Intro to the QuickJump plugin

I'm proud to announce the release of my newest plugin: QuickJump! This should work with any JetBrains product (Intellij, WebStorm, PhpStorm, etc).



Hope you like it :)

Launch Corona Simulator from IntelliJ

Watch this video to learn how to launch that script from IntelliJ using a keyboard shortcut.


Windows:
Download this script and save it anywhere (I saved mine as "CoronaLauncher.vbs"). You'll reference it from the external tools in IntelliJ.




Mac: (If you get this working, please post in the comments if there's any tricks you need to do)
Link to the AppleScript code used in the TextMate bundle:
https://github.com/osadchuk/Corona-SDK.tmbundle/blob/master/Commands/Run%20Simulator.tmCommand




Here's a screenshot of the External Tools setup:

PatternCraft - Builder Pattern

This PatternCraft tutorial explores the Builder Pattern in the context of building out maps in Starcraft:

PatternCraft - Adapter Pattern

PatternCraft is a series of video tutorials which uses Starcraft references to teach Design Patterns. This tutorial covers the Adapter Pattern by showing how to add Mario and Sonic to Starcraft.

PatternCraft - The Differences Between the Bridge, State, and Strategy Patterns

I've already covered the state pattern and the strategy pattern, but many people find it difficult to distinguish between the two. I put this tutorial together to help highlight the differences. I also included the bridge pattern because, although it's not a "behavioral pattern", it's usage is very similar and helps show how different these patterns really are.

Using Flex Formatter with IntelliJ

Flex Formatter is one of my favorite plugins for FlashBuilder, unfortunately there's no plugin version for IntelliJ.

But thanks to IntelliJ's "External Tools", you're able to use any tool that can be run from the command line (think apparat, sprouts, etc) and execute it with a keyboard shortcut within IntelliJ! The video below shows you how:




Running FlexFormatter from the Command Line:
http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/flexformatter/index.php?title=FormatterCommandLine

Download the files below:

FlexFormatterJars:
http://sourceforge.net/projects/flexformatter/files/flexformatter/0.8.4/FlexPrettyPrintCommand_0.8.4.zip/download

CommandLineSupportJars: http://sourceforge.net/projects/flexformatter/files/flexformatter/CommandLineSupportJars/commandLineSupportJars.zip/download

Sample Formatter.properties file:
https://github.com/as3/as3-utils/raw/master/res/flex-formatter.properties

PatternCraft - Proxy Pattern

PatternCraft is a series of video tutorials that use StarCraft references to teach Design Patterns.

This video is the seventh in the series and covers the Proxy Pattern.



Source is here: http://github.com/johnlindquist/johnlindquist.com/tree/master/ProxyPatternDemo/src/

PatternCraft – Decorator Pattern

PatternCraft is a series of video tutorials that use StarCraft references to teach Design Patterns.

This video is the sixth in the series and covers the Decorator Pattern.


Source is here: http://github.com/johnlindquist/johnlindquist.com/tree/master/DecoratorPatternDemo/src/

IDE Showdown Summary

My presentation at MAX went well. I just wanted to do a wrap-up to put this baby to rest so I can get back to focusing on tutorials. Also, any future “IDE” posts will be more about demonstrating features or general news rather than comparing one against another (at least that’s the plan).

So, in conclusion:

FlashBuilder ($699 for Premium: Windows and Mac) – Use FlashBuilder if you’re dependant on Adobe’s workflow. Having simple solutions around Catalyst, Flash Pro, AIR for Android, etc, are all your #1 priority

FDT ($699 for MAX: Windows, Mac, and Linux) – Use FDT if you build many Flash sites in a short amount of time. Speed is the key, so project templates, set-up time, and “quick fixes” are your power tools

IntelliJ ($599 for Commercial: Windows, Mac, and Linux) – Use IntelliJ if you’re on big projects that last months with large teams. IntelliJ’s refactoring tools, history tools, multiple language support, and much more make it a powerhouse for keeping your big machine running smoothly.

FlashDevelop (Free and Open-Source: Windows only) – Install FlashDevelop now. You’ll love it. The most responsive and light-weight of all the editors and you can take the source and extend it to your heart’s content. It might not be as fully-featured as other editors, but it’s darn close.

