MACROMEDIA FLASH 8-GETTING STARTED WITH FLASH LITE User manual

Getting Started with Flash Lite

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Acknowledgments
Project Management: Mary Leigh Burke
Writing: Tim Statler
Managing Editor: Rosana Francescato
Editing: Linda Adler, Geta Carson
Production Management: Patrice O’Neill, Kristin Conradi, Yuko Yagi
Media Design and Production: Adam Barnett, Aaron Begley, Paul Benkman. John Francis, Geeta Karmarkar, Masayo Noda,
Paul Rangel, Arena Reed, Mario Reynoso
Special thanks to Lisa Friendly, Bonnie Loo, Erick Vera, the beta testers, and the entire Flash Lite engineering and QA teams.
First Edition: September 2005
Macromedia, Inc.
601 Townsend St.
San Francisco, CA 94103

3
Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
What’s new in Flash Lite authoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5
Guide to instructional media. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Additional resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Typographical conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Chapter 1: Flash Lite Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
About Flash Lite technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Flash Lite 1.x availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
About Flash Lite content types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11
Workflow for authoring Flash Lite applications (Flash
Professional Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Flash Lite authoring features in Flash Professional 8 (Flash
Professional Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Using Flash Lite document templates (Flash Professional Only) . . . . 16
Hello World Flash Lite application (Flash Professional Only) . . . . . . . 18
About the stand-alone Flash Lite player . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Chapter 2: Creating a Flash Lite Application (Flash
Professional Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Café application overview (Flash Professional Only) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Viewing the completed application (Flash Professional Only) . . . . . . 26
Creating the application (Flash Professional Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

4Contents

5
Introduction
This manual provides an introduction to Macromedia Flash Lite and the
authoring features in Macromedia Flash Professional 8 for Flash Lite
developers.
What’s new in Flash Lite
authoring
Flash Professional 8 includes the following new features to help developers
create Flash Lite applications:
Flash Lite emulator The Flash Lite emulator lets you preview your
content as it will function on an actual device. The emulator can configure
itself to mimic the features available on any supported device. The
emulator also provides debugging information that alerts you to potential
problems and incompatibilities on the target device.
Device Settings dialog box You use the Device Settings dialog box to
select your test devices and Flash Lite content type. When you test your
content in the Flash Lite emulator, you can choose the test device you want
the emulator to mimic.
Device document templates Flash Professional 8 includes document
templates to let you quickly start creating content for specific devices and
content types.

6Introduction
Guide to instructional media
The Flash Lite documentation package includes the following media to
help you learn how to create Flash Lite applications:
■Getting Started with Flash Lite provides an overview of Flash Lite
technology and developing Flash Lite content for mobile devices. It
also includes a step-by-step tutorial for creating a Flash Lite
application.
■Developing Flash Lite Applications is a comprehensive guide to creating
Flash Lite content, and includes instructions for testing your
applications in the integrated Flash Lite emulator.
■Flash Lite 1.x ActionScript Language Reference describes all the
ActionScript language features available to Flash Lite developers, and
provides example code.
■Learning Flash Lite 1.x ActionScript complements the language
reference and provides additional code examples and an introduction to
writing Flash 4 ActionScript, upon which Flash Lite 1.x ActionScript
is based.
■The Flash Lite sample applications demonstrate key concepts and best
practices discussed or mentioned in the written documentation.
Additional resources
For the latest information on developing Flash Lite applications, plus
advice from expert users, advanced topics, examples, tips, and other
updates, see the Mobile and Devices Developer Center at
www.macromedia.com/devnet/devices/.
For TechNotes, documentation updates, and links to additional resources
in the Flash Lite developer community, see the Macromedia Flash Lite
Support Center at www.macromedia.com/support/flashlite/.

Typographical conventions 7
Typographical conventions
The following typographical conventions are used in this book:
■Italic font indicates a value that should be replaced (for example, in a
folder path).
■Code font indicates ActionScript code.
■Code font italic indicates an ActionScript parameter.
■Bold font indicates a verbatim entry.
■Double quotation marks ("") in code examples indicate delimited
strings. However, programmers can also use single quotation marks.

