That is interesting stuff! And more understandable now :-) (not fully yet
;-))
Thanks for your time and effort. I'm very pleased to see Erik has plans
for the views handling from MXML to HTML DOM. That is an interesting part
of the project too :-)
Fréderic Cox
On 18/01/13 17:06, "Frédéric THOMAS" <webdoubl...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>Waou, that's just the golden needed missing informations, that has
>absolutely to be reported on the wiki with the previous clarification,
>thanks for you time Mike :)
>
>-Fred
>
>-----Message d'origine-----
>From: Michael Schmalle
>Sent: Friday, January 18, 2013 4:51 PM
>To: dev@flex.apache.org
>Subject: Re: [FalconJx] where I'm going to be
>
>
>Quoting Frédéric THOMAS <webdoubl...@hotmail.com>:
>
>> Mike,
>>
>> Yes, that's a clear introduction of what it aims to and it was
>>important
>> to clarify that.
>
>Ok good.
>
>> On the wiki page, l would like to understand little bit more, even if
>> maybe, not sure, I can figure out what is a javascript target, AST
>> walker, JavaScript emitter and node switch strategy, it would be nice
>>if
>> it would be explained.
>
>Yes, I know that all sounds alien. I am positive I can make it sound
>logical and understandable also.
>
>The parser
>-------------------
>
>AST stands for Abstract Syntax Tree avery complicated way of saying
>Objects that have parents and children. When an .as file is parsed by
>Falcon, the parser creates "blocks" of things it recognizes from the
>string tokens feed to it as it's running through the source file. A
>token is a String defined my the AS3 language spec IE "class", "if",
>"{", "foo" etc.
>
>As the parser accepts these tokens from the stream, it recognizes
>patterns like "public" is a namespace if it happens just before the
>"class" token. So as the parser runs through these rules and finds
>matches, it creates IASNode instance such as IClassNode, IIdentifier
>node etc.
>
>Each node in the tree represents a part of the ActionScript file. If
>you actually look at an .as you can see how it's very nature is
>heiracle, that is the AST tree and the IASNode subclasses represent
>that tree.
>
>We can also call this tree a DOM or Document Object Model. So when we
>say AST we also mean ActionScript DOM because there is only one
>semantic way that DOM will be constructed by the ASParser's grammar.
>It's exactly what a Browser does with the HTML DOM, there are rules
>and the only way the browser's parser will create an element in the
>DOM is if you source code matches the rules.
>
>The walker
>-------------------------
>
>Just as you would create a recursive function to traverse HTML with
>JavaScript, we can do the same thing with the AS3 DOM (AST) which I
>have done.
>
>The only hard part about this is you have to be familiar with the
>"grammar" or API of the DOM to make sure you recursively traverse it
>in the correct order and get everything. That is why Erik and I have
>over 500 unit tests, this is making sure we are producing the whole
>language correctly.
>
>So once the DOM is created, we call walke.visitFile(fileNode), which
>the IFileNode is the root of the tree, just like window is the root of
>the HTML DOM.
>
>Visit file will then abstractly call visitPackage(), then
>visitClass(), then visitMethod(), visitBlock(), visitIf(),
>visitBinary() etc. The visit methods are called through the node
>switch strategy class. This is kindof complicated but not really, it's
>kindof a juggling act back and forth so the whole node handler
>traversing calls the correct visit method based on the current node's
>type, is it a function, expression etc.
>
>You see, that when each of the nodes in the tree are visited
>recursively, the String emitter is called to emit the javascript or
>actionscript source code into the buffer.
>
>The backend
>----------------------------
>
>The backend stuff is going to be refactored and I have some ideas
>about the compiler setup but basically, the way the actual compiler is
>setup and the design of FalconJx, it allows tremendous flexibility on
>overriding things for different JavaScript output, the final string
>that gets written to disk with the .js extension.
>
>Like right now Erik has a Goog and AMD output that are separate
>implementations but use the same core framework.
