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Joe Berkovitz
VP Engineering
Allurent, Inc.
Continuous Integration with Flex, FlexUnit, and Ant

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Is your build process like a Rube Goldberg contraption?
Manual
Fragile
Missing

Current Build Process
Image Source: http://mousetrapcontraptions.com/rube-cartoons-2.html

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Goal of this talk is to introduce tools and techniques to create a continuous integration based build process.
Centralized
Automated
Self-Testing
Ideal Build Process
Image Source: http://science.ksc.nasa.gov/shuttle/missions/sts-105/images/contact105_medium.html

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Continuous Integration is a software development practice where members of a team integrate their work frequently.
Each integration is verified by an automated build and test that detects integration errors as quickly as possible.
Continuous Integration
Source: http://www.martinfowler.com/articles/continuousIntegration.html

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Continuous Integration Cycle
Source: http://www.methodsandtools.com/archive/archive.php?id=42

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Build Failure Notification

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Build Log

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Project Dashboard

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Project Distributions

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Continuous Integration Cycle

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Build Process
Source Code
Build File
Generated Assets
Build Tool

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Project View
Project
Build File
Generated Assets
/bin
/src
Source Code
Build Tool
/

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Build Automation Tool
Widely Used
Extensive Documentation
Cross Platform
Robust
XML Based

Ant

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Project
Tree governed by a set of automated jobs or "targets"
Ideally corresponds 1-to-1 with real projects
XML defines targets
Key Ant Concepts
Property
Holds a constant textual value or file location
Accessed with ${xyz} syntax
Environment or custom defined
Target
Logical chunk of work
Can depend on other targets
Works like a script
Task
Individual command
Accepts arguments to control behavior
Used in targets

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Ant Hello World Demonstration

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description="Build the Hello World project">




Hello World Build Script

Hello World Build Script Output
Executed build file

Name of target being run

Name of target being run
Task name and output


Result of the build
Diagnostic information
Buildfile: build.xml

init:

build:
[echo] Hello World! Today is September 17 2007

BUILD SUCCESSFUL
Total time: 0 seconds

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Ant mxmlc Demonstration

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classpath="${basedir}/flexTasks/lib/flexTasks.jar"/>


output="bin/${ant.project.name}.swf">
filename="${FLEX_HOME}/frameworks/flex-config.xml"/>





Compiling an Application

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Keep source and output separated
Don’t do work you’ve already done
Provide reasonable defaults
Centralize behavior
Predictability

Build Practices

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Build Templates
Source Code
Build File
Generated Assets
Build Tool
Build Templates
User Specific Overrides

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Build Templates
Encapsulates Best Practices
Handles Flex Applications, Libraries, and Documentation
Cross Project Dependencies
Multiple Project Builds

Antennae

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Antennae Demonstration

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description="Build the application" />


Antennae Build Script

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Flex Builder can invoke Ant to compile a Flex project
Flex Builder can use Ant targets…
to do all build work
just to do the non-compilation steps
Using Ant and Flex Builder together

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Continuous Integration Cycle

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Build Verification
Supports Flex and ActionScript
Asynchronous Testing Facilities
Graphical Test Results

FlexUnit

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FlexUnit Test Results

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FlexUnit Demonstration

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FlexUnit Automation
Test Suite Generation
Test Filtering
Actionscript to Java Result Reporting
Antennae

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Antennae Demonstration

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description="Build the test application"/>
description="Run the test application"/>

Automated Test Script

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Continuous Integration Cycle

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Ant Demonstration

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Complex Project Demonstration

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Complex Project View
SubProject1
Assets
/bin
/src
Source Code
assets
SubProject2
Assets
/bin
/src
Source Code
imports
Project
Build File
/proj2
/proj1
/

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Many small projects keep dependencies under control
But… Flex Builder is very slow when building many Library Projects
Solution: Create single Flex Builder "super-project" that has multiple source paths in multiple projects.
Building Complex Projects with Flex Builder

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Continuous Integration Cycle

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Key Concepts
Source code repository
Clean build machine
Runs after every commit

Popular platforms
CruiseControl
Apache Continuum
Many others

Continuous Integration

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Ant
http://ant.apache.org/
FlexUnit
http://code.google.com/p/as3flexunitlib/
Antennae
http://code.google.com/p/antennae/
Continuous Integration Matrix
http://docs.codehaus.org/x/gCk
Flex Ant Tasks
http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/Flex_Ant_Tasks


Resources

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Q & A