Back in the AS2 days, I created a JSFL script that would trace out the code for a MovieClip class based on items on the timeline. This eventually got ported to AS3, and it had become an essential part of my day-to-day workflow. However, there were some critical shortcomings. One was that it couldn’t identify instances of other custom components in your library. It just typed them as MovieClip. And, most importantly, (due to the limitations of JSFL at the time), it couldn’t actually output a real class file.

I have now updated this script, and my new class generator has much better timeline instance introspection and it actually creates the class files for you. To install, download Bumpslide Component Class Generator JSFL File and put it in your Flash commands folder. This will create a new entry in your Commands menu called “[Bumpslide] Generate Component Classes”.

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I was talking to my parents on the phone last Sunday as I do most Sundays, and my dad said that he had never read my blog until just a few days ago. He was impressed, he said, because he had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. “It’s like another language from another planet.” Granted, the things I often write about are usually the most arcane and technical things I do. But, I think it’s time to bring it down a notch and write about the simple things that make writing code for Flash more enjoyable. For me, one of the nicest is data binding. This post is an introduction to the concept of storing application state in a Model Locator and using my BindableModel as a way to bind that data to view components.

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