User manual MACROMEDIA FLASH 8 - GETTING STARTED WITH FLASH LITE

Getting Started with Flash Lite Trademarks 1 Step RoboPDF, ActiveEdit, ActiveTest, Authorware, Blue Sky Software, Blue Sky, Breeze, Breezo, Captivate, Central, ColdFusion, Contribute, Database Explorer, Director, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Flash, FlashCast, FlashHelp, Flash Lite, FlashPaper, Flash Video Endocer, Flex, Flex Builder, Fontographer, FreeHand, Generator, HomeSite, JRun, MacRecorder, Macromedia, MXML, RoboEngine, RoboHelp, RoboInfo, RoboPDF, Roundtrip, Roundtrip HTML, Shockwave, SoundEdit, Studio MX, UltraDev, and WebHelp are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Macromedia, Inc. and may be registered in the United States or in other jurisdictions including internationally. Other product names, logos, designs, titles, words, or phrases mentioned within this publication may be trademarks, service marks, or trade names of Macromedia, Inc. or other entities and may be registered in certain jurisdictions including internationally. 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Visual SourceSafe is a registered trademark or trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. Copyright © 2005 Macromedia, Inc. All rights reserved. This manual may not be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated, or converted to any electronic or machine-readable form in whole or in part without written approval from Macromedia, Inc. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the owner or authorized user of a valid copy of the software with which this manual was provided may print out one copy of this manual from an electronic version of this manual for the sole purpose of such owner or authorized user learning to use such software, provided that no part of this manual may be printed out, reproduced, distributed, resold, or transmitted for any other purposes, including, without limitation, commercial purposes, such as selling copies of this documentation or providing paid-for support services. Acknowledgments Project Management: Mary Leigh Burke Writing: Tim Statler Managing Editor: Rosana Francescato Editing: Linda Adler, Geta Carson Production Management: Patrice O'Neill, Kristin Conradi, Yuko Yagi Media Design and Production: Adam Barnett, Aaron Begley, Paul Benkman. John Francis, Geeta Karmarkar, Masayo Noda, Paul Rangel, Arena Reed, Mario Reynoso Special thanks to Lisa Friendly, Bonnie Loo, Erick Vera, the beta testers, and the entire Flash Lite engineering and QA teams. First Edition: September 2005 Macromedia, Inc. 601 Townsend St. San Francisco, CA 94103 Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 What's new in Flash Lite authoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Guide to instructional media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Additional resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Typographical conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Chapter 1: Flash Lite Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 About Flash Lite technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Flash Lite 1.x availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 About Flash Lite content types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Workflow for authoring Flash Lite applications (Flash Professional Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Flash Lite authoring features in Flash Professional 8 (Flash Professional Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Using Flash Lite document templates (Flash Professional Only) . . . . 16 Hello World Flash Lite application (Flash Professional Only) . . . . . . . 18 About the stand-alone Flash Lite player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Chapter 2: Creating a Flash Lite Application (Flash Professional Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Café application overview (Flash Professional Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Viewing the completed application (Flash Professional Only) . . . . . . 26 Creating the application (Flash Professional Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 3 4 Contents Introduction This manual provides an introduction to Macromedia Flash Lite and the authoring features in Macromedia Flash Professional 8 for Flash Lite developers. What's new in Flash Lite authoring Flash Professional 8 includes the following new features to help developers create Flash Lite applications: Flash Lite emulator The Flash Lite emulator lets you preview your content as it will function on an actual device. The emulator can configure itself to mimic the features available on any supported device. The emulator also provides debugging information that alerts you to potential problems and incompatibilities on the target device. Device Settings dialog box You use the Device Settings dialog box to select your test devices and Flash Lite content type. When you test your content in the Flash Lite emulator, you can choose the test device you want the emulator to mimic. Device document templates Flash Professional 8 includes document templates to let you quickly start creating content for specific devices and content types. 