Free ActionScript IDE for Mac?

Question

I have been scrambling to find a good way to edit/run AS3 on Mac for free. AXDT for eclipse won't install, and for a while I was using Sublime text + Terminal but it sucked cause of no code completion. Any ideas? Obviously FD is out of the question, being Windows only.

Answer 1

Currently, there are no entirely free ActionScript IDEs for the Mac. There are, however, some solutions you could use, depending on what you're working on and what other language support features you need, other than simple code completion:

• If you're working on open source stuff, you should take a look at IntelliJ IDEA, which is free for OSS projects.
• Also, FDT has a free version, but it does not include advanced refactoring, as well as a number of other functions.
• If you don't need project management, refactoring and such, you could keep using a text editor and compile via the command line. There is an ActionScript 3 syntax file for vim, and an ActionScript mode for Emacs.

If you're going to work with ActionScript (semi-)professionally, I would strongly recommend you reconsider paying for a good solution, though. There is so much more to a good IDE than just text highlighting and code completion!

IDEA, for example, actually helps you write better code in many ways: By enabling you to run unit tests (as suites, as single test class, and even as a single test method) directly from the editor window; by including highly advanced refactoring features, such as "change signature", "extract interface" or "inline method"; by analyzing what you write, and offering alternatives, etc.etc.

And then, of course, there's all the things that have nothing to do with the language itself, but make your life as a developer much easier: version control and issue tracking integration, build tools, dependency management, just to name a few.

If you're going to make any money with your code - and I mean, ANY money - a good IDE will earn its price quickly, probably even within a day's work.