Ted Patrick > { Events & Community } > Adobe Systems

PowerSDK version 16 is released and resolves issues with F7 Player compatibility. I strongly recommend you upgrade to this release as it resolves some longstanding errors and introduces a bunch of new functionality. V16 is a ground up rewrite of the powerSDK framework and incorporates many changes since last release.

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Download PowerSDK Version 16 + Examples
Download PowerSDK Cummulative Releases 14, 15, 16 + Examples
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Changes:
Version 16 changes player internals big time! Actually the entire MovieClips.prototype has been rewritten and supports some great high level functionality on top of the inner player methods. The changes are backward compatible with the old methods with some new functionality mixed in. These changes simplify the process of handling MovieClipDatatypes within Actionscript. Here is a sample of the new attach method:

_level0.attach({_name:'ted', _class:'window'})
//attach a window from the library

_level0.attach({_name:'dog', _depth:'bottom'})
//attach an empty movieClip

//delete the movieClipdatatypes
delete _level0.ted
_level0.dog = 'No More Dog MovieClip'

In the above example, MovieClipDataTypes are now just like any other data object and can be overwritten without special handling methods, even by strings or delete. Depth management is also automatic allowing you avoid depth overwriting errors. It takes some getting used to and is specifically intended to make applications easier to author. V16 also has a new set of contextual events allowing you to use onTarget Events. These events combine standard events with the context of the cursor target. These events tend to simplify components and reduce the volume of code thus allowing for easier authoring. Plus they are easy to interactively overwrite by reference. Here is a sample:

_level0.onTargetRollOver = function(id) {trace('I took the focus from '+id)}
_level0.onTargetRollOut = function(id){trace('I lost focus to '+id)}
_level0.onTargetDragDrop = function(id){trace('You dropped '+ id +' on me!')}
_level0.myMC.onTargetRollOver = function(id) {trace('I took the focus from '+id)}
_level0.myMC.onTargetRollOut = function(id){trace('I lost focus to '+id)}
_level0.myMC.onTargetDragDrop = function(id){trace('You dropped '+ id +' on me!')}

When events are easier to detect and are in context with the target, it makes for allot less code. It takes some getting used to.

Special thanks in no particular order: Robert Penner (com.penner.math, com.penner.color), Branden Hall(string, XMLNitro), Elvis Mehmedovic(com.powersdk.ras), Erik Westra(com.powersdk.ras functions!), Alex Bradley, Timothee Groleau(cExtends), Owen Van Dijk, Jos Yule, Jim Cipriani, Ryan Eatmon (Jabber Pro!), Mark Wing, Brenda Long-Brown, Weberize Team, Nashville TMUG, Sunny Hong, Alain Moran, Ivan Dembicki(com.powersdk.xmlpath patch), Axexo Team, Pepsi Team, Warner Team, PSDK List members, and countless others for your emails, thoughts and ideas. You helped, Thanks!

We are about 1 month from the release of Version 17 of the framework paving the way for an alpha release of PowerSDK:FLOW. My current consulting gig ends on Tuesday and I will be working 110% on PowerSDK:FLOW and PowerSDK:VIEW. Hopefully both of them will fundamentally change the way you develop.

PowerSDK:FLOW >> Runtime XML Applications in the Flash Player
PowerSDK:VIEW >> A server for team software development

I guess you could say I finally have my priorities in order.

Onward through the fog!

Ted ;)