Fever & FvAsWing update ( rev 121 )

Last update before the new year !

Many updates and news for this release.
Welcome to version 121 of Fever & FvAsWing frameworks.

1. New : Cross Context APIs

What is it ? The idea is one swf development for all production targets.

Thus you can develop only one flash application and release them using basic internet browser, or one of the swf2exe application of your choice.
Fever is released with Browser, ScreenweaverHx and SWF Studio V3 contexts.
Feel free to implement your own, for example the mProjector or Zinc context.
And all without any code modifications !

- Container ( synchron API )

• setTitle() / getTitle()
• setLocation() / getLocation()
• setSize() / getSize()
• setFullScreenMode() / isFullScreenMode()
  

- FileSystem ( synchron API )

• isDirectory()
• createDirectory()
• deleteDirectory()
• renameDirectory()
• isFile()
• renameFile()
• deleteFile()
• readFile()
• writeToFile()
• appendToFile()

1. LocalSharedObject Filesystem simulation
2. PHP FileSystem + XmlHttpRequest call to enable synchron actions. ( still in beta version even if many tested are ok )
   

• ShowFileOpenDialog
• ShowFileSaveDialog
• ShowBrowseFolderDialog
• confirm()
• alert()
• message()

Quick "How to use" samples :

The context to use must be defined as Fever.run() argument like this :

Or you can use an automatic switcher ( Fever checks the correct context to use )

( only works with predefined context, must be updated to allow custom context checking )

More explanations and concrete example in few days.

2. New : Key accelerator mapping

New way to define shortcuts and to control them along the application life.
We can now registers shortcut in a specific place ( data structure ), and this place can be load or unload when you want during life cycle.

Concrete example can be to define some available shortcuts when a window has a focus and another shortcuts when anothers windows get it.

As you can see, 3 types of shortcuts are available in Fever :

• Command shortcut : When shortcut is activated, command is executed
• Event shortcut : When shortcut is activated, event is broadcasted
• Custom type shortcut : When shortcut is activated, do what we want to do

The new FvAsWing class ( in FvAsWing framework ) define a behaviour for FvAsWing.AWSHORTCUT shortcut type.
( Simply call the Component.fireActionEvent() method )
You can easily customize your custom behaviour using the ShortcutMap.addType() method.

3. New : Firebug tracer for Logging API

Enables to log messages throw new FireFox extension named Firebug.

Two specific methods are added to open / close console block if you want.

4. New : ApplicationEvent class

Event structure for all events broadcasted by the application ( using the Cross Context API )

• onFocusChangeEVENT
• onResizeEVENT
• onStateChangeEVENT

Registers to these events using Fever.application.addEventListener() method.

5. Update : Resources.getTranslation() method added

If you work this Resources implementations, you should note that we had to pass the full qualified path to translation node to retreive result.
Now we just have to call MyResource.getTranslation( 'myTranslationID' ) to build a correct node path.

Resources subclass sample :

6. New : FvAsWing class ( FvAsWingStage is removed )

FvAsWing framework as now it main class to init and use properly the Fever / Aswing engine.
Class is responsible of creating correct target movieclip for AsWing components, build a root container for application and register all FvAsWing commands to the Fever Controller ( Front controller implementation ).

7. Update: AsWing Theme manager

New class named FvThemeLocator is dedicated now to register / unregister FvTheme instances now.
Event supported with FvThemeLocator.onChangeEVENT event type broadcasted when a new FvTheme is applied

8. Update: FvAsWingTracer

• Still on top of your application ( even if modal windows are opened )
• List rendering is fix; now render single or multiple lines properly
• new method FvAsWingTracer.connect( channel ) to add tracer has channel listener
  

9. Update: Readers components

Components like FvVideoPlayer, FvPaperReader are updated with new Key mapping feature.
Shortcuts are now available only when window has the focus.

10. New : Template project

A new folder named "Template project" is available on Google SVN
This folder contain necessaries tools / file to play with your Flash application :

• dhtmlHistory.js : allow deep url linking using BrowserHistory class
• swf2object.js : famous javascript file to embded our swf into html page
• config.xml : basic Fever configuration file
• App.hx : basic template for main Haxe application
• HxFeverContext.hx : Fever bridge for Swf <-> Haxe communication
• JSFilesystem.js : JavaScript bridge between PHP and Fever
• PHPJSBridge.php : PHP FileSystem launcher
• PHPFileSystem.php : PHP Core FileSystem
• All needed build files to go faster for swf publishing

11. Last words

As usual you can retreive source code throw Google SVN repository.
A basic ( but complete ) project demo is under construction, hope it will be finished for the first january week.

Happy new years at all, coders, designers... Flash lovers and Flash Community actors... keep up the good work, motivation and ideas;
Make 2007 the biggest Flash year of the decade !

Bye and happy new year again ;)