Nice New AS3 Code Library CasaLib, AS3 Version Release.
I blogged a few months ago about some great Actionscript open source or free code libraries that you should check out. In that list, I mentioned the great, somewhat outdated, but still useful Casa Framework for Actionscript 2. Well, let me repeat that endorsement, but with a big big reinforcement! The Framework has been renamed to CASA Lib and updated to Actionscript 3.
The redubbing is appropriate, as it’s not really an application dev framework like Gaia, but rather an association of packages and classes like the AS3Corelib. Simply put this library just help you get things done faster and easier. Mundane things like date operations, comparisons, display object alignment, etc are a simple method call away. Also, a great addition to the library is a destory() method to assist you with the rather buggy Flash Player 9 garbage collection.
I have downloaded the library and as soon as I have another Flash 9 project pop up, you can bet I’ll be using it. I mean, really the stuff in the util package is just by itself a very useful chunk of code.
Why do I like using these little libraries over just writing stuff from scratch? Well, I have a few reasons, but what really makes it so great in my opinion, is not because any developer couldn’t write these themselves (beleive me I have written all kinds of boring code in the past), but rather by standardizing on a set of packages and classes, you make your team so much more productive. No more debating the better way to do it, no more maintaining your own huge code repository, just simplicity. Really nice, if you ask me.
These bits and snips allow you and your team to focus on the creative parts of your apps and experiences. No one is really going to congratulate you on how awesome your email validation was on that sweet form you built, but they might just love the innovative menus or great integration of video, etc. You see what I mean.
When you think about things like that, and you have great code that is well documented and maintained, it just seems like a no brainer to me. Many congratulations to Aaron Clinger and Mike Creighton and the other contributors on the team. Thanks for your great contribution to the Flash platform community.
Posted on December 8, 2008
Brett Walker Dec 8
Oh I don’t know, my Validation class is pretty frickin sweet!
Totally agree with your sentiments about standardizing on code. We have our own internal libraries here. Thanks for the heads up on CASA; had not seen it before and will check it out.
felix Dec 9
I totally agree that there is no point in rebuilding the wheel. It would be great if the flash community could build a collaborative util lib in a wiki style.
John Jan 7
One thing that’s really frustrated me about libraries like these — and Casalib is no different in this regard — is that the web sites rarely describe what the library is good for. “Streamline common chores and act as a solid, reliable foundation for your projects” is a nice sentiment but it’s not particularly descriptive. Which common chores? How is it a foundation?
If casalib (and similar) would take the time to describe the problems they solve instead of just pointing newcomers to class documentation, they’d probably be adopted more quickly. For example see how jQuery describes their product.
(I posted more on this here: http://www.newcitymedia.com/brain-dump/frameworks-need-descriptions/)
abhishek May 30
hey frnds,
where i can get some examples of this lib framework to use in flex 4
thx in advanced,
abhishekchess1@gmail.com