HelvectorLight Theme
December 23rd, 2007
I’ve just updated the ActionScript 3 Bundle to include an ASDoc language definition. This is essentially a scope change of Luke Daley’s JavaDoc language definition. The result is that the following scopes within the documentation blocks are brought under new colour jurisdictions.
keyword.other
entity.name.tag
punctuation.definition.tag
For me, using my favourite theme - Twilight - the extra colour where I was so used to seeing grey wasn’t working. To combat it, and get things greyscale again, I added 3 new theme elements and applied them to the following scopes:
comment.block.documentation keyword.other
comment.block.documentation entity.name.tag
comment.block.documentation punctuation.definition.tag
The results are the HelvectorLight.tmTheme which calms things down again.
Installing the Debug Flash Player on Multiple User Accounts
December 15th, 2007
I share one of my development machines with another flash developer and have run into a problem whereby the debug flash player was only available to the user who installed it. Trying to set more generous permissions on the plug-in didn’t work. So I simply changed the name of the plug-in by prefixing it with the installing users name then reinstalled it as second user. This leaves you with multiple instances of the flash player in Library/Internet Plug-Ins but as each user only has permission to use the player they installed no confusion arises.
The most recent debug player can be found here. An archive of debug players can be found here.
TextMate ActionScript 3 and Flex Bundles
October 30th, 2007
As a Flash developer who’s been working with Flex and ActionScript 3 since late last year I really couldn’t bring myself to use the Flex Builder Eclipse plug-in. This down to my addiction to TextMate, in my opionion it simply out classes the competion. As a result I’m responsible for TextMate’s ActionScript 3 and Flex bundles.
At the moment the bundles are in the review section of the TextMate Repository. Once installed the bundle help covers how to set up (primarily to download the flex sdk) and outlines the non-obvious commands.
The main highlights of the bundles are:
Thanks to the following people who have all had a hand, although they may not know it, in the creation of the bundles:
For those of you who don’t use subversion the following zip’s can be downloaded, but they won’t necessarily be the latest version :
Switching flash players on OS X
January 8th, 2006
I wrote the following shell script a while back for use with TextMate as part of my build process. TextMate’s great as it easily allows you to bind scripts to custom commands (and key combinations). However you’d easily be able to adapt it to your set up. It will allow you to cleanly change all the flash players available for OS X, as well as being able to Uninstall the player, and optionally restart open browsers (FireFox and Safari) afterwards.
You’ll need to download the players, install and move the files into archived folders the contents of which the script will copy to the default internet plug-ins folder. It shouldn’t be too difficult to work out how this happens and alter the script for your needs.
Download the script here
To install the FP 7.0.14 without restarting any open broswers:
changePlayer.sh 7.0.14 false
To uninstall the flash player:
changePlayer.sh uninstall_flash_player
To install FP 6.0.49, restarting open browsers:
changePlayer.sh 6.0.49
If there’s anyone out there using TextMate and would like a the above wrapped up in a bundle then please email me and I’ll send a copy over.

