Adobe Flash Builder 4 Standard (Win/Mac) Upgrade

Adobe Flash Builder 4 (formerly Adobe Flex Builder) software is designed to help software developers rapidly develop cross-platform rich Internet applications (RIAs) and content using the open source Flex framework. It includes support for intelligent coding, debugging, and visual design and features powerful testing tools that speed up development and lead to higher performing applications.

Adobe Flash Builder 4 software can help you accelerate development, build higher performing applications, and more easily integrate new projects with your existing infrastructure. This feature-packed release is a must-have upgrade for Flex developers, providing significant benefits for developing applications using both the Flex 3 framework and the new Flex 4 framework, including improved workflow for developers and designers through integration with the new Adobe Flash Catalyst interaction design tool.

TOP FEATURES

• Powerful coding tools:Enhanced-Develop using a powerful Eclipse based IDE that includes editors for MXML, the ActionScript language, and CSS, as well as syntax coloring, statement completion, code collapse, interactive step-through debugging, and automatic generation of common code.
• Rich visual layout:Enhanced-Visually design and preview user interface layout, appearance, and behavior using a rich library of built-in components. Extend the built-in Flex framework components or create new ones as needed. Import functional application UI created using the Adobe Flash Catalyst interaction design tool.
• Data-centric development:New-Introspect Java, PHP, Adobe ColdFusion, REST, and SOAP services to display methods and properties in the new Data/Service Explorer. Bind methods to UI components using a simple drag-and-drop approach.
• Interactive data visualization:Enhanced-Create data dashboards and interactive data analysis by simply dragging and dropping a chart type and linking it to a data source using the Flex Charting library. Use the powerful Advanced Datagrid to enable users to explore complex data.
• Skinning and styling:Enhanced-Customize the appearance of an application using CSS and graphical property editors. Quickly set the most commonly used properties and preview the results in Design View. Browse available themes and apply them to your project using the new Theme Browser.
• Integration with Adobe Creative Suite design tools:Enhanced-Import design assets created using Adobe Flash Professional, Illustrator, Photoshop, or Fireworks software, or import a complete application user interface created using Flash Catalyst. A new workflow between Flash Professional and Flash Builder facilitates importing and updating custom Flex components.
• Native support for Adobe AIR: Create applications for the Adobe AIR runtime with Flash Builder 4, including all the tools required to build, debug, package, and sign AIR applications. Adobe AIR lets you quickly develop RIAs for the desktop using the same skills and codebase you use to build RIAs for the browser.
• Code refactoring:Enhanced-Quickly navigate through code or restructure it by renaming all references to a class, method, or variable. Flash Builder 4 adds move refactoring.
• Powerful testing tools:Enhanced-Accelerate application performance using memory and performance profilers that monitor and analyze memory consumption and CPU cycles. Support for automated functional testing tools such as HP QuickTest Professional is also available.
• Network Monitor:New-Generate a detailed audit trail of all data passed between the local Flex application and the back end, assisting with debugging and performance tuning.
• Advanced data services:Enhanced-Use open source BlazeDS to add binary, high-performance, HTTP-based data transport, or add the Adobe LiveCycle Data Services ES2 module for real-time data push and pub/sub messaging.
• Command line build:New-Use the new command line build capability to automate your build process.
• Flex unit testing integration:New-Automate functional testing using the Flex unit testing framework.
• ASDoc support:New-Display comments in MXML and ActionScript editors using ASDoc.

NEW FEATURES

• Data-centric development: Introspect Java, PHP, Adobe ColdFusion, REST, and SOAP services to display methods and properties in the new Data/Service Explorer. Bind methods to UI components using a simple drag-and-drop approach.
• Integration with Adobe Flash Catalyst: Import Flex Projects (FXPs) created using Adobe Flash Catalyst software, saving time and improving the quality of the user experience. FXPs contain functional UI elements, including MXML, ActionScript language coding, component skins, and graphical assets, enabling developers to focus on core application logic.
  • Command line build: Use the new command line build capability to automate your build process.
• Flex unit testing integration: Automate functional testing using the Flex unit testing framework.
• Automatic generation of common code: Automatically generate code for accessor functions (getters and setters) and event handlers to speed up development of commonly used functions.
• Code refactoring:Enhanced-Quickly navigate through code or restructure it by renaming all references to a class, method, or variable. Flash Builder 4 adds move refactoring.
• Rich visual layout:Enhanced-Visually design and preview user interface layout, appearance, and behavior using a rich library of built-in components. Extend the built-in Flex framework components or create new ones as needed.
• Debugger improvements:Enhanced-Set conditional breakpoints, evaluate expressions, and set watchpoints on variables to halt execution on value change. Use the Expressions view to watch variables selected in the Variables view and to add/evaluate watch expressions. Break out of a loop during a debugging session using run to line.
• Custom templates: Customize default information contained in new MXML, ActionScript, and CSS files, such as author and date, introductory comments, copyright information, opening and closing tags and attributes, ActionScript declarations, namespace prefixes, and more.
• Flex Theme Browser: Easily browse and import Flex themes and apply them to your project.
• ASDoc support: Display comments in MXML and ActionScript editors using ASDoc.
• Adobe Flash Professional workflow: Import and update custom Flex components using the new workflow between Adobe Flash Professional software and Flash Builder 4.
• Skinning and styling:Enhanced-Customize the appearance of an application using CSS and graphical property editors. Quickly set the most commonly used properties and preview the results in Design View.
• Part of Creative Suite 5 Web Premium: Expand your development with Adobe Fireworks, Illustrator, Photoshop Extended, and a comprehensive set of tools for the Adobe Flash Platform.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Flash Builder 4 for Windows (Standard and Premium editions)

• 2GHz or faster processor
• Microsoft Windows XP with Service Pack 3, Windows Vista Ultimate or Enterprise (32 or 64 bit running in 32-bit mode), Windows Server 2008 (32 bit), or Windows 7 (32 or 64 bit running in 32-bit mode)
• 1GB of RAM (2GB recommended)
• 1GB of available hard-disk space
• Java Virtual Machine (32 bit): IBM JRE 1.5, Sun JRE 1.5, IBM JRE 1.6, or Sun JRE 1.6
• 1024x768 display (1280x800 recommended) with 16-bit video card
• DVD-ROM drive
• Eclipse 3.4.2 or 3.5 (for plug-in installation)

Flash Builder 4 for Mac OS (Standard and Premium editions)

• Intel processor
• Mac OS X v10.5.6 -10.6
• 1GB of RAM (2GB recommended)
• 1GB of available hard-disk space
• Java Virtual Machine (32 bit): JRE 1.5 or 1.6
• 1024x768 display (1280x800 recommended) with 16-bit video card
• DVD-ROM drive
• Eclipse 3.4.2 or 3.5 Carbon version (for plug-in installation)

Flash Builder 4 data-centric development features

• Adobe ColdFusion server: ColdFusion 8.0.1 or 9
• J2EE server: BlazeDS 4 or Adobe LiveCycle Data Services 3
• PHP server: PHP 5.2 or Zend Framework 1.9.4 (included with Flash Builder 4)
• Web services: WSDL 1.1

Flex 4 SDK

• Windows XP Professional with Service Pack 2 or 3, Windows 7 (32 bit), or Windows Vista (32 bit)
• Mac OS X v10.5.6-10.6 (Intel only)
• Ubuntu 9.10
• Fedora Core 12

Language versions
Adobe Flash Builder 4 software is available in the following languages:

• Chinese Simplified
• English
• French
• German
• Japanese
• Russian