CODEWITHSUNDEEP
actionscript-3actionscriptflash-cs5
Simon E.
Simon E.

Reputation: 58461

Best Tools for Debugging Flash ActionScript 3 (AS3)

Does anyone want to share the best debugging tools they have found for Actionscript 3 (AS3) and Flash CS5?

I've just done a search and found a few, but would love to hear from people who've actually used any of them. (In order of 'most promising')

Screenshots...

Adobe Scout:


(source: adobe.com)

De MonsterDebugger:


(source: demonsterdebugger.com)

Thunderbird AS3 Console:


(source: googlecode.com)

Luminic Box:

http://img1.UploadScreenshot.com/images/main/2/4406392687.jpg

Senocular:

Xray:


(source: osflash.org)

Upvotes: 26

Views: 27436

Answers (11)

alxx
alxx

Reputation: 9897

DeMonsterDebugger.com has a lot of features (their site describes it best).

  • Tracing messages
  • Introspection of your application structure
  • Testing methods
  • Editing properties
  • Finding performance issues

And open source! :-)


(source: demonsterdebugger.com)

Upvotes: 4

dejjub-AIS
dejjub-AIS

Reputation: 1541

Adobe Scout, the official debugger by Adobe

Copied from official web site

Works with any SWF

Use Scout to profile and optimize any SWF whether it runs on mobile devices, desktops, or in browsers. And you don't need special debug versions - profile your games in the commercially available Flash Player.

No code changes

Scout works automatically, without any changes in your code. Profile your content in-context with very little effort, find hotspots in no-time.

Project lifecycle use

Scout helps you early in development by detecting problems before you do. Then use the same sophisticated analysis tools on production systems after your game is released.

Mobile profiling? Yes!

enter image description here

enter image description here

A video introduction is available on youtube

Upvotes: 3

Chunky Chunk
Chunky Chunk

Reputation: 17217

Adobe Scout

Adobe Scout is the next-generation profiling tool for Adobe Flash Player and AIR. It revolutionizes ActionScript development by showing you what's going on inside your content, in mouth-watering detail. Scout is simple and intuitive to use, freeing your mind to create sleek and immersive games!

Upvotes: 3

Sean Fujiwara
Sean Fujiwara

Reputation: 4546

SWFWire Debugger can:

  • Trace method calls
  • Trace object allocation
  • Graph frame rate
  • Graph memory usage
  • Edit properties
  • Visually select DisplayObjects similar to FireBug.

It's also open source, and requires no code modifications.

enter image description here

Disclaimer: I wrote this application

Upvotes: 4

MSFX Matt Stuttard Parker
MSFX Matt Stuttard Parker

Reputation: 11

Tr.ace() is library that allows you to restrict traces to certain users or classes as well as output all the traces to a textfield or save them out to a log file...

http://msfx.co.uk/2012/01/17/introducing-tr-ace-an-as3-open-source-debugging-library/

Upvotes: 1

Daniel
Daniel

Reputation: 35674

there is the Miner...

it seems pretty powerful

http://www.sociodox.com/theminer/

Upvotes: 2

Ashraf Amayreh
Ashraf Amayreh

Reputation: 21

This is quite an old post. But don't forget to try out FlashFirebug FireFox extension for Flash Debugging:

http://www.o-minds.com/products/flashfirebug

Upvotes: 2

paulochf
paulochf

Reputation: 708

I use Alcon.

It has tracing and monitoring capabilities. Just import the package and use Debug.trace(anything).

I think it's good enough. =)

http://osflash.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?hash=9eff22&media=http%3A%2F%2Fblog.hexagonstar.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Falcon3_view1.jpg

Upvotes: 2

Jason King
Jason King

Reputation: 659

Personally I like to use Amethyst... http://www.sapphiresteel.com/Products/amethyst-ide/Amethyst-Product-Page

Upvotes: 3

Scott
Scott

Reputation: 17037

I use Flex Builder 3, and it has everything that I need in it. Great tool for stepping through code.

Another tool that seems to be catching on is De MonsterDebugger. I have not used it extensively as Flash Builder does what I need, but it is pretty slick of you don't have access to the Adobe tools. One cool feature it has that the Flash Builder one doesn't is live editing.

enter image description here

Upvotes: 3

Roy
Roy

Reputation: 325

Flashbuilder has almost everything I need. On top of that, I use JPAuclair's preload profiler , and an in-house developed equivalent to X-Ray.

Upvotes: 5

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