5 Guide to instructional media The Flash Lite documentation package includes the following media to help you learn how to create Flash Lite applications: Getting Started with Flash Lite provides an overview of Flash Lite technology and developing Flash Lite content for mobile devices. It also includes a step-by-step tutorial for creating a Flash Lite application. Developing Flash Lite Applications is a comprehensive guide to creating Flash Lite content, and includes instructions for testing your applications in the integrated Flash Lite emulator. Flash Lite 1.x ActionScript Language Reference describes all the ActionScript language features available to Flash Lite developers, and provides example code. Learning Flash Lite 1.x ActionScript complements the language reference and provides additional code examples and an introduction to writing Flash 4 ActionScript, upon which Flash Lite 1.x ActionScript is based. The Flash Lite sample applications demonstrate key concepts and best practices discussed or mentioned in the written documentation. Additional resources For the latest information on developing Flash Lite applications, plus advice from expert users, advanced topics, examples, tips, and other updates, see the Mobile and Devices Developer Center at www.macromedia.com/devnet/devices/. For TechNotes, documentation updates, and links to additional resources in the Flash Lite developer community, see the Macromedia Flash Lite Support Center at www.macromedia.com/support/flashlite/. 6 Introduction Typographical conventions The following typographical conventions are used in this book: Italic font indicates a value that should be replaced (for example, in a folder path). Code font indicates Code font italic ActionScript code. indicates an ActionScript parameter. Bold font indicates a verbatim entry. Double quotation marks ("") in code examples indicate delimited strings. However, programmers can also use single quotation marks. Typographical conventions 7 8 Introduction CHAPTER 1 Flash Lite Overview This chapter contains the following topics: About Flash Lite technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Flash Lite 1.x availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 About Flash Lite content types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Workflow for authoring Flash Lite applications (Flash Professional Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Flash Lite authoring features in Flash Professional 8 (Flash Professional Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Using Flash Lite document templates (Flash Professional Only) 16 Hello World Flash Lite application (Flash Professional Only) . . . 18 About the stand-alone Flash Lite player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 1 About Flash Lite technology Macromedia Flash Lite is a version of Macromedia Flash Player designed for mobile phones. It balances Flash features and capabilities with the processing power and configurations of today's mass market mobile phones. There are currently two versions of Flash Lite: Flash Lite 1.0 and Flash Lite 1.1. Flash Lite consists of the following features: The core rendering engine The rendering engine handles all vector and bitmap rendering. ActionScript interpreter Flash Lite supports the version of the ActionScript language used in Flash Player 4, including many mobilespecific commands, such as getting time and date information from the device. This hybrid of Flash Player 4 ActionScript and commands with properties specific to Flash Lite is collectively called Flash Lite 1.x ActionScript. 9 For more information about Flash Lite 1.x ActionScript, see Flash Lite 1.x ActionScript Language Reference and Learning Flash Lite 1.x ActionScript. Text and fonts Flash Lite supports static, dynamic, and input text fields. You can use fonts that are available on the device or embed font data in your published SWF file. For more information about using text and fonts in Flash Lite, see Chapter 2, "Working with Text and Fonts" in Developing Flash Lite Applications. Flash Lite 1.0 and Flash Lite 1.1 both support device audio formats (such as MIDI or MFi). Flash Lite 1.1 also supports standard Flash audio. For more information about working with sound in Flash Lite, see Chapter 3, "Working with Sound" in Developing Flash Lite Applications. Sound Network connectivity Flash Lite 1.1 supports the ability to load external data and SWF files, as well as commands and properties for getting connectivity and HTTP request status information. Device and platform integration Flash Lite provides access to several system features and commands, such as the ability to initiate phone calls and short message service (SMS) messages, get platform capability information, and get user input using the device's standard input dialog box. Flash Lite 1.x availability Flash Lite 1.0 and Flash Lite 1.1 are supported on a variety of mobile devices that are available in a number of different geographic regions and markets. Some of these devices are available globally, while others are available only in specific geographic regions or from specific mobile operators. Some devices come with Flash Lite pre-installed from the device manufacturer or mobile operator, while on others it can be installed after purchase. For the most current list of devices that support Flash Lite, see the Supported Devices page located at www.macromedia.com/mobile/ supported_devices/. 10 Flash Lite Overview Globally available devices that support Flash Lite include the Symbian Series 60-based devices from Nokia, Sendo, and Seimens, and the Symbian UIQ-based devices from Sony-Ericcson. As of this writing, all globally available devices support only the stand-alone Flash Lite player. The standalone player installs as a "top-level" application that a user can start from the device's application menu (just like a text messaging application or a mobile web browser, for example). For more information about the standalone Flash Lite player, see "About the stand-alone Flash Lite player" on page 23. As of this writing, the Flash Lite stand-alone player is not pre-installed on any globally available devices. You can purchase the stand-alone player for development purposes from the Macromedia online store at www.macromedia.com/store/. Regionally available devices that support Flash Lite comprise a larger group of devices than are available globally. As of this writing, these devices are available primarily in Japan and come with Flash Lite pre-installed. On these devices, Flash Lite enables several different types of content, such as Flash screen savers or animated ring tones. For more information about Flash Lite content types, see "About Flash Lite content types" on page 11. About Flash Lite content types Before you start developing a Flash Lite application, you need to know the following: The device or devices on which the content will be running, or target devices. The Flash Lite player is installed on a variety of devices. For a full list of devices with Flash Lite installed, see the Supported Devices page on the Macromedia website at www.macromedia.com/mobile/ supported_devices/. The Flash Lite content types supported by the target devices. Each Flash Lite installation supports one or more application modes, or content types. For example, some devices use Flash Lite to enable Flashbased screen savers or animated ring tones. Others use Flash Lite to render Flash content that is embedded in mobile web pages. Not all content types support all Flash Lite features. About Flash Lite content types 11 Each Flash Lite content type, paired with a specific device, defines a specific set of Flash Lite features that are available to your application. For example, a Flash application that's running as a screen saver is not typically allowed to make network connections or download data. The Flash Lite testing features in Macromedia Flash Professional 8 let you test against multiple devices and different Flash Lite content types. This lets you determine if your application uses features that aren't available for the type of content that you are developing. For more information about selecting target devices and content types, see Chapter 5, "Testing Flash Lite Content (Flash Professional Only)" in Developing Flash Lite Applications. Workflow for authoring Flash Lite applications (Flash Professional Only) The process for creating Flash Lite content is an iterative one that involves the following steps: Identify your target device(s) and Flash Lite content type Different devices have different screen sizes, support different audio formats, and have different screen color depths, among other factors. These factors may influence your application's design or implementation. In addition, different devices support different Flash Lite content types, such as screen savers, stand-alone applications, or animated ring tones. The content type for which you are developing also determines the features that are available to your application. For more information about Flash Lite content types, see "About Flash Lite content types" on page 11. Create and test your application in Flash Flash Professional 8 includes a Flash Lite emulator that lets you test your application without having to transfer it to a device. You use the Flash Lite emulator to refine your application design and fix any problems before you test it on a mobile device. 12 Flash Lite Overview Test the application on your target device or devices This step is important because the emulator doesn't emulate all aspects of the target device, such as its processor speed, color depth, or network latency. For instance, an animation that runs smoothly on the emulator might not run as quickly on the device, due to its slower processor speed. Or a color gradient that appears smooth in the emulator may appear banded when viewed on the actual device. After testing your application on a device, you may find that you need to refine the application's design in the Flash authoring tool. The following figure illustrates the iterative development and testing process described above. Testing in the Flash Lite emulator Editing the FLA file in Flash Professional 8 Testing on a device Workflow for authoring Flash Lite applications (Flash Professional Only) 13 Flash Lite authoring features in Flash Professional 8 (Flash Professional Only) This section discusses the features in Flash Professional 8 designed specifically for Flash Lite developers. With the exception of the device templates feature, the following features are only available when your document's Version setting on the Flash tab of the Publish Setting dialog box is set to either Flash Lite 1.0 or Flash Lite 1.1. For information on how to specify your document's SWF version, see "Setting publish options for the Flash SWF file format" in Using Flash. The Flash Lite emulator and test window let you test your content as it will run and appear on an actual device. A settings pane in the Flash Lite test window lets you select a different test device, view information about your application, and set emulator debug output options. For more information about using the Flash Lite emulator and test window, see "Using the Flash Lite emulator (Flash Professional Only)" in Developing Flash Lite Applications. 14 Flash Lite Overview The Device Settings dialog box lets you select the test devices and Flash Lite content type that you want to test against in the Flash Lite emulator. Different devices support different media types (for example, different types of device sound formats) as well as different Flash Lite content types, such as stand-alone player, screensaver, or browser. When you preview your application in the Flash Lite test window, the emulator mimics the features available to the selected test device running as the selected content type. For more information about Flash Lite content types, see "About Flash Lite content types" on page 11. For more information about using the Device Settings dialog box, see "Selecting test devices and Flash Lite content type (Flash Professional Only)" in Developing Flash Lite Applications. Flash Lite authoring features in Flash Professional 8 (Flash Professional Only) 15 The Property inspector contains a section that provides information about your current device settings, as well as a button that lets you open the Device Settings dialog box. This button is active only when your document's Version setting on the Flash tab of the Publish Setting dialog box is set to Flash Lite 1.0 or Flash Lite 1.1. Device Settings button Current content type and test device Document templates provide a starting point for you to create different types of Flash Lite content for different categories of devices. For more information, see "Using Flash Lite document templates (Flash Professional Only)" on page 16. Using Flash Lite document templates (Flash Professional Only) Flash Professional 8 includes several templates that provide starting points for creating Flash Lite content for various devices and content types. When you create a new document from one of the Flash Lite templates, your document is preconfigured with the proper Stage size, publish settings, and device settings for the device type that you specify. In some cases, you may need to adjust the Stage size from the default dimensions for your target device. The first step in most of the examples and sample applications in this documentation is to create a new document from one of the Flash Lite document templates. 16 Flash Lite Overview As the following figure shows, Flash Lite document templates are organized into two groups: Global Phones and Japanese Phones. The name of each template in each group includes the target Flash Lite platform (Flash Lite 1.0 or Flash Lite 1.1) and the target content type (for example, Browser or Wallpaper). The Global Phones category contains templates for creating full-screen applications for the stand-alone Flash Lite 1.1 player on Series 60 and UIQ platforms. The Japanese Phones category contains templates for creating content for devices available in the Japanese market. For more information about Flash Lite availability in global and regional markets, see "Flash Lite 1.x availability" on page 10. To create a new document from a Flash Lite template: 1. 2. 3. In Flash, select File > New. Select the Templates tab in the New Document dialog box. Select a category from the list of categories: Select Global Phones if you're developing a Flash Lite application for a phone available globally. Select Japanese Phones if you're developing an application for a phone only available in the Japanese market. 4. 5. Select a template from the list of templates. Click OK to close the New Document dialog box. Using Flash Lite document templates (Flash Professional Only) 17 Hello World Flash Lite application (Flash Professional Only) In this section, you create a simple Flash Lite application and test it in the Flash Lite emulator. The purpose of this tutorial is to acquaint you with the mobile authoring and testing features in Flash Professional 8 as well as the general workflow for creating Flash Lite content. For a more complete sample application, see Chapter 2, "Creating a Flash Lite Application (Flash Professional Only)," on page 25. First, you need to decide which devices and Flash Lite content type you are targeting. For the purposes of this tutorial, we'll assume that you're developing content for the Flash Lite 1.1 stand-alone player on the Series 60 devices from Nokia. All of the supported Nokia Series 60 devices have the same available Stage size (176 x 208 pixels), so in theory, the same application (SWF file) will run on all of those devices. To begin development, you first need to configure your Flash document's publish settings, document settings, and device settings for the target device and content type. You can do this manually using a new blank document, or you can use a Flash Lite template (see "Using Flash Lite document templates (Flash Professional Only)" on page 16) to create a new document that's preconfigured with the proper settings for your target device and content type. The following procedures explain how to create the same Hello World application in two ways: using a Flash Lite document template, and from a blank document. To configure and create a simple Flash Lite application from a template: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. In Flash Professional 8, select File > New. In the New Document dialog box select the Templates tab. In the list of Categories, select the Global Phones category. In the list of templates, select the template named Flash Lite 1.1 Symbian Series 60. Click OK. The new document is preconfigured with the proper Stage size, target platform and device settings. You're now ready to start creating the application. 18 Flash Lite Overview 6. 7. Select the Text tool in the Tools panel, and drag a text box on the Stage. Type Hello, world! in the text box (or whatever text you prefer). Select Control > Test Movie to view your application in the Flash Lite emulator. 8. To view your application in running in another device, select Nokia 6670 from the Test Device pop-up menu. Hello World Flash Lite application (Flash Professional Only) 19 The following procedure results in the same Hello World sample application as the previous one, but demonstrates how to manually configure your document's settings. To configure and create a simple Flash Lite application manually: 1. 2. Create a new document in Flash Professional 8, and save it as helloworld.fla. Open the Publish Settings dialog box (File > Publish Settings), click the Flash tab, and select Flash Lite 1.1 from the Version pop-up menu. Then click OK. To open the Device Settings dialog box, select File > Device Settings, or click the Device Settings button in the Property inspector (Window > Properties> Properties). 3. Device Settings button 4. In the Device Settings dialog box, do the following: a. b. Select Standalone Player from the Content Type pop-up menu. In the list of available devices, click the Symbian folder to open it, click the Series 60 folder, click the Nokia folder, and then select one of the devices in that folder. 20 Flash Lite Overview