Actionscript 3 authoring tools

I like the Eclipse SDK for other languages like python/java etc for writing code. But the Flash CS4 envir开发者_如何学JAVAonment is not as intuitive (specially the editor). Is there any alternative for writing actionscript?

FlashDevelop is awesome for coding in ActionScript. Check it out at: http://www.flashdevelop.org/wikidocs/index.php?title=Main_Page I find that the code completion in this editor makes development a lot easier than inside Flash.

You might like to try the plugin FDT for Eclipse. It is more powerful than FlashDevelop but not free. IntelliJ ultimate edition is another alternative. I have heard it is good but have not tried it myself.

Flash is awful for flash development.

As a Flash developer there is an accepted workflow of which I use.

Flash to do all your graphics and Flex to do the coding. The way it works, is you simply save the files in the right place, and when you run flash - your code is compiled along with the stage graphics you've made.

There are the alternatives like flashDevelop and FDT (both of which are very good).

I like Flash and Flex development because with cs5 and Flash Buillder (Which is the name of the newest flex builder IDE) they integrate and therefore if you can tell FlashBuilder to start a Flash development application, the two IDE's work in tandem.

Here is a link from gotoandlearn.com of which explains how this works http://gotoandlearn.com/play.php?id=60

Here is a nice diagram of how they interconnect http://www.communitymx.com/content/article.cfm?cid=A2D85

what are the differences between flash cs5 and cs4? Is there a tutorial/example to cs4/cs5/builder working together? – iceman

The differences excite different people dependant upon what you like to do.

Drawing upgrades mostly. Backend stuff we don't see. - The interface is still the same - unfortunately.

For developers who use the actionscript window, there is now autosuggest and better syntax highlighting.

The greatest improvement is only visible if you use Flash Builder. It allows you to debug and inspect elements inside flash whilst using flash builder.

With that in mind I was using Flex Builder <> Flash cs4 workflow for a long time. And although you think it may get tiresome. Its so much easier to work in both than just one.

I code in Flex builder - Alt + Tab to flash and hit run! Once I'm done - flick back to flex builder and continue working.

Flash builder is best for flash based coding also called as flex. flash builder is eclipse based IDE to code RIA in flash.