Question

As flash professional does not have support of flash player 11 while testing project with ctrl+Enter, I can only test flash projects in browser so I can’t use trace to check things working, and I can’t event integrate monster debugger in starling object, it does not trace anything. Does someone have solution for this, I mean how can I test flash project in browser?

Answer 1

You can use the Firebug or Google Chrome’s console for debugging. I made the following class for this purpose. Just call Log.info(), or Log.dump() to output statements directly to the browser’s console.

package {

    import flash.external.ExternalInterface;
    import flash.utils.describeType;
    import flash.utils.Dictionary;
    import flash.display.Sprite;
    import flash.text.TextFormat;
    import flash.text.TextField;


    public class Log {

        // USAGE:
        //
        // Log.info(anything)
        // Log.warning(anything)
        // Log.error(anything)
        // Log.dump(anything)
        //
        // Logged object will appear in both the trace window and in the Firebug console (if it's enabled)


        static public var enabled:Boolean = true;
        static private var prefix_:String = null;
        static private var logWindow_:Sprite;
        static private var logWindowHeight_:Number;
        static private var logTextField_:TextField;
        static private var closeLogWindowButton_:TextField;
        static private var logWindowMaximized_:Boolean = false;
        static private var outputTextField_:TextField = null;


        static public function get outputTextField():TextField {
            return outputTextField_;
        }


        static public function set outputTextField(v:TextField):void {
            if (outputTextField_ === v) return;
            outputTextField_ = v;
        }


        static private function log(s:*, type:String = null, param:* = null):void {
            if (!enabled) return;

            var logString:String = String(s);
            var serializedObject:* = null;
            var serializedObjectString:String = null;

            if (type == "Dump") {
                serializedObject = serializeObject_(s);
                serializedObjectString = dump_(serializedObject, param.asString, param.maxDepth);
                if (logTextField_) logTextField_.appendText(dump_(serializedObject, true, param.maxDepth) + "\n");
                if (outputTextField_) outputTextField_.appendText(dump_(serializedObject, true, param.maxDepth) + "\n");
            } else {
                if (type) logString = '[' + type + '] ' + logString;
                if (prefix) logString = '[' + prefix + '] ' + logString;
                trace(logString);
                if (outputTextField_) outputTextField_.appendText(logString + "\n");

//              if (logTextField_) {
//                  var i1:int = logTextField_.text.length - 1;
//                  logTextField_.appendText(logString + "\n");
//                  var i2:int = logTextField_.text.length - 1;
//                  var logColor:uint = 0x000000;
//                  if (type == "Info") logColor = 0xffffff;
//                  if (type == "Warning") logColor = 0xECEC00;
//                  if (type == "Error") logColor = 0xFF3535;
//                  var tf:TextFormat = logTextField_.getTextFormat(i1, i2);
//                  tf.color = logColor;
//                  logTextField_.setTextFormat(tf, i1, i2);
//              }
            }   

            if (logWindow_) logWindow_.parent.addChild(logWindow_);
            if (outputTextField_) outputTextField_.scrollV = outputTextField_.maxScrollV;

            if (ExternalInterface.available) {
                try {
                    var c:String = "console.info";
                    var v:* = s;
                    if (prefix) v = '[' + prefix + '] ' + v;
                    if (type == "Warning") {
                        c = "console.warn";
                    } else if (type == "Error") {
                        c = "console.error";    
                    } else if (type == "Dump") {
                        if (param.asString) {
                            c = "console.info";
                            v = serializedObjectString ? serializedObjectString : s;
                        } else {
                            c = "console.dir";  
                            var h:String = "Dump";
                            if (prefix) h = prefix + "_" + h;
                            v = {};
                            v[h] = (serializedObject ? serializedObject : s);
                        }
                    }
                    ExternalInterface.call(c, v);                   
                } catch(e:*) {
                    // ignore   
                }
            }
        }   


        static public function info(s:*):void {
            log(s, 'Info');
        }


        static public function warning(s:*):void {
            log(s, 'Warning');
        }


        static public function error(s:*):void {
            log(s, 'Error');
        }


        static public function dump(s:*, asString:Boolean = false, maxDepth:int = -1):void {
            log(s, "Dump", { asString:asString, maxDepth:maxDepth });   
        }


