OK, I am soooooo close. I think the only remaining compatibility issue is that Flex 3 seems to auto-size a Button to match the dimensions of its skin (very handy) but Flex 2 doesn't. I would like to avoid setting the sizes of my default buttons because that will make things much harder to restyle and makes runtime style switching a pretty huge pain. If I don't provide sizes though, the Buttons look wonky in Flex 2.
Any suggestions? Is there a way to detect the dimensions of a graphical skin? Thanks, Ben --- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com, "Gordon Smith" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Well, I'm pretty sure that Flex 2 didn't support having a defaults.css > file inside a SWC, so that leaves the classConstruct() method if you > want common code to support both Flex 2 and Flex 3. I don't follow your > statement that this method "falls short of supporting the styleName path > since its static and cannot reference instance properties". What > instance properties, of what object, are you talking about needing to > reference when you programmatically create CSSStyleDeclarations? > > > In fact, shouldn't a Flex 2 SWC work in Flex 3? > > Some might, but others might not... we haven't made any effort to > guarantee that kind of compatibility. > > Gordon Smith > Adobe Flex SDK Team > > ________________________________ > > From: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On > Behalf Of ben.clinkinbeard > Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 3:40 PM > To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > Subject: [flexcoders] Re: Seriously, what is the 'right' way to do > default styles? > > > > I can deal with producing 2 SWCs but can you recommend an approach to > do so with the least amount of differences in the code? Having to do > some forking I can live with but if its defaultFactory for Flex 2 and > defaults.css for Flex 3 thats not so doable. In fact, shouldn't a Flex > 2 SWC work in Flex 3? I thought backwards compatibility was preserved > in all but the most unavoidable of scenarios. > > Ben > > --- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > , "Gordon Smith" <gosmith@> wrote: > > > > If you're trying to produce a single SWC that works with both Flex 2 > and > > Flex 3, you're trying to do something that the SDK team doesn't try to > > do. We don't guarantee that you can link a Flex 2 app against our Flex > 3 > > SWCs, or vice versa, except that we try to support Flex 2 resource > > bundle SWCs in Flex 3 apps. I'm afraid that I don't have any advice on > > how to do what you want to do. My recommendation is to produce a Flex > 2 > > SWC and a Flex 3 SWC if you have to support Flex 2. > > > > Gordon Smith > > Adobe Flex SDK Team > > > > ________________________________ > > > > From: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > [mailto:flexcoders@yahoogroups.com <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > ] On > > Behalf Of ben.clinkinbeard > > Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 2:28 PM > > To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > Subject: [flexcoders] Re: Seriously, what is the 'right' way to do > > default styles? > > > > > > > > Hehe, thanks for the reply Gordon. I wasn't referring to design view > > problems as I don't use it either. I was referring to the fact that it > > seems you are required to put a global selector in your defaults.css > > that includes styles for an untold number of components if you want > > the SWC to be compatible with Flex 2.x. as described here: > > http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/99374. > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/99374.> > > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/99374. > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/99374.> > Is it > > trying to use the defaults.css from my SWC to style the whole app? > > > > I am not trying to create a whole new theme or anything, I just want > > the styles for my component included, so I don't want to compile > > repeatedly until I figure out exactly what has to be in my global > > selector. > > > > As for examples in the framework, I've had a hard time finding ones > > that map to my scenario well as most of the style names specified in > > other style selectors simply get applied to a subcomponent. I would be > > more than happy to follow your lead if you can point me to some good > > examples to reference. > > > > Thanks, > > Ben > > > > --- In flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > , "Gordon Smith" <gosmith@> wrote: > > > > > > OK, I have to eat crow. : ) > > > > > > My fellow team members tell me that Flex Builder's design view > doesn't > > > process the default.css file in 3rd party SWCs. I wasn't aware of > this > > > because I'm on the SDK team, not the Flex Builder team, and when I > use > > > Flex Builder I don't use design view. > > > > > > I'm going to go slink under my desk and let others opine on how to > do > > > styles correctly in a way that will make Flex Builder happy. > > > > > > Gordon Smith > > > Adobe Flex SDK Team > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > > > From: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > [mailto:flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > ] On > > > Behalf Of Gordon Smith > > > Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 1:43 PM > > > To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > > Subject: RE: [flexcoders] Seriously, what is the 'right' way to do > > > default styles? > > > > > > > > > > > > > the lack of definitive info on this topic is pretty amazing to me > > > > > > Ben, what could be more definitive than the approach that the Flex > SDK > > > team takes for its own components? You don't have to follow our > lead, > > > but I still think it counts as best practice. > > > > > > Flex framework SWCs, such as framework.swc and airframework.swc, > > contain > > > a defaults.css file, and this file references embeddable assets that > > are > > > also in the SWC. The "host of problems" you are referring to (and I > > > don't understand what they are) can't be any worse than those Flex > > > developers encounter simply by using the standard Flex SWCs. > > > > > > - Gordon > > > > > > ________________________________ > > > > > > From: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > [mailto:flexcoders@yahoogroups.com > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > ] On > > > Behalf Of ben.clinkinbeard > > > Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2008 12:21 PM > > > To: flexcoders@yahoogroups.com <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > <mailto:flexcoders%40yahoogroups.com> > > > Subject: [flexcoders] Seriously, what is the 'right' way to do > default > > > styles? > > > > > > > > > > > > OK, the lack of definitive info on this topic is pretty amazing to > me > > > so I would like to help get something out there once and for all. > The > > > problem to which I am referring is how to define default yet > > > overridable styles for custom components, including times when those > > > styles require embedded assets. This has been discussed before, but > > > the threads seem to endorse differing methods and neither provides > > > much in the way of concrete examples. > > > > > > > > > http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/98546?threaded=1&p > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/98546?threaded=1&; > p> > > > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/98546?threaded=1&; > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/98546?threaded=1&; > > > > p> > > > =8 > > > > > > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/98546?threaded=1&; > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/98546?threaded=1&; > > > > > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/98546?threaded=1&; > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/98546?threaded=1&; > > > > > > > > p=8> > > > http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/94547 > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/94547> > > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/94547 > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/94547> > > > > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/94547 > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/94547> > > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/94547 > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/94547> > > > > > > > > I will use my personal efforts as an example here because its fairly > > > complex and I think if we can define a solution for it then most > other > > > scenarios will be covered in the process. I have a component, > > > MDIWindow. I want its style to point to other styles (as seen in > Panel > > > with titleStyleName and various other places in the Flex framework) > > > with properties named focusStyleName and noFocusStyleName. Those > > > "second-level" styles will then embed assets and contain a > > > ClassReference directive. The end user should be able to define a > > > MDIWindow style in their CSS but should also be able to specify > > > styleName on an instance and have it point to alternate styles (all > > > MDIWindow instances should not have to be styled the same). > > > > > > The classConstruct() static method + AS and defaultFactory() > > > (mentioned by Alex above as probably the best option) works well for > > > defining the MDIWindow type selector styles but falls short of > > > supporting the styleName path since its static and cannot reference > > > instance properties. > > > > > > The CSS approach (recommended by Gordon above) has issues when it > > > comes to embedding assets in the resulting SWC (I think) unless you > > > use the defaults.css approach, but that comes with its own host of > > > problems > (http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/99374 > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/99374> > > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/99374 > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/99374> > > > > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/99374 > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/99374> > > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/99374 > <http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcoders/message/99374> > > ). > > > > > > I (and many others I think) are simply looking for an approach that > is > > > flexible, compatible with Flex 2.x and preferably has the > "recommended > > > by Adobe" stamp. I figure at the very least maybe we can get two of > > > the SDK engineers to duke it out (Deepa, you're in charge of > > > photgraphing), and hopefully whoever can still use a keyboard > > > afterwards will post a wonderfully detailed diatribe on the "right" > > > way to do default styles. > > > > > > Thanks! > > > Ben > > > > > >
