Apache Flex getting the Falcon compiler
If you’ve ever had to compile a huge Flex project, you’ll know that it is no fun needing to wait 10 minutes while your code compiles. That’s why it’ll be big news once the Apache Flex community gets it’s hands on the new Falcon compiler that is being donated from Adobe.
Besides promised speed improvements for the compiler, here are the other goals of the Falcon Compiler:
- Use less memory
- Provide code checking for IDEs (ie, you’ll get to see if there are any syntax problems quickly and easily in Flash Builder
- Improved runtime performance for compiled code
Even if only some of these items are ultimately delivered, the Falcon Compiler will be a huge improvement for Flex. The ability for quick compiling will be a much needed time savings for developers since UI development has a ‘write code’, ‘see how it works’, ‘update code’ process.
With the addition of getting accurate and quick syntax warnings and errors in an IDE, it’ll further quicken the development process.
Despite all of the great goals of the new Falcon Compiler, only the actionscript portion of the compiler is complete and this is the production ready piece to be donated to Apache Flex. Therefore, the community will need to take the compiler across the finish line and flesh out the current ‘alpha-quality’ MXML support.
Overall, the donation of the Falcon Compiler from Adobe will be a huge improvement for Apache Flex in terms of speed, IDE code checking.
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