        static public function get prefix():String {
            return prefix_; 
        }


        static public function set prefix(v:String):void {
            var validCharacters:String = "abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789_";
            var output:String = "";
            for (var i:int = 0; i < v.length; i++) {
                var c:String = v.charAt(i);
                if (validCharacters.indexOf(c) < 0) continue;
                output += c;    
            }
            if (output.length == 0) output = "a";

            prefix_ = output;
        }


        static public function showLogWindow(parent:*):void {
            if (!logWindow_) {
                logWindow_ = new Sprite();

                logTextField_ = new TextField();
                var tf:TextFormat = new TextFormat();
                tf.font = "Arial";
                tf.size = 10;
                logTextField_.defaultTextFormat = tf;
                logTextField_.multiline = true;
                logTextField_.wordWrap = true;
                logTextField_.border = true;
                logTextField_.borderColor = 0xffffff;

                closeLogWindowButton_= new TextField();
                closeLogWindowButton_.text = "[Minimize]";
                closeLogWindowButton_.autoSize = "left";
                closeLogWindowButton_.selectable = false;
                var tf:TextFormat = new TextFormat();
                tf.font = "Arial";
                tf.size = 10;
                tf.color = 0xffffff;
                closeLogWindowButton_.setTextFormat(tf);
                closeLogWindowButton_.defaultTextFormat = tf;
                closeLogWindowButton_.addEventListener("click", closeLogWindowButton_click);

                logWindow_.addChild(logTextField_);
                logWindow_.addChild(closeLogWindowButton_);

                logWindowMaximized_ = true;
            }

            logWindowHeight_ = 240;

            updateLogWindowLayout(320, logWindowHeight_);

            parent.addChild(logWindow_);

            logWindow_.addEventListener("enterFrame", logWindow_enterFrame);
        }


        static public function hideLogWindow():void {
            if (!logWindow_) return;
            if (logWindow_.parent) logWindow_.parent.removeChild(logWindow_);
            logWindow_.removeEventListener("enterFrame", logWindow_enterFrame);
        }


        static public function minimizeLogWindow():void {
            if (!logWindowMaximized_) return;
            closeLogWindowButton_click(null);
        }


        static public function logWindow_enterFrame(event:*):void {
            if (logWindow_.parent) logWindow_.parent.addChild(logWindow_);
        }


        static private function updateLogWindowLayout(width:Number, height:Number):void {
            var m:Number = 8;
            closeLogWindowButton_.x = m;
            logTextField_.x = m;
            logTextField_.y = closeLogWindowButton_.height;
            logTextField_.width = width - 2 * m;
            logTextField_.height = Math.max(height - logTextField_.y - m, 0);

            logWindow_.graphics.clear();
            logWindow_.graphics.lineStyle(1, 0xffffff);
            logWindow_.graphics.beginFill(0x000000);
            logWindow_.graphics.drawRect(0,0,width,height);
            logWindow_.graphics.endFill();
        }


        static private function closeLogWindowButton_click(event:*):void {
            var doShow:Boolean = !logWindowMaximized_;
            var h:Number = doShow ? logWindowHeight_ : 10;

            logWindowMaximized_ = doShow;

            updateLogWindowLayout(doShow ? 320 : 10, h);

            closeLogWindowButton_.text = doShow ? '[Minimize]' : '  ';
            if (!doShow) {
                closeLogWindowButton_.x = 0;
                closeLogWindowButton_.y = 0;    
            }

            logTextField_.visible = doShow;
        }






        static private function serializeObject_(object:*, maxDepth:int = 8):* {

            var objectReferences:Dictionary = new Dictionary();
            var objectReferenceIndex:int = 0;
            var depth:int = 0;
            var inputObjectReferenceCount:int = 0;

            function serialize(o:*):* { 

                if (o === object) inputObjectReferenceCount++;

                depth++;
                var objectIndex:int;
                var output:*;

                if (maxDepth >= 0 && depth > maxDepth) {

                    output = '<Max depth>';

                } else {

                    var i:int;

                    if (objectReferences[o]) {
                        output = '<#' + objectReferences[o] + '>';
                    } else if (o === object && inputObjectReferenceCount > 1) {
                        output = '<#0>';
                    } else if (o === null || o === undefined || o is String || typeof(o) == "number" || o === true || o === false) {
                        output = o;
                    } else if (o is Array) {

