MACROMEDIA FLASH MX 2004-USING ACTIONSCRIPT IN FLASH Use Manual page 128

Using projects
You can group multiple files into a single project file using the Project panel in Flash MX
Professional 2004. This helps simplify application building, where managing related files could
get complex and confusing. You can define a site for your work, create a Flash Project file (FLP),
and then upload everything to the server so that a team can work on the project.
Version control features help you ensure that you use the correct current files when authoring,
and that certain files are not overwritten. When multiple authors work on the same project, you
can check that only one person has the file checked out and, during that time, another person
cannot overwrite the file.
You can likely use your current source control software with Flash, but you might not be able to
integrate it with the Project panel. Microsoft Visual SourceSafe is currently supported. Other
software programs can manage and control your Flash documents, but you probably cannot
integrate them with the Project panel. For more information on projects in Flash, see "Creating
and managing projects (Flash Professional only)" in Using Flash.
Using version control
Version control lets you check files in and out of your repository, and check that only one person
is working on a file at a certain time. Other benefits include the ability to revert to older versions
of the files, so if your FLA file becomes corrupted or spontaneously stops working, you can revert
to an older (working) version.
There are certain ways that you can organize your project's workflow. This section describes the
best practices to follow when working with Flash projects and version control. For more
information on using version control in Flash, see "Using version control with projects (Flash
Professional only)" in Using Flash.
Administrating projects
Assign an administrator to the project. This individual is responsible for creating and maintaining
the project's structure. For example, documents are split up logically using folders to combine
similar files. Typically, several authors work on one Flash project. The administrator confirms
changes that are made to the project's structure, which encourages project stability.
Caution: The administrator is the only person who changes the project file and structure.
The project's administrator defines the site, and creates the Flash Project (FLP), main FLA
document, and any subdirectories for the project's assets. These directories might include media,
images, or classes that dynamically load into the project. The administrator uploads everything to
the server. The administrator also creates a clear structure for the project, and communicates how
it works and where to add additional assets (such as class and image files) to everyone who is
working on the application.
128 Chapter 3: Using Best Practices