>
>On a final note, this framework was first written by me to create
>valid ActionScript. So what is actually happening is we are taking
>advantage of the fact JavaScript is ECMA just like AS, so we are only
>overriding the parts of the two languages that differ for source code
>production.
>
>In the end, FalconJx is actually an ActionScript emitter first, other
>languages next.
>
>Mike
>
>
>
>
>
>> -Fred.
>>
>> -----Message d'origine----- From: Michael Schmalle
>> Sent: Friday, January 18, 2013 4:03 PM
>> To: dev@flex.apache.org
>> Subject: Re: [FalconJx] where I'm going to be
>>
>> Yeah,
>>
>> When I wrote that I was basically brainstorming and talking to myself.
>>
>> Since it's in the trunk now, it does require a more laymans
>> explanation which I will work on.
>>
>> Really, here is the Overview.
>>
>> "FalconJx is being designed to be able to compile ActionScript3 source
>> code business logic to JavaScript business logic. At the moment, there
>> are no plans for the "majic bullet" compile to SWF and Browser with
>> the same view code."
>>
>> When I say business logic, I mean, no views, no ui components, no
>> flash display list to javascript DOM conversations. Just business logic.
>>
>> My main intention is not to "bloat" the project's definition with over
>> expectations like what happened in the definition of FalconJS.
>>
>> I just want to be able to write OOP type strict code in AS3 and
>> compile it to JavaScript at the moment.
>>
>>
>> Mike
>>
>>
>> Quoting Frédéric THOMAS <webdoubl...@hotmail.com>:
>>
>>> Mike,
>>>
>>> Q: How does it work?
>>>
>>> A: Basically we are utilizing the fantastic AST IASNode structure,
>>> traversing the nodes and visiting them individually with an emitter.
>>> The difference here is the AST walker is a hand written
>>>implementation
>>> that can easily be maintained and optimized per individual specs.
>>>
>>>
>>> I've been lost right after the word "Basically", as many people who
>>> never did anything regarding compilers but compiling, there are some
>>> words that hurts :) that's the reason why I said
>>>"introduction/overview
>>> " meaning something more basic that could help to understand what is
>>> written on the wiki page.
>>>
>>> -Fred
>>>
>>> -----Message d'origine----- From: Michael Schmalle
>>> Sent: Friday, January 18, 2013 3:38 PM
>>> To: dev@flex.apache.org
>>> Subject: Re: [FalconJx] where I'm going to be
>>>
>>> I outlined some of this a while ago;
>>>
>>> https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/FLEX/FalconJx+Prototype
>>>
>>> Mike
>>>
>>>
>>> Quoting Frédéric THOMAS <webdoubl...@hotmail.com>:
>>>
>>>> Yes, you right Carol, this information is very helpful and even
>>>>more
>>>> that, a good introduction/overview of how it works, what's the AST,
>>>> ..., would be also welcomed I guess.
>>>>
>>>> -Fred
>>>>
>>>> -----Message d'origine----- From: Carol Frampton
>>>> Sent: Friday, January 18, 2013 3:30 PM
>>>> To: dev@flex.apache.org
>>>> Subject: Re: [FalconJx] where I'm going to be
>>>>
>>>> This would be good info to post somewhere on the website since I'm
>>>>sure
>>>> Frederic isn't the only one wondering.
>>>>
>>>> Carol
>>>>
>>>> On 1/18/13 6 :41AM, "Erik de Bruin" <e...@ixsoftware.nl> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Frederic,
>>>>>
>>>>> There are currently two JS cross compilation projects happening:
>>>>> FalconJS and FalconJx.
>>>>>
>>>>> FalconJS is a project started by Alex Harui. It is currently the most
>>>>> complete implementation and has (limited?) MXML parsing. The FalconJS
>>>>> compiler will take an MXML and AS project and output a valid HTML/JS
>>>>> application. FalconJS does depend on a custom AS framework (i.e.
>>>>>won't
>>>>> work with the Flex SDK) and corresponding JS framework. This
>>>>>framework
>>>>> goes by the name of FlexJS. Read more about it on the Wiki:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/FLEX/Alex%27s+FlexJS+Proto
>>>>>type
>>>>>
>>>>> FalconJx is the 'alternative' project from Michael Schmalle. It uses
>>>>> an alternative approach to AS3 compilation (don't ask for details, I
>>>>> have no clue about the innards of that code). One of it's main
>>>>>selling
>>>>> points (from my humble point of view) is that it has a very flexible
>>>>> architecture for outputting different flavours of JS. The status of
>>>>> this project is that we are working on getting complete AS3 language
>>>>> feature coverage in place. This means that we are working towards
>>>>> ~100% translation of AS into JS. I'm using the Google Closure Tools
>>>>>to
>>>>> augment standard JS to try and match the original AS language
>>>>> features. This is coming along nicely, but I'm sure the devil will be
>>>>> in the details. Read more on the 'goog' way here:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/FLEX/AS+to+JS+-+the+%27goo
>>>>>g%27
>>>>> +Way
>>>>>
>>>>> FalconJx future: once we have AS (and hopefully MXML, at some point)
>>>>> translating into JS and have functional tests in place, the challenge
>>>>> will become to come up with both AS and JS framework to actually
>>>>>allow
>>>>> for application development. I'm silly enough to still cling to the
>>>>> idea that we'll be able to use (most of) the Flex SDK and create a
>>>>> compatible JS library... but I'm sure others will declare me insane
>>>>> for just dreaming about that :-)
>>>>>
>>>>> Have fun,
>>>>>
>>>>> EdB
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Fri, Jan 18, 2013 at 12:24 PM, Fréderic Cox
>>>>><coxfrede...@gmail.com>
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>> I'm following your work with great interest, but I'm afraid as a
>>>>>> "regular"
>>>>>> AS3 developer with no background in compilers this is a bit too
>>>>>> technical
>>>>>> for me. I was wondering if you could explain in a non-technical way
>>>>>> what
>>>>>> the status of the project is at this moment.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Questions I have:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> - I have an AS3 project, what can I do with FalconJx? Will it run
>>>>>>in
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> browser already?
>>>>>> - I have a Flex project with MXML, can it run in the browser with
>>>>>> FalconJx
>>>>>> instead of Flash Player?
>>>>>> - Is it technically possible to write in AS3/MXML and without Flash
>>>>>> run
>>>>>> the content in the browser, how does it reflect to the "pages"
>>>>>> paradigm
>>>>>> (history) and the DOM?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks for your hard work, just trying to understand where we are
>>>>>>at
>>>>>> at
>>>>>> this moment
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Fréderic Cox
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 18/01/13 12:19, "Michael Schmalle" <apa...@teotigraphix.com>
>>>>>>wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hey all,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Since the project is really taking shape thanks to our great
>>>>>>> cooperation, I am going to focus on the nemesis I have left and
>>>>>>>that
>>>>>>> is finishing of the ActionScript emitter.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> This project blew up fast with Erik contributing, I didn't get a
>>>>>>> chance to fully finish the ActionScript impl. Yes, I might have
>>>>>>>plans
>>>>>>> down the road to make a read/write AS DOM and having a fully
>>>>>>> functional AS3 emitter is essential.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Mike
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Michael Schmalle - Teoti Graphix, LLC
>>>>>>> http://www.teotigraphix.com
>>>>>>> http://blog.teotigraphix.com
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Ix Multimedia Software
>>>>>
>>>>> Jan Luykenstraat 27
>>>>> 3521 VB Utrecht
>>>>>
>>>>> T. 06-51952295
>>>>> I. www.ixsoftware.nl
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Michael Schmalle - Teoti Graphix, LLC
>>> http://www.teotigraphix.com
>>> http://blog.teotigraphix.com
>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Michael Schmalle - Teoti Graphix, LLC
>> http://www.teotigraphix.com
>> http://blog.teotigraphix.com
>>
>>
>
>--
>Michael Schmalle - Teoti Graphix, LLC
>http://www.teotigraphix.com
>http://blog.teotigraphix.com
>
