Chapter 1: Getting Started With Flex Builder; Exploring The Authoring Environment - MACROMEDIA FLEX BUILDER-USING FLEX BUILDER Use Manual

This chapter provides an overview of Macromedia Flex Builder and steps to get started developing
Flex applications.
Flex Builder is an integrated development environment (IDE) for Flex developers. Because it's
tightly integrated with the Macromedia Flex server, the Flex application model, and the Flex
programming languages, Flex Builder can improve the productivity of all members of your
development team.
This guide focuses on Flex Builder. If you're new to Flex, you may want to review
"Basic Flex Concepts," on page
Builder), see Developing Flex Applications Help and the Flex ActionScript and MXML API
Reference Help.
The following topics are covered in this chapter:
•
"Exploring the authoring environment" on page 5
•
"Starting a new application in Flex Builder" on page 9
•
"Defining a site for the Flex Sample Apps application" on page 12
•
"Getting help in Flex Builder" on page 17
•
"What you need to build Flex applications" on page 18
•
"Typographical conventions of this guide" on page 20

Exploring the authoring environment

The Flex Builder IDE lets you write, edit, debug, and preview MXML and ActionScript files, and
includes the following features:
The Start page
information about Flex Builder. For example, you can take a quick tour, explore Flex samples,
take tutorials, and learn about debugging in Flex Builder.
Getting Started with Flex Builder
145. For in-depth information about Flex (as opposed to Flex
provides links to quickly define a site, create and open files, and access useful
CHAPTER 1
Appendix A,
5