Building Flash-based websites using Flex Lesson 10 – Deploying Flex Application by Alex goh, associate trainer @ LAB School ( http://lab.edu.sg/ ), Adobe Authorized Training Centre, Singapore

1. Building Flash-based websites using Flex
Lesson 10 – Deploying Flex Application
Alex Goh
info@alekkus.com

2. Agenda
● Runtime Shared Library (RSL)
● Export release
● SEO for Flash
● Module decomposition

3. Runtime Shared Library
● Everytime a Flex application is compiled, a bunch of Flex libraries is
“embedded” into the application, hence increasing the SWF file size.
● Most of these “embedded” libraries are common among different Flex
applications.
● Instead of always embedding it into an application, Runtime Shared Library
(RSL) embed all the libraries into one, and when loaded into the Flash player,
sits permanently there.
●With RSL, a Flex application no longer needs to embed Flex libraries as they
are already in the user's Flash player, hence reducing the SWF file size
● To compile a Flex application to use RSL in Flex Builder:
● Right-click on the project > Properties > Flex Build Path > Library Path >
select RSL in the Framework linkage combo box

4. Export Release
● By default, a “debug” version of SWF file is created everytime a Flex
application is compiled.
● A debug version of the SWF allows developers to access the debugging
features available in Flex.
● When the application is ready to set live, a release version of the SWF should
be created.
●Release version takes out all the debugging features, hence reducing the
SWF file size.
● To export an application to a release version:
● In the menu bar in Flex Builder, select Project > Export Release Build > a
bin-release folder will be created; an release version of the application will
reside in this folder.

5. Module Decomposition
● To decrease the initial load time, decompose the application into sub-parts
(modules).
●When the main application loads up (first page shown), load the other
modules.
● For each module, a separate SWF file is created.
● Total file size of the application (adding up file size of all modules) may
increase but loading time is decreased.
● Ensure the module is optimized for the main application:
●Right-click on the project > Properties > Flex Modules > make sure each
module SWF file is listed and optimized for the main application

6. SEO for Flash
● Include metadata (keyword and description) in the HTML wrapper:
● Include a simple HTML version within <noscript> tag in the HTML wrapper.

7. The End : )