Next open Visual Web Developer and open a Web Site in the same location as the Flex Builder project.  Open web.config and make sure you have <compilation debug=”true”> (this inserts debugging symbols for the .NET code).

Now we need to use the same ASP.NET Developer Server for both the Flex Builder and Visual Web Developer. Since by default both tools try to start one instance we need a little trick to do that:

Start the MXML project through Flex Builder; this will start ASP.NET Developer Server usually on port 3000. Then go to Visual Web Developer; on Project Property Page (Right Click on the Project in the Solution Explorer) click Start Options and select Use Custom Server and enter http://localhost:3000/testDotNet/

Start also the .NET project just to connect the Visual Web Developer to the ASP.NET Developer Server instance. Now you will be able to debug both Flex and .NET code:

• the application is BIG
• The guys that wrote it are on a time zone 10 hours away

So I was basically on my own to identify visual elements, figure out what the actual layout is and where it is defined.

So I came up with this trick to get a sense on how this application is built:

In the capture phase, the visual events in AS3 are dispatched from the root ancestor to the target. This means that the Application container receive all events. So I registered a listener on the Application container that analyzes these events, finds the actual target and then displays the entire display stack that contains the target object. This helped me identify what AS class represents which visual element and in what container this element is placed.

Here’s is my little bit of code that does this:

public function initTrace(app:WindowedApplication):void {

    app.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MIDDLE_CLICK,middleClickHandler,true);

}

public function middleClickHandler(event:MouseEvent) {

    var tm:Object = event.target;

    var tab:String = "";

    traceObj(tab,tm);

    var tmParent:DisplayObject = tm as DisplayObject;

    while (tmParent != null) {

        tab += "  ";

        traceObj(tab,tmParent);

        tmParent = tmParent.parent;

    }

}

public function traceObj(tab:String,obj:Object):void {

    trace(tab + getQualifiedClassName(obj));

    if (obj is UIComponent) {

        var tmUI:UIComponent = obj as UIComponent;

        trace(tab+tmUI.getStyle("fontFamily") + ":" + tmUI.getStyle("fontSize"));

    }

}

You just need to call the initTrace method on Application.applicationComplete:

<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"

    layout="absolute" applicationComplete="initTrace(this)">

These days I was looking into Flex and PHP and naturally I started by trying to configure my environment so I can debug this. My goal was to be able to to debug both Flex code and PHP code, to track the dataflow through a server request. I’ve tried different solutions, and here is the simpler one:

Solution

First installed Zend Studio for Eclipse (http://www.zend.com/en/products/studio/downloads). Make sure you install also the Zend Studio Toolbar for your browser.

Next installed the Flex Builder Plugin from (http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/tdrc/index.cfm?product=flex_eclipse) and choose as Eclipse location the folder where you installed Zend Studio (Usually c:\Program Files\Zend\Zend Studio for Eclipse – 6.0.0\ for my Windows machine). You might get the following warning:

You just need to follow the 3 steps and it should be fine.

The next thing is to install the Zend Debugger server. I found a good tutorial here so I will not get into much detail.

Now we will create a combined Flex + PHP Project:

• New -> Flex Project
• Choose PHP as Application Server Type

I will use the following MXML File:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>

<mx:Application xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml" layout="absolute" applicationComplete="initApp()">

    <mx:Script>

        <![CDATA[

            import mx.rpc.events.ResultEvent;

            import mx.rpc.http.HTTPService;

            var gateway:HTTPService = new HTTPService();

            function initApp() {

                gateway.url = "hello.php";

                gateway.method = "POST";

                gateway.useProxy = false;

                gateway.addEventListener(ResultEvent.RESULT, resultHandler);

            }

            function sendRequest():void {

                gateway.request =  {"name":enteredName.text};

                gateway.send();

            }

            function resultHandler(e:ResultEvent):void {

                myText.text = e.result.toString();

            }

        ]]>

    </mx:Script>

    <mx:Button x="301.5" y="10" label="Send" click="sendRequest()"/>

    <mx:Text id="myText" x="10" y="62" width="493" height="181" fontFamily="Arial" fontSize="36"/>

    <mx:Label x="10" y="12" text="Enter Your Name:"/>

    <mx:TextInput id="enteredName" x="121" y="10"/>

</mx:Application>

and a little hello.php.

<?php

    $name = $_POST['name'];

    echo "Hello $name !";

?>

As a little note, I create the PHP files directly in the bin-debug folder which is a link to the real folder on your local Web Server.

Now to debug the whole thing:

• From the Flex perspective I choose Debug As -> Flex Application.
• On the browser go on the Zend Studio Toobar and click on Debug.
• If there are checked menu items uncheck them first.
• Check the All Pages on this site

• put some breakpoints both in flex and in php code:

• Now when you click the Send button in the application you will hit both breakpoints.

I will try to get this working also with Flex Builder and PDT and post an eventual solution. I managed to get something working with Zend Server Debugger with it’s too unstable to call it a solution.