by Kevin Foley
The very cleverly named "Add-Ons For Feathers" library contains a variety of controls, helpers, and utility classes that are useful in nearly any app that uses the open-source Feathers UI library for AS3/Starling.
Are you sick of typing new ListCollection([ { label: "Ok" } ]) every time you create an Alert? I know I am!
ButtonLCHelper (short for 'ButtonListCollectionHelper' provides convenient methods to define ButtonGroup data
providers with less boilerplate!
Alert.show("Please fill out all fields", "Form incomplete", ButtonLCHelper.ok());
Alert.show("Connection attempt failed", "Network error", ButtonLCHelper.retryCancel(retry_handler));
Standard English labels are used by default, but you can override the button labels by replacing the default StringMap.
ButtonLCHelper.stringMap = spanishStrings;
All of the new controls can be styled in a Feathers theme.
As you might guess from the name, TextInputAlert is an Alert with a TextInput, useful for things like save
dialogs. Wrapper methods let you style the TextInput and access its text.
function showSaveDialog():void {
saveDialog = TextInputAlert.show("Please enter a file name", "Save file", ButtonLCHelper.saveCancel(save_handler));
saveDialog.prompt = "Enter a file name";
}
function save_handler(e:Event):void {
var fileName:String = saveDialog.text;
if (fileName.length > 0) {
saveFile(fileName);
}
}
CheckboxAlert is an Alert with a Check(box), useful for dialogs where you want to have a "Don't ask again" checkbox.
Wrapper methods let you style the Check and access its isSelected value.
function askToDelete():void {
deleteDialog = CheckboxAlert.show("Are you sure?", "Delete file", ButtonLCHelper.okCancel(confirmDelete_handler));
deleteDialog.checkLabel = "Don't ask again";
}
function confirmDelete_handler(e:Event):void {
if (deleteDialog.isSelected) {
UserPreferences.askBeforeDeletingFiles = false;
}
}
You've got plenty of options for string localization; why not add one more? StringMap wraps a dictionary to provide a
convenient place for storing and retrieving strings by key. Missing a string? You can either return a placeholder, or
throw an error.
var stringMap:StringMap = new StringMap();
stringMap.add("welcome-message", "Welcome to our app!");
stringMap.add("error-title", "Error");
stringMap.retrieve("error-title"); //returns "Error"
stringMap.retrieve("error-title", true); //returns "ERROR"
stringMap.placeholder = "{{missing string}}";
stringMap.retrieve("nonexistent-key", false, false); //returns "{{missing string}}";
stringMap.retrieve("nonexistent-key", false, true); //throws an error
"Add-Ons For Feathers" is not affiliated with or endorsed by Bowler Hat LLC, the author of the Feathers UI library.