GUTTERSHARK
Actionscript 3 Library
Guttershark is a Flash Actionscript 3 productivity library that uses some simple conventions - to make you faster as a developer. It's a pattern for Flash development that cuts out a huge amount of time, especially when you're in the first stages of development.
There are quite a few AS3 Flash libraries out there, but a lot of them push abstraction on you that isn't necessary. Just because something can be abstracted, it doesn't mean it should be. Does that make it more useful? Does it make your job easier or less complicated? Probably not.
So what's the deal with Guttershark? Essentially it defines the "scaffolding" of what seems to be 95% of Flash websites.
By following the conventions, you can override a couple methods, write a few lines of code, and have the following implemented:
- Load a model XML file.
- Model XML Methods.
- Methods that parse and give you back objects you can pass directly to the preloading framework.
- Methods that initialize remoting services and initialize everything for you.
- Methods for working with generic attributes, links, assets, etc
- Advanced Preloading Framework.
- Load XML,SWF,FLV,Bitmaps and Sounds. Access everything from one AssetLibrary, which simplifies working with assets including Fonts.
- Bandwidth Detection (High/Med/Low).
- CPU Speed Estimation (Fast/Med/Slow).
- Online/Offline Status Hooks.
- SharedObject initialization Hooks.
- Akamai Ident Service Integration.
- Akamai Net Connection Manager for FLVPlayback components.
- Simplified Keyboard Event Management.
- Simplified Language Management.
- Remoting Framework.
- MacMouseWheel integration.
- Tracking Framework for Atlas,Webtrends, and Google Analytics.
- Tracking Integration into an EventManager. Write 0 lines of code to implement tracking!
Guttershark uses a common DocumentController that a lot of the default functionality resides in and can be opted into with FlashVars.
By conforming to these pretty loose conventions, you get a lot of things for free, and still have plenty of room to implement anything else you wish.
DOCUMENTATION
The philosophy about documentation is that it should make sense, and use the API docs as the place for all information, so that any questions can be directed to the API docs.
By having an extremely well documented API. 95% of classes have examples, and explain things in a readable fashion. The guide for writing documentation for Guttershark has been the Flash and Flex API's. What makes more sense than following how Adobe does it?
Documentation is always updated and maintained.
You should start by reading the net.guttershark.control.DocumentController documentation.
EXAMPLES
All examples are in the SVN repository. Add a Flash class path that points to the Guttershark "lib/as" directory and all examples will publish out of the box.
CODE
Hosted on googlecode
CODE DEPENDENCIES
WHAT'S MISSING?
The most noticeable classes that are missing are user interface control classes. There are a couple in here, but not nearly enough. These will be developed and added in over time, any help is always welcomed.
IN THE INDUSTRY
Have you used it? shout it
- Village Idiot Pictures. Credits: Ryan Noonan, Michael Squibb, Arron Creechly, Aaron Smith. (Imaginatia)
- VOIP As You Are! Credits: Jonathan Cipriano. (Mccann Worldgroup)