great post, Theo!

]]> By: Theo http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-7648 Theo Fri, 07 Nov 2008 20:06:41 +0000 http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-7648 <p>Not unless you really know what you're doing. But the whole thing is open source now so there's nothing stopping you in that respect.</p> Not unless you really know what you’re doing. But the whole thing is open source now so there’s nothing stopping you in that respect.

]]> By: TK http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-7647 TK Fri, 07 Nov 2008 18:14:15 +0000 http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-7647 <p>Theo, thanks for getting back to me. So it's pretty safe to say that the compiler API only supports creating simple "marker" metadata tags, like [Font] or [Test] as you mentioned in your post. Dang, I was actually thinking I could finally create my own system of data binding and build my own AS3 annotation implementation ... :(</p> <p>Is there any way to crack into the actual compiler? I've really got the itch to do some crazy stuff with metadata and AS3 :)</p> Theo, thanks for getting back to me. So it’s pretty safe to say that the compiler API only supports creating simple “marker” metadata tags, like [Font] or [Test] as you mentioned in your post. Dang, I was actually thinking I could finally create my own system of data binding and build my own AS3 annotation implementation … :(

Is there any way to crack into the actual compiler? I’ve really got the itch to do some crazy stuff with metadata and AS3 :)

]]> By: Theo http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-7646 Theo Fri, 07 Nov 2008 13:22:50 +0000 http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-7646 <p>@TK</p> <p>Don't expect a full code example =)</p> <p>If I remember correctly the compiler API doesn't have callbacks for the code parser (or for any part of the compilation for that matter, it's just a front to the compiler), so you can't just plug in and replace metadata tags on the fly while the compiler is parsing the code. Instead you will have to implement your own preprocessor that just scans the code for your metadata tags, and replace these with your generated code.</p> <p>The nice thing about the compiler API is that you don't have to save the preprocessed code, you can use it from memory via "virtual files" (as I seem to remember the name was, you have to look it up in the documentation).</p> @TK

Don’t expect a full code example =)

If I remember correctly the compiler API doesn’t have callbacks for the code parser (or for any part of the compilation for that matter, it’s just a front to the compiler), so you can’t just plug in and replace metadata tags on the fly while the compiler is parsing the code. Instead you will have to implement your own preprocessor that just scans the code for your metadata tags, and replace these with your generated code.

The nice thing about the compiler API is that you don’t have to save the preprocessed code, you can use it from memory via “virtual files” (as I seem to remember the name was, you have to look it up in the documentation).

]]> By: TK http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-7643 TK Fri, 07 Nov 2008 02:31:39 +0000 http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-7643 <p>Theo, how would I create my own implementation of Bindable in the flex compiler API? I'm kind of confused by the whole metadata thing.</p> Theo, how would I create my own implementation of Bindable in the flex compiler API? I’m kind of confused by the whole metadata thing.

]]> By: TK http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-7642 TK Fri, 07 Nov 2008 01:12:33 +0000 http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-7642 <p>This is absolutely brilliant. I've been wanting to crack open the compiler and change some stuff, and this is exactly what I need to get started. Thanks so much!</p> <ul> <li>TK</li> </ul> This is absolutely brilliant. I’ve been wanting to crack open the compiler and change some stuff, and this is exactly what I need to get started. Thanks so much!

  • TK
]]> By: Theo http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-6210 Theo Sun, 13 Apr 2008 14:25:08 +0000 http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-6210 <p>I've thought about doing something like that. I was going to go for a Java app because I'd like to automate the naming of the fonts and so on and I think there are libraries for doing that in Java (after all the Flex compiler does it). Then there is the issue that the compiler has to be a Java app and AIR applications can't call external applications so that seems to make Java the only choice. I'd rather do it in AIR, of course.</p> I’ve thought about doing something like that. I was going to go for a Java app because I’d like to automate the naming of the fonts and so on and I think there are libraries for doing that in Java (after all the Flex compiler does it). Then there is the issue that the compiler has to be a Java app and AIR applications can’t call external applications so that seems to make Java the only choice. I’d rather do it in AIR, of course.

]]> By: Bjorn Schultheiss http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-6209 Bjorn Schultheiss Sun, 13 Apr 2008 14:00:13 +0000 http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-6209 <p>Champion article..</p> <p>One of the best i've read in a while.</p> <p>I wonder if you could bundle the compiler in an air application. Coupled with File system access you could probably have an app where you select a few ttf files and can generate the final swf?</p> Champion article..

One of the best i’ve read in a while.

I wonder if you could bundle the compiler in an air application. Coupled with File system access you could probably have an app where you select a few ttf files and can generate the final swf?

]]> By: Jun Heider http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-5801 Jun Heider Wed, 19 Mar 2008 23:33:25 +0000 http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-5801 <p>Theo,</p> <p>This is an intensely rocking article! Other than the very good information on custom compiler api, you put in one of the best explainations of custom metadata and it's benefits that I've seen.</p> <p>Thanks!</p> Theo,

This is an intensely rocking article! Other than the very good information on custom compiler api, you put in one of the best explainations of custom metadata and it’s benefits that I’ve seen.

Thanks!

]]> By: ethan http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-5799 ethan Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:23:55 +0000 http://blog.iconara.net/2008/03/18/creating-specialized-compilers-with-the-flex-compiler-api/#comment-5799 <p>Do you think that this could be used for user defined css? I'm thinking of an app allowing the user to select colors and other stuff to style a flex runtime swf. I was stumped on how to take the css code and convert it to an swf that could be targeted by the flex runtime swf without having me converting each one for my users.</p> Do you think that this could be used for user defined css? I’m thinking of an app allowing the user to select colors and other stuff to style a flex runtime swf. I was stumped on how to take the css code and convert it to an swf that could be targeted by the flex runtime swf without having me converting each one for my users.

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