I finally found some time to finish work on an extension plugin for Flex Builder 2 which adds TODO/FIXME Task support similar to Eclipse's Java Development Tool JDT. This is the nice thing about Flex Builder 2: it's based on Eclipse so you're able to contribute to the product by adding your own extensions.

How it works: the plugin parses every MXML/AS file when opened and searches comments (both MXML and AS comments) for TODