Category: Terminal

Start Google Chrome with local file access on Mac OS X

Debugging local contents with Google Chrome on Mac OS X can be hard since local file access is disabled by default.

Enabling local file access is a simple terminal command. So just open your terminal anywhere, make sure Google Chrome is currently not running, copy paste this line and hit enter:

open /Applications/Google\ Chrome.app --args --allow-file-access-from-files

Using Google Chrome Canary is also possible:

open /Applications/Google\ Chrome\ Canary.app --args --allow-file-access-from-files

[Update]
File XMLHttpRequest can also be enabled in Opera visiting opera:config#UserPrefs|AllowFileXMLHttpRequest

iOS development with AIR 2.6 using FDT and my new friend ANT

Adobe recently released AIR 2.6 with improved iOS support, so I finally had to get into using ADT with ANT. My editor of choice is FDT so I wanted to do as less extra work as possible. Mainly because I’m no terminal-guy. I need a clean GUI holding my hand while setting up workspaces, linking libraries and stuff like that. In other words, command line and compiler arguments are freaking me out. 😉

I read a lot of blogposts and articles (see link list on the bottom of this post) but most of them compile SWFs using ANT, which means setting source path and stuff like that as command line arguments. But hey, FDT does this already during my daily workflow, so to me it seems natural reusing this within the iOS packaging process.

So I won’t comment a lot what I came up with because all of this can be read on one of the sites below, but show you simply a screenshot of my “IOSAIRTest” workspace structure and of course the ANT files. Notice that I’m not into having different directories for debug, publish, testing and so. I like to have all source files clean and separated by file type (would have an mxml folder too):

You will find the most interesting files in src/ant. Let’s start with local.properties which just defines the SDK path:

FLEX_HOME=/Users/{USERNAME}/Path/To/FlexSDKs/4.5.0.17689_AIR_2.6
MXMLC=${FLEX_HOME}/bin/mxmlc
ADT=${FLEX_HOME}/bin/adt

Within build.properties you setup all params regarding your project:

app.rootdir=./../..
app.descriptor=${app.rootdir}/bin/IOSAIRTest-app.xml
app.rootfile=IOSAIRTest.swf
app.sourcedir=${app.rootdir}/src/as
app.bindir=${app.rootdir}/bin
app.source=${app.sourcedir}/de/superclass/IOSAIRTest.as
app.includes=assets icons Default.png Default-Portrait.png
 
build.storetype=pkcs12
build.keystore=${app.rootdir}/resources/ios/iPhoneDevCert.p12
build.storepass={PASSWORD;)}
build.mobileprofile=${app.rootdir}/resources/ios/AIR_TEST.mobileprovision
build.name=IOSAIRTest.ipa
 
fdt.projectname=AIRTest
fdt.mainclass=${app.source}
fdt.target=${app.bindir}/${app.rootfile}

And build.xml contains four ways to create the IPA package and the according FDT tasks:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<project name="AIR export" basedir=".">
 
	<property file="local.properties" />
	<property file="build.properties" />
 
	<!-- FDT tasks
 
		see http://fdt.powerflasher.com/docs/FDT_Ant_Tasks#fdt.launch.application - for documentation
		see http://fdt.powerflasher.com/docs/FDT_and_Ant_Tutorial#Your_First_Task:_Compiling_.26_JRE_Error - if you run into errors!
	-->
 
	<target name="FDT create SWF">
		<fdt.launch.resetFlexCompiler/>
		<fdt.launch.application
			projectname="${fdt.projectname}"
			mainclass="${fdt.mainclass}"
			profile="false"
			debug="false"
			target="${fdt.target}"
	    	startswf="false"/>
	  </target>
 
	<target name="FDT create SWF debug">
		<fdt.launch.resetFlexCompiler/>
		<fdt.launch.application
			projectname="${fdt.projectname}"
			mainclass="${fdt.mainclass}"
			profile="false"
			debug="true"
			target="${fdt.target}"
	    	startswf="false"/>
	  </target>
 
	<!-- ADT tasks -->
 
	<target name="iOS create IPA debug" depends="FDT create SWF debug">
		<exec executable="${ADT}">
			<arg line="-package
						-target ipa-debug
						-storetype ${build.storetype}
						-keystore ${build.keystore}
						-storepass ${build.storepass}
						-provisioning-profile ${build.mobileprofile}
						${app.bindir}/${build.name}
						${app.descriptor}
						-C ${app.bindir} ${app.rootfile} ${app.includes}
			"/>
		</exec>
	</target>
 
	<target name="iOS create IPA test" depends="FDT create SWF">
		<exec executable="${ADT}">
			<arg line="-package
						-target ipa-test
						-storetype ${build.storetype}
						-keystore ${build.keystore}
						-storepass ${build.storepass}
						-provisioning-profile ${build.mobileprofile}
						${app.bindir}/${build.name}
						${app.descriptor}
						-C ${app.bindir} ${app.rootfile} ${app.includes}
			"/>
		</exec>
	</target>
 
	<target name="iOS create IPA ad-hoc" depends="FDT create SWF">
		<exec executable="${ADT}">
			<arg line="-package
						-target ipa-ad-hoc
						-storetype ${build.storetype}
						-keystore ${build.keystore}
						-storepass ${build.storepass}
						-provisioning-profile ${build.mobileprofile}
						${app.bindir}/${build.name}
						${app.descriptor}
						-C ${app.bindir} ${app.rootfile} ${app.includes}
			"/>
		</exec>
	</target>
 
	<target name="iOS create IPA app-store" depends="FDT create SWF">
		<exec executable="${ADT}">
			<arg line="-package
						-target ipa-app-store
						-storetype ${build.storetype}
						-keystore ${build.keystore}
						-storepass ${build.storepass}
						-provisioning-profile ${build.mobileprofile}
						${app.bindir}/${build.name}
						${app.descriptor}
						-C ${app.bindir} ${app.rootfile} ${app.includes}
			"/>
		</exec>
	</target>
 
</project>

If you’re not sure how to get started with all this AIR 2.6 stuff because it’s currently not integrated in the Flex SDKs – follow this steps:

Loads of linked informations:

http://blogs.adobe.com/cantrell/archives/2011/03/how-to-use-air-2-6-with-flash-builder-4.html
http://www.mobilerevamp.org/2010/07/30/how-to-build-your-first-air4android-application-using-fdt-and-eclipse/
https://code.google.com/p/air-on-android-with-fdt/
http://www.beautifycode.com/flex-hero-mobile-project-template-for-fdt-4-2
http://www.beautifycode.com/publish-package-an-air-file-with-fdt4
http://labs.almerblank.com/2011/03/using-ant-to-compile-a-flex-mobile-project-for-ios/
http://va.lent.in/blog/2011/03/25/air2-6-app-for-ios/ (Thanks for ANT files!)
http://developerartofwar.com/2011/03/24/air-2-6-on-ipad-2-in-15-mins/
http://karoshiethos.com/2010/04/06/use-fdt-folder-path-variables-in-ant/
http://fdt.powerflasher.com/docs/FDT_Ant_Tasks#fdt.launch.application
http://labs.almerblank.com/2011/03/using-ant-to-compile-a-flex-mobile-project-for-ios/

Update:
http://www.blackcj.com/blog/2011/04/04/ios-android-and-blackberry-in-a-single-click-with-ant/

Zend Framework CLI Tool Usage

God damn it. I spent hours trying to generate the basic filestructure using the Zend_Tool (zf.php) shipping within the Zend Framework download. It didn’t work and I got really frustrated.

Well, guess what. Now I downloaded the next version (1.9.5) and it works!

Just open the terminal, navigate to the bin directory within the framework download and type (Mac OS X):

./zf.sh create project ./

This is what get’s generated: Zend_1_9_5_Structure