Specifications

127ADOBE FLEX 3
Building and Deploying Adobe Flex 3 Applications
Flex Builder project compiler. The Flex Builder application compiler is opened by Flex Builder for Flex Projects
and ActionScript Projects. (The component compiler is used for Library Projects.) It is similar in functionality to
the mxmlc command-line compiler, although the way you set options is different. You use this compiler to
compile Flex Builder projects that you will later deploy. For more information, see “Using the Flex Builder appli-
cation compiler” on page 127.
The mxmlc command-line compiler. You open the mxlmc compiler from the command line to create a SWF file
that you then deploy to a website. Typically, you pass the name of the application’s root MXML file to the compiler.
The output is a SWF file. For more information, see “Using the mxmlc application compiler” on page 128.
Web-tier compiler. The Flex module for Apache and IIS compiler provides web-tier compilation of MXML files
on Apache and IIS web servers. This lets you rapidly compile, test, and deploy an application: instead of compiling
your MXML file into a SWF file and then deploying it and its wrapper files on a web server, you can just refresh
the MXML file in your browser. For more information, see “Using the Flex Module for Apache and IIS” on
page 341.
The Flex Builder compiler and mxmlc compiler have similar sets of options. These are described in “Ab o u t t h e
application compiler options” on page 139.
You can compile applications that are written entirely in ActionScript and contain no MXML. You can compile
these “ActionScript-only” applications with the Flex Builder and mxmlc compilers. You cannot compile Action-
Script-only applications with the web-tier compiler. This compiler requires that there be at least a root application
MXML file.
Using the Flex Builder application compiler
You use the Flex Builder application compiler to create SWF files from MXML, ActionScript, and other source
files. You use this compiler to precompile SWF files that you deploy later, or you can deploy them immediately to
a server running the Flex web application.
To open the Flex Builder application compiler, you select Project > Build. The Flex Builder application compiler
is opened by Flex Builder for Flex Projects and ActionScript Projects. (You use the component compiler for
Library Projects.)
To edit the compiler settings, use the settings on the Project > Properties > Flex Compiler dialog box. For infor-
mation on the compiler options, see “About the application compiler options” on page 139.
The Flex Builder compiler has the same options as the mxmlc compiler. Some options are implemented with GUI
controls in the Flex Compiler dialog box. To set the source path and library options, select Project > Properties >
Flex Build Path and use the Flex Build Path dialog box.
You can set the values of most options in the Additional Compiler Arguments field by using the same syntax as
on the command line. For information about the syntax for setting options in the Flex Compiler dialog box, see
“About the command-line compilers” on page 131.