Firefox extension

Very recently I wrote about a Firefox extension: the FlashTracer written by Alessandro Crugnola. This extension will only make the hearts of Flash developers go faster, which it did in my case: I love this plugin! And although this is a relative new Firefox extension, it already helped me debug a application that I build.

Alessandro Crugnola is also the guy that gave us SE|PY (this is the editor I use for Flash programming)

Screenshot of Flash Switcher extension for Firefox Alessandro created another Firefox extension: Flash Switcher extension for Firefox

Flash Switcher – This extension comes with all the currently published flash player plugins (from the version 2 to the most recent 9,0,16) and allows you to easily switch from one plugin to another, or also to remove the currently installed plugin (maybe for testing the express install).

I used to use KewBee Plugin Switcher. Which is now for free, but if I remember correctly will be a commercial program. The big plus of that program is that it also works for IE, but who cares…. (and windows doesn’t like that you install / uninstall something without their knowledge, so it creates lot of ERRORS).

Flash tools of the trade: debug

I try not to regurgitate info from other blogs…
But I have to talk about a entry from Alessandro: because it makes me “extremely” happy.

The creator of SE|PY: Alessandro Crugnola has created his first firefox extension. Good for him, but what it´s to me?

FlashTracer Well… it’s one of the first tools that makes it possible to trace / debug in Firefox.
While running any .SWF Flash file in your browser you can see all the output generated by the “trace” flash functions in this sidebar component. This is very useful especially working with server side technology.
You can debug without anyone knowing this, even with on a live site: only people that have this extension installed will know this.

You just need to install the debug version of the flashplayer and the Firefox extension and you’re ready to go!

It made me painfully aware that we Flash-developers leave a lot of “traces” behind in the .SWF’s.
But this can be fixed: just check ‘Omit trace actions’ in the publish settings.

FlashTracer – While running any .swf Flash file in your browser you can see all the output generated by the “trace” flash functions in this sidebar component.
You *NEED* the flash player debug version to run this extension correctly: flashplayer_9_plugin_debug

Update #1: A colleague found a “funny” trace at youtube: it has something to do with the play button not wanting to appear….