8Introduction

9
1
CHAPTER 1
Flash Lite Overview
This chapter contains the following topics:
About Flash Lite technology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Flash Lite 1.x availability . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
About Flash Lite content types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
Workflow for authoring Flash Lite applications (Flash
Professional Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Flash Lite authoring features in Flash Professional 8 (Flash
Professional Only). . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Using Flash Lite document templates (Flash Professional Only) 16
Hello World Flash Lite application (Flash Professional Only) . . . 18
About the stand-alone Flash Lite player. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
About Flash Lite technology
Macromedia Flash Lite is a version of Macromedia Flash Player designed
for mobile phones. It balances Flash features and capabilities with the
processing power and configurations of today’s mass market mobile
phones. There are currently two versions of Flash Lite: Flash Lite 1.0 and
Flash Lite 1.1. Flash Lite consists of the following features:
The core rendering engine The rendering engine handles all vector and
bitmap rendering.
ActionScript interpreter Flash Lite supports the version of the
ActionScript language used in Flash Player 4, including many mobile-
specific commands, such as getting time and date information from the
device. This hybrid of Flash Player 4 ActionScript and commands with
properties specific to Flash Lite is collectively called Flash Lite 1.x
ActionScript.

10 Flash Lite Overview
For more information about Flash Lite 1.x ActionScript, see Flash Lite 1.x
ActionScript Language Reference and Learning Flash Lite 1.x ActionScript.
Text and fonts Flash Lite supports static, dynamic, and input text fields.
You can use fonts that are available on the device or embed font data in
your published SWF file. For more information about using text and fonts
in Flash Lite, see Chapter 2, “Working with Text and Fonts” in Developing
Flash Lite Applications.
Sound Flash Lite 1.0 and Flash Lite 1.1 both support device audio
formats (such as MIDI or MFi). Flash Lite 1.1 also supports standard Flash
audio. For more information about working with sound in Flash Lite, see
Chapter 3, “Working with Sound” in Developing Flash Lite Applications.
Network connectivity Flash Lite 1.1 supports the ability to load external
data and SWF files, as well as commands and properties for getting
connectivity and HTTP request status information.
Device and platform integration Flash Lite provides access to several
system features and commands, such as the ability to initiate phone calls
and short message service (SMS) messages, get platform capability
information, and get user input using the device’s standard input
dialog box.
Flash Lite 1.x availability
Flash Lite 1.0 and Flash Lite 1.1 are supported on a variety of mobile
devices that are available in a number of different geographic regions and
markets. Some of these devices are available globally, while others are
available only in specific geographic regions or from specific mobile
operators. Some devices come with Flash Lite pre-installed from the device
manufacturer or mobile operator, while on others it can be installed
after purchase.
For the most current list of devices that support Flash Lite, see the
Supported Devices page located at www.macromedia.com/mobile/
supported_devices/.

About Flash Lite content types 11
Globally available devices that support Flash Lite include the Symbian
Series 60-based devices from Nokia, Sendo, and Seimens, and the Symbian
UIQ-based devices from Sony-Ericcson. As of this writing, all globally
available devices support only the stand-alone Flash Lite player. The stand-
alone player installs as a “top-level” application that a user can start from
the device’s application menu (just like a text messaging application or a
mobile web browser, for example). For more information about the stand-
alone Flash Lite player, see “About the stand-alone Flash Lite player”
on page 23.
As of this writing, the Flash Lite stand-alone player is not pre-installed on
any globally available devices. You can purchase the stand-alone player for
development purposes from the Macromedia online store at
www.macromedia.com/store/.
Regionally available devices that support Flash Lite comprise a larger
group of devices than are available globally. As of this writing, these devices
are available primarily in Japan and come with Flash Lite pre-installed. On
these devices, Flash Lite enables several different types of content, such as
Flash screen savers or animated ring tones. For more information about
Flash Lite content types, see “About Flash Lite content types” on page 11.
About Flash Lite content types
Before you start developing a Flash Lite application, you need to know
the following:
■The device or devices on which the content will be running, or target
devices. The Flash Lite player is installed on a variety of devices. For a
full list of devices with Flash Lite installed, see the Supported Devices
page on the Macromedia website at www.macromedia.com/mobile/
supported_devices/.
■The Flash Lite content types supported by the target devices. Each
Flash Lite installation supports one or more application modes, or
content types. For example, some devices use Flash Lite to enable Flash-
based screen savers or animated ring tones. Others use Flash Lite to
render Flash content that is embedded in mobile web pages. Not all
content types support all Flash Lite features.