                        output = [];
                        objectIndex = objectReferenceIndex++;
                        objectReferences[o] = objectIndex;

                        for (i = 0; i < o.length; i++) {
                            output.push(serialize(o[i]));
                        }

                    } else if (o is Object) {

                        output = {};

                        objectIndex = objectReferenceIndex++;
                        objectReferences[o] = objectIndex;

                        var xml:XML = describeType(o);
                        var typeName:String = [e-mail]();
                        var twoDots:int = typeName.indexOf("::");
                        if (twoDots >= 0) typeName = typeName.substr(twoDots + 2, typeName.length);
                        var isDynamic:Boolean = [e-mail]() == "true";

                        var v:*;

                        if (!isDynamic) {
                            var propertyNames:XMLList = xml..accessor.@name;
                            var properyName:String;

                            for (i = 0; i < propertyNames.length(); i++) {
                                properyName = propertyNames[i].toString();
                                try {
                                    v = o[properyName];
                                } catch(e:*) {
                                    continue;
                                }
                                output[properyName] = serialize(v);
                            }

                            propertyNames = xml..variable.@name;

                            for (i = 0; i < propertyNames.length(); i++) {
                                properyName = propertyNames[i].toString();
                                try {
                                    v = o[properyName];
                                } catch(e:*) {
                                    continue;
                                }
                                output[properyName] = serialize(v);
                            }

                        } else {
                            for (var n:String in o) {
                                v = o[n];
                                output[n] = serialize(v);
                            }
                        }

                    } else {
                        output = o;   
                    }

                }

                depth--;
                return output;
            }    

            var finalOutput:* = serialize(object);
            return finalOutput;
        }





        static private function dump_(object:*, asString:Boolean = false, maxDepth:int = 8):* {

            var objectReferences:Dictionary = new Dictionary();
            var objectReferenceIndex:int = 0;
            var depth:int = 0;

            var inputObjectReferenceCount:int = 0;

            function objectToString(o:*, indent:Number = 1):String {    

                if (o === object) inputObjectReferenceCount++;

                depth++;
                var objectIndex:int;

                if (maxDepth >= 0 && depth > maxDepth) {

                    output = '<Max depth>';

                } else {

                    var spaces:String = '';
                    var i:Number;
                    for (i = 0; i < indent; i++) spaces += '    ';

                    var output:String = '';

                    if (objectReferences[o]) {
                        output = '<#' + objectReferences[o] + '>';
                    } else if (o === object && inputObjectReferenceCount > 1) {
                        output = '<#0>';
                    } else if (o === null) {
                        output = "null";
                    } else if (o === undefined) {
                        output = "undefined";
                    } else if (o is String) {
                        output = '"' + o + '"';
                    } else if (typeof(o) == "number") {
                        output = o.toString();
                    } else if (o === true) {
                        output = "true";
                    } else if (o === false) {
                        output = "false";
                    } else if (o is Array) {

                        objectIndex = objectReferenceIndex++;
                        objectReferences[o] = objectIndex;

                        output += '(Array #' + objectIndex + ')';

                        if (o.length > 0) {
                            output += '\n';
                        } else {
                            output += '[]';   
                        }
                        indent++;
                        for (i = 0; i < o.length; i++) {
                            if (i > 0) output += '\n';
                            output += spaces + '[' + i + '] ' + objectToString(o[i], indent);
                        }

                    } else if (o is Object) {

                        var v:*;
                        objectIndex = objectReferenceIndex++;
                        objectReferences[o] = objectIndex;
                        indent++;
                        var propCount:int = 0;
                        output += '(' + 'Object' + ' #' + objectIndex + ')';

                        for (var n:String in o) {
                            v = o[n];
                            output += '\n';
                            output += spaces + n + ': ' + objectToString(v, indent);
                            propCount++;
                        }

                        if (propCount == 0) output += '{}';

                    } else {
                        output += o;   
                    }

                }

                depth--;
                return output;
            }    

            var s:String = objectToString(object);

            if (asString) return s;

            trace(s);       
        }


    }

}