Realaxy ($99 Windows, Mac, and Linux) – Use Realaxy if you’re the type of guy who sees the value of language-oriented programming. If you’re expecting the same old IDE features, you’ll be disappointed. If you’re expecting a revolution in the way you think about code (for better or for worse), then you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Amethyst ($249 Windows) – Use Amethyst if Design View is critical to your workflow and you’re already set up shop around Visual Studio.

This is all subject to change over the next year, so maybe I’ll do a state-of-the-IDE address at the end of each year. But until then, keep having fun defending your preferred IDE :)

PatternCraft – Mediator Pattern vs. Framework Mediators

*quick note - this video compares the Mediator Pattern to using Mediators in the Robotlegs framework. I start with a simple demo and refactor to both approaches so there is A LOT of simple code being thrown around to show you how you can do the same thing in so many different ways.

Hey guys, I've been trying to catch up on sleep the past couple weeks while trying to shake this cold. Hopefully I can get back on track to releasing a video per week now that I'm feeling better.

Anyway, this Mediator Pattern video really has very little to do with Starcraft since it's all about linking up buttons and a textfield. If you'd like, you can pretend I opened Starcraft and demoed the menu system or something if that makes you feel better ;)

You can watch it in the player below or just download it here to watch however you'd like:


Other PatternCraft tutorials:
Visitor Pattern
Memento Pattern
Command Pattern
State Pattern
Strategy Pattern

PatternCraft – Visitor Pattern

PatternCraft is a series of video tutorials that use StarCraft references to teach Design Patterns.

This video is the fifth in the series and covers the Visitor Pattern.


Other PatternCraft tutorials:
Mediator Pattern
Memento Pattern
Command Pattern
State Pattern
Strategy Pattern

Source is here: http://github.com/johnlindquist/johnlindquist.com/tree/master/VisitorPatternDemo/src/

PatternCraft – Memento Pattern

PatternCraft is a series of video tutorials that use StarCraft references to teach Design Patterns.

This video is the fourth in the series and covers the Memento Pattern.


Other PatternCraft tutorials:
Mediator Pattern
Visitor Pattern
Command Pattern
State Pattern
Strategy Pattern

Source is here: http://github.com/johnlindquist/johnlindquist.com/tree/master/MementoPatternDemo/src/

PatternCraft – Command Pattern

PatternCraft is a series of video tutorials that use StarCraft references to teach Design Patterns.

This video is the third in the series and covers the Command Pattern.


Other PatternCraft tutorials:
Mediator Pattern
Visitor Pattern
Memento Pattern
State Pattern
Strategy Pattern

Source is here: http://github.com/johnlindquist/johnlindquist.com/tree/master/CommandPatternDemo/src/

PatternCraft - State Pattern

PatternCraft is a series of video tutorials that use StarCraft references to teach Design Patterns.

This video is the second in the series and covers the State Pattern. You can watch it in the player below or just download it here to watch however you'd like:


Other PatternCraft tutorials:
Mediator Pattern
Visitor Pattern
Memento Pattern
Command Pattern
Strategy Pattern

Source is here: http://github.com/johnlindquist/johnlindquist.com/tree/master/StatePatternDemo/src/

PatternCraft – Strategy Pattern

PatternCraft is a series of video tutorials that use StarCraft references to teach Design Patterns.

This video is the first in the series and covers the Strategy Pattern. You can watch it in the player below or just download it here to watch however you'd like:

Visitor Pattern
Memento Pattern
Command Pattern
State Pattern

Source is here: http://github.com/johnlindquist/johnlindquist.com/tree/master/StategyPatternDemo/src/

FDT vs. IntelliJ - Class Generation

[pro-player type="mp4"]http://j0hn.org/videos//fdt-vs-intellij-class-generation.mp4[/pro-player]

*Notes - this video is only focusing on class generation. Both FDT and IntelliJ have many more features around their respective "Quick Fix" and "Show Intention Actions" shortcuts (e.g., overriding methods/implementing methods, etc) that I'll cover in later videos.