12 Flash Lite Overview
Each Flash Lite content type, paired with a specific device, defines a
specific set of Flash Lite features that are available to your application. For
example, a Flash application that's running as a screen saver is not typically
allowed to make network connections or download data.
The Flash Lite testing features in Macromedia Flash Professional 8 let you
test against multiple devices and different Flash Lite content types. This
lets you determine if your application uses features that aren't available
for the type of content that you are developing. For more information
about selecting target devices and content types, see Chapter 5, “Testing
Flash Lite Content (Flash Professional Only)” in Developing Flash Lite
Applications.
Workflow for authoring Flash
Lite applications (Flash
Professional Only)
The process for creating Flash Lite content is an iterative one that involves
the following steps:
Identify your target device(s) and Flash Lite content type Different
devices have different screen sizes, support different audio formats, and
have different screen color depths, among other factors. These factors may
influence your application’s design or implementation.
In addition, different devices support different Flash Lite content types,
such as screen savers, stand-alone applications, or animated ring tones. The
content type for which you are developing also determines the features that
are available to your application. For more information about Flash Lite
content types, see “About Flash Lite content types” on page 11.
Create and test your application in Flash Flash Professional 8 includes
a Flash Lite emulator that lets you test your application without having to
transfer it to a device. You use the Flash Lite emulator to refine your
application design and fix any problems before you test it on a
mobile device.

Workflow for authoring Flash Lite applications (Flash Professional Only) 13
Test the application on your target device or devices This step is
important because the emulator doesn’t emulate all aspects of the target
device, such as its processor speed, color depth, or network latency. For
instance, an animation that runs smoothly on the emulator might not run
as quickly on the device, due to its slower processor speed. Or a color
gradient that appears smooth in the emulator may appear banded when
viewed on the actual device. After testing your application on a device, you
may find that you need to refine the application’s design in the Flash
authoring tool.
The following figure illustrates the iterative development and testing
process described above.
Editing the FLA file in Flash
Professional 8
Testing in the Flash Lite
emulator
Testing on a device

14 Flash Lite Overview
Flash Lite authoring features in
Flash Professional 8 (Flash
Professional Only)
This section discusses the features in Flash Professional 8 designed
specifically for Flash Lite developers. With the exception of the device
templates feature, the following features are only available when your
document’s Version setting on the Flash tab of the Publish Setting dialog
box is set to either Flash Lite 1.0 or Flash Lite 1.1. For information on how
to specify your document’s SWF version, see “Setting publish options for
the Flash SWF file format” in Using Flash.
The Flash Lite emulator and test window let you test your content as it
will run and appear on an actual device. A settings pane in the Flash Lite
test window lets you select a different test device, view information about
your application, and set emulator debug output options.
For more information about using the Flash Lite emulator and test
window, see “Using the Flash Lite emulator (Flash Professional Only)” in
Developing Flash Lite Applications.

Flash Lite authoring features in Flash Professional 8 (Flash Professional Only) 15
The Device Settings dialog box lets you select the test devices and Flash
Lite content type that you want to test against in the Flash Lite emulator.
Different devices support different media types (for example, different
types of device sound formats) as well as different Flash Lite content types,
such as stand-alone player, screensaver, or browser. When you preview your
application in the Flash Lite test window, the emulator mimics the features
available to the selected test device running as the selected content type.
For more information about Flash Lite content types, see “About Flash Lite
content types” on page 11. For more information about using the Device
Settings dialog box, see “Selecting test devices and Flash Lite content type
(Flash Professional Only)” in Developing Flash Lite Applications.

