Maven is a project management and build tool that promotes convention over configuration using a hierarchical Project Object Model (POM). It can build Flex projects by generating artifacts like SWF and SWC files. The flexmojos plugin supports Flex, AIR, and AS3 projects by adding goals for tasks like compiling, testing, documentation, and optimization. To set up a Flex project with Maven and flexmojos, developers use an archetype to generate the project structure, configure repositories and dependencies, then build and debug the project using Maven goals and phases.

1. MAV
EN
the Wonderful World of Maven and Flexmojos

2. 1. definition

3. More than just a build tool -
Maven is project management.

4. It’s built in Java and lives under the Apache umbrella,
(∴ still new to Flex developers)

5. it promotes convention over configuration

6. and, it is hierarchical.

7. Everything builds via a Project Object Model
(POM): aka the blueprint.

8. A build generates one or more artifacts.
(Typically one artifact per POM)

9. Artifacts are classified by groupId,
artifactId, packaging (type) and version.

10. Versions stamped with SNAPSHOT are
treated as such.

11. Eg. the Flex framework dependency
groupId: com.adobe.flex.framework
artifactId: flex-framework
version: 4.5.1.21328
packaging: pom
Artifacts are filed away in repositories using:
/[groupId]/[artifactId]/[version]/[artifactId]-[version].[ext]

12. 2. building

13. A goal is a single action.

14. A phase is a collection of goals. [M:M]

15. A lifecycle is a sequence of phases (upto & including).

16. The odd couple: clean & install.
> mvn clean install

17. The packaging (eg. SWF, SWC, JAR) typically
defines the goals within each phase.

18. In general, the default lifecycle involves the
following phases:
■ validate
■ compile
■ test
■ package
■ integration-test
■ verify
■ install
■ deploy

19. In addition, plugins provide goals and can bind
them to phases.
eg. > mvn compiler:compile compiler:testCompile

20. Plugins include compiler, install, scm, release,
javadoc, eclipse, flexmojos, etc.

21. 3. dependencies

22. Dependencies are hosted in repositories.

23. Each install of Maven has a repository.
(~/.m2 is your new best friend).

24. In order to add new dependencies to your
repository, you can simply
> mvn install:install-file

25. You add references to repositories either in
your POM or in your settings.xml file.

26. When building, if a dependency is missing,
Maven will try to download it from an
upstream repository.

27. As a last resort, it will check Maven Central
(search.maven.org).

28. How are dependencies shared across
repositories?
Nexus.

29. Nexus allows an organisation to share artifacts
both internally and externally.

30. It has out-of-the-box support for both
snapshot and release repositories.

31. So, what about dependencies on teh internez?

32. Nexus will proxy to other external Nexus
repositories.

33. If the dependency isn’t hosted - there’s a 3rd
Party repo that you can upload into.

34. 4. the flexmojos plugin

35. Out of the box, Flexmojos supports:
★ Flex 3/4, AIR and AS3 projects
★ Unit tests & code coverage reports
★ ASDoc generation
★ RSL and runtime module support
★ Goal to create IDE project
★ SWF optimization
★ Archetypes to get started
★ WAR bundling & deployment

36. Goals bound to the default
SWF and SWC lifecycles

37. function preinit()
{
download(maven, ‘3.0.3’).install().append(system.path);
download(flashplayer-standalone,
‘10.3’).install().append(system.path);
flashbuilder.plugins.add(m2eclipse);
}
First you have to setup your environment.

38. #1.
Use a Flexmojos archetype to get started.
mvn archetype:generate
-DarchetypeRepository=http://repository.sonatype.com/content/groups/flexgroup
-DarchetypeGroupId=org.sonatype.flexmojos
-DarchetypeArtifactId=flexmojos-archetypes-application
-DarchetypeVersion=4.0-RC2

39. #2.
Add repo location of Flex SDK.
http://repository.sonatype.org/content/groups/flexgroup

40. #3.
Build.
mvn clean install

41. #4.
Import Maven project into Flashbuilder

42. #5.
Check project settings - source folders, compiler and
config.

43. #6.
Setup Maven build and debug as required.

44. Tip: Only check in /src and your POM -
everything else can be generated.

45. 5. fin

46. Don’t skim the conventions.
Learn the basics and save yourself hours of
endless frustration.

47. Links and more info:
★ ADC series on Flex & Maven
★ Flexmojos 4.0-RC2 plugin docs
★ My Examples on Github
★ Flexmojos Google Group
★ Flexmojos on Github
★ Maven guide with Flexmojos
★ Follow @flexmojos on Twitter
about.me/justinj