GENERATING AS3 CODE Adam Breindel [email_address]

Motivation Porting a Large App Multiple Object “Projections” Infrastructure domain Rendering domain Conceptual (user-facing) problem domain User facing domain leant to UML modeling Made several tries to get it right -- rewriting

Porting a Large App

Multiple Object “Projections”

Infrastructure domain

Rendering domain

Conceptual (user-facing) problem domain

User facing domain leant to UML modeling

Made several tries to get it right -- rewriting

Solution We’re discussing with UML on a whiteboard So… Let’s use a UML tool and gen code Quick Demo

We’re discussing with UML on a whiteboard

So…

Let’s use a UML tool and gen code

Quick Demo

Lots of UML tools Legacy of the process-based OO of the 90s Cost cutting and move to agile processes results in many light, free tools

Legacy of the process-based OO of the 90s

Cost cutting and move to agile processes results in many light, free tools

Not a Lot of AS3 New langage Owned by one vendor Was 1 commercial tool (now 2 or so) Not free: $300-$400 per seat

New langage

Owned by one vendor

Was 1 commercial tool (now 2 or so)

Not free: $300-$400 per seat

Hack a UML Tool… Picked Cay Horstmann’s Violet UML Very lightweight! Used in academia All Java, appeared easy to hack Not the only choice, but fine for our purpose

Picked Cay Horstmann’s Violet UML

Very lightweight!

Used in academia

All Java, appeared easy to hack

Not the only choice, but fine for our purpose

… to Generate ActionScript 3 Super Hack Way Write code to print strings out to files Doesn’t leverage language structure to DRY Has no hope of reverse engineering code – requires totally separate parser Sophistimicated Way Use a meta-language API built with a parser generator … kind of like using half the guts of a compiler

Super Hack Way

Write code to print strings out to files

Doesn’t leverage language structure to DRY

Has no hope of reverse engineering code – requires totally separate parser

Sophistimicated Way

Use a meta-language API built with a parser generator … kind of like using half the guts of a compiler

Enter Metaas By David Holroyd Java API wrapping an ANTLR-generated AS3 processor http://www.badgers-in-foil.co.uk/projects/metaas/

By David Holroyd

Java API wrapping an ANTLR-generated AS3 processor

http://www.badgers-in-foil.co.uk/projects/metaas/

Required Minimal Monkeying Building Metaas from source to get latest fixes requires ANTLR ANTLR was in between versions 2 and 3 But now Metaas has a new version (0.8) And ANTLR is most definitely in v3 And anyway ANTLR is exceptionally cool!

Building Metaas from source to get latest fixes requires ANTLR

ANTLR was in between versions 2 and 3

But now Metaas has a new version (0.8)

And ANTLR is most definitely in v3

And anyway ANTLR is exceptionally cool!

Grammar Tool (Eye Candy)

Simple-ish Integration Add a menu item for export to AS3 Find all the objects and relationships Generate an object for each class, interface Modify the class declaration based on Packages in diagrams Parent classes / interfaces in diagram For each class or interface Generate methods, fields, properties Flush to file

Add a menu item for export to AS3

Find all the objects and relationships

Generate an object for each class, interface

Modify the class declaration based on

Packages in diagrams

Parent classes / interfaces in diagram

For each class or interface

Generate methods, fields, properties

Flush to file

Upgrade Updated to use re-skinned extended version of Violet Can run via JNLP or possibly as Eclipse plug-in

Updated to use re-skinned extended version of Violet

Can run via JNLP or possibly as Eclipse plug-in

Feature List Packages Classes Interfaces Visibility modifiers (+, -, #, empty) Arg types, return types Field-wrapping properties (@) Aggregation (as Array) Inheritance (extends, implements)

Packages

Classes

Interfaces

Visibility modifiers (+, -, #, empty)

Arg types, return types

Field-wrapping properties (@)

Aggregation (as Array)

Inheritance (extends, implements)

Let’s Play a Little More This is open source It is far from perfect So add whatever you like! Project page: http://selfmummy.com/vasgen/

This is open source

It is far from perfect

So add whatever you like!

Project page: http://selfmummy.com/vasgen/

Questions? My contact info: Adam Breindel / Ind. Consultant [email_address] http://skipmeamadeus.blogspot.com

My contact info:

Adam Breindel / Ind. Consultant

[email_address]

http://skipmeamadeus.blogspot.com