16 Flash Lite Overview
The Property inspector contains a section that provides information
about your current device settings, as well as a button that lets you open
the Device Settings dialog box. This button is active only when your
document’s Version setting on the Flash tab of the Publish Setting dialog
box is set to Flash Lite 1.0 or Flash Lite 1.1.
Document templates provide a starting point for you to create different
types of Flash Lite content for different categories of devices. For more
information, see “Using Flash Lite document templates (Flash Professional
Only)” on page 16.
Using Flash Lite document
templates (Flash Professional
Only)
Flash Professional 8 includes several templates that provide starting points
for creating Flash Lite content for various devices and content types. When
you create a new document from one of the Flash Lite templates, your
document is preconfigured with the proper Stage size, publish settings, and
device settings for the device type that you specify. In some cases, you may
need to adjust the Stage size from the default dimensions for your
target device.
The first step in most of the examples and sample applications in this
documentation is to create a new document from one of the Flash Lite
document templates.
Device Settings button Current content type and test device

Using Flash Lite document templates (Flash Professional Only) 17
As the following figure shows, Flash Lite document templates are organized
into two groups: Global Phones and Japanese Phones. The name of each
template in each group includes the target Flash Lite platform (Flash Lite
1.0 or Flash Lite 1.1) and the target content type (for example, Browser
or Wallpaper).
The Global Phones category contains templates for creating full-screen
applications for the stand-alone Flash Lite 1.1 player on Series 60 and UIQ
platforms. The Japanese Phones category contains templates for creating
content for devices available in the Japanese market. For more information
about Flash Lite availability in global and regional markets, see “Flash Lite
1.x availability” on page 10.
To create a new document from a Flash Lite template:
1. In Flash, select File > New.
2. Select the Templates tab in the New Document dialog box.
3. Select a category from the list of categories:
■Select Global Phones if you’re developing a Flash Lite application
for a phone available globally.
■Select Japanese Phones if you’re developing an application for a
phone only available in the Japanese market.
4. Select a template from the list of templates.
5. Click OK to close the New Document dialog box.

18 Flash Lite Overview
Hello World Flash Lite
application (Flash Professional
Only)
In this section, you create a simple Flash Lite application and test it in the
Flash Lite emulator. The purpose of this tutorial is to acquaint you with
the mobile authoring and testing features in Flash Professional 8 as well as
the general workflow for creating Flash Lite content. For a more complete
sample application, see Chapter 2, “Creating a Flash Lite Application
(Flash Professional Only),” on page 25.
First, you need to decide which devices and Flash Lite content type you are
targeting. For the purposes of this tutorial, we’ll assume that you’re
developing content for the Flash Lite 1.1 stand-alone player on the Series
60 devices from Nokia. All of the supported Nokia Series 60 devices have
the same available Stage size (176 x 208 pixels), so in theory, the same
application (SWF file) will run on all of those devices.
To begin development, you first need to configure your Flash document’s
publish settings, document settings, and device settings for the target
device and content type. You can do this manually using a new blank
document, or you can use a Flash Lite template (see “Using Flash Lite
document templates (Flash Professional Only)” on page 16) to create a
new document that’s preconfigured with the proper settings for your target
device and content type. The following procedures explain how to create
the same Hello World application in two ways: using a Flash Lite
document template, and from a blank document.
To configure and create a simple Flash Lite application from a
template:
1. In Flash Professional 8, select File > New.
2. In the New Document dialog box select the Templates tab.
3. In the list of Categories, select the Global Phones category.
4. In the list of templates, select the template named Flash Lite 1.1 -
Symbian Series 60.
5. Click OK.
The new document is preconfigured with the proper Stage size, target
platform and device settings. You’re now ready to start creating
the application.

Hello World Flash Lite application (Flash Professional Only) 19
6. Select the Text tool in the Tools panel, and drag a text box on the Stage.
Type Hello, world! in the text box (or whatever text you prefer).
7. Select Control > Test Movie to view your application in the Flash
Lite emulator.
8. To view your application in running in another device, select Nokia
6670 from the Test Device pop-up menu.

20 Flash Lite Overview
The following procedure results in the same Hello World sample
application as the previous one, but demonstrates how to manually
configure your document’s settings.
To configure and create a simple Flash Lite application
manually:
1. Create a new document in Flash Professional 8, and save it as
helloworld.fla.
2. Open the Publish Settings dialog box (File > Publish Settings), click the
Flash tab, and select Flash Lite 1.1 from the Version pop-up menu.
Then click OK.
3. To open the Device Settings dialog box, select File > Device Settings, or
click the Device Settings button in the Property inspector (Window >
Properties> Properties).
4. In the Device Settings dialog box, do the following:
a. Select Standalone Player from the Content Type pop-up menu.
b. In the list of available devices, click the Symbian folder to open it,
click the Series 60 folder, click the Nokia folder, and then select one
of the devices in that folder.
Device Settings
button