IntelliJ IDEA - Refactoring

[pro-player type="mp4"]http://j0hn.org/videos//intellij-refactoring.mp4[/pro-player]


You can see a list of some of the additional refactoring features coming in the next release of IntelliJ IDEA here. If you're a java developer, these refactoring features (and even more) are already available (yes, we're jealous).

*Notes - If you have a keen eye, you may have noticed my memory usage in IntelliJ getting pretty high while I was recording. Rest assured this was because I have 4 instances of IntelliJ running with multiple projects I was working on today on my other monitor and forgot to close them before I started recording.

If you're interested in the "art" of refactoring to clean up "code smell", I HIGHLY recommend the book "Refactoring" by Martin Fowler (that's one of the books I always keep in my "recommended books" sidebar widget)

IntelliJ IDEA – Debugging

[pro-player type="mp4"]http://j0hn.org/videos//intellij-debugging.mp4[/pro-player]

*update - @nicity pointed out on twitter that I missed the "Smart Step Into" feature that allows you, if you have multiple function calls on the same line, to select which function you will step into while debugging.

What’s the Best ActionScript IDE?

This post is the introduction to an upcoming set of video demonstrations I will be recording to compare ActionScript IDEs. Please stay tuned over the following weeks to see the results.

The title of this post is a pretty loaded question without a clear answer. Over the next few weeks, I will introduce you to the reasons why you would choose a certain editor over another. For now, here’s a summary of your main options:

FlashBuilder (formerly known as FlexBuilder)

FlashBuilder caters to a certain crowd. Believe it or not, the #1 requested feature for FlashBuilder is improvements for “Design View”. Quite frankly, if find yourself spending most of your time in “Design View”, you’re probably perfectly happy using FlashBuilder and none of my arguments could convince you switch.

You can easily see Adobe’s strategy for developing FlashBuilder by watching any of their “build an RIA in 5 minutes” videos: 1. Create your forms in Design View, 2. Bind to some data using the Service Wizards, 3. Bingo! You have an Employee Directory App!

Also, since Adobe controls the Flex and AIR SDKs, they’ll always be first-to-market to support the latest and greatest features in FlashBuilder (as well as exploiting those features in their marketing).

Now, if you’ve found this development process lacking and think the features for everyday code writing/refactoring leave something to be desired, then you’ll definitely be interested in the time-saving and power features of other environments.

 

Closing Notes – Adobe’s recent move to only include the “standard” edition of FlashBuilder in CS5 Master Collection was extremely disappointing. There’s a great plugin from ElementRiver called SourceMate which actually makes FlashBuilder worth considering as a code editor. I honestly never gave SourceMate a fair chance since I found many of their dialog boxes annoying when I was on the beta. *update* – you can watch some screencasts of SourceMate’s features here. I’ll do a general review of the final build of SourceMate once I’ve chipped away at my current list of planned videos. */update* Lastly, there are plenty of Adobe videos showing off FlashBuilder, so my futures posts will only ever mention what I find lacking about FlashBuilder.

FDT - “Pure Coding Comfort”

Making the switch from FlashBuilder to FDT can almost seem magical. I’ve heard time and again that people who watch my introduction to Robotlegs video (which features many FDT shortcuts) are blown away by the speed at which you can crank out code.

If you’re anything like me, you spend 90% of your day with your IDE open. If you consider the incredible time-savings you get from that little “Quick Fix” dialog that lets you generate Classes/Fields/etc, you’ll instantly recognize the value of using FDT over FlashBuilder.

FDT has always focused on being the best ActionScript IDE around and have recently made a big push for supporting MXML markup for Flex 3 (and soon Flex 4). Also, they’re recent announcement of plugin support could get really interesting assuming the community steps up. I know I have a few things I’d love to work with them on.

I do have quite a few minor gripes about FDT, but most of them revolve around Eclipse limitations. I’ll get into those gripes in later posts. (I’ve never developed for Eclipse, so I don’t know how the future of Eclipse could help or hurt FDT…) The major gripe (and I know I’m not the only one) is their pricing scheme. I hate software pricing that’s broken into tiers. I understand the arguments for a pure/pro/enterprise (like Windows 7 home/pro/ultimate) and it’s obvious they’re trying to match FlashBuilder’s pricing matrix. In all honesty, the only reason I have an FDT license is because they give free licenses to open-source contributors. I definitely recommend taking advantage of their promotion right now to beta-test the Enterprise version of FDT4 for free until the final release especially to check out their new proflier.

Closing Notes – The addition of plugin support and potentially haxe support makes the future of FDT very exciting. I really hope they can get the community involved with plugins by providing the documentation and support needed for that kind of effort. Lastly, my future posts about FDT will mainly focus on comparisons between FDT and other editors to see where FDT shines and falls short.

IntelliJ IDEA - “Develop with Pleasure”

IntelliJ has historically been a fairly popular Java IDE (it’s actually called “IDEA”, but I think “IDEA” is a silly name for an IDE so I call it “IntelliJ”). The major difference between IntelliJ and FlashBuilder/FDT is that it is not based on Eclipse. So, when you open IntelliJ for the first time, you’re in very unfamiliar territory. I will actually be spending most of my time over the coming weeks talking about the features of IntelliJ to show you that learning a new “non-Eclipse” environment could be worth it to you. Besides, since IntelliJ isn’t Eclipse-based, you can have a project open in both FDT and IntelliJ at the same time to give you the best of both worlds.

It’s very apparent that IntelliJ is a “language agnostic” editor. What I mean by that is ActionScript/Flex support is more of a by product of IntelliJ supporting any language rather than focusing on supporting ActionScript (like FDT has done). You can read more about their support for various languages here. It’s a pleasure jumping between ActionScript, JavaScript, PHP, HTML, etc, and having everything work as expected (including crazy features like refactoring a JavaScript method to see it update in your HTML file!).

IntelliJ is moving very fast in improving their support for ActionScript/MXML. (I imagine they’re simply using their previous functionality for supporting JavaScript and XML then targeting the Flex SDK. This is obvious when changing the color styles for ActionScript and MXML). But also things like analyzing/inspecting/refactoring code (and other heavy-duty features) just work out of the box because those features were already there for other languages.

Even though IntelliJ isn’t as “pure coding comfort” as FDT for ActionScript development, I’m excited to show of some of the features you would have never known were possible unless someone showed you.

Closing Notes – In the interest of full disclosure, I have been talking with Jetbrains (the makers of IntelliJ) about getting paid to make videos for them so they can get more exposure. They mentioned they only wanted unbiased videos that show both the good and the bad. I’m perfectly content including those videos in this discussion (even if I do get paid) since I won’t be holding back on my opinion where they are lacking compared to FDT.

FlashDevelop

I’ve got to give a shout out to the FREE and OPEN-SOURCE FlashDevelop. They’ve been around for about 5 years now and have released steady updates (even through the transition from AS2 to AS3). It’s a fairly simple editor that doesn’t really compare feature-wise to FDT or IntelliJ, but it’s a solid, reliable editor that can get the job done for many scenarios.

If price is your main concern, then FlashDevelop is an excellent choice (although if you’re a student, you can grab FlashBuilder for free too). You can download and read more about the latest release here.

Flash Professional

The Flash Professional IDE is a great tool for designing Flash sites, but even Adobe recommends you buy FlashBuilder to supplement your coding experience.

Others: TextMate, VI, e-texteditor, Notepad++, etc, etc

Dear Hardcore Ninja Devs, I realize you love your templates, shortcuts, bundles, commands, etc, etc, and you’re probably so hard set in your ways you’ll never change, so just keep on truckin’.

Realaxy

Realaxy is a completely different approach to writing code (Language Oriented Programming vs. Object Oriented Programming) which makes it very difficult to compare to other editors. Realaxy is still in beta, but is showing great potential. I promise to talk about it more once it gets closer to release.

Dark Intellij IDEA Theme for ActionScript

I get tired of my color schemes every couple of months. I put this new dark color theme together a couple of days ago and figured I’d share it here in case anyone else was interested. Just download then import into Intellij.

Download Dark Intellij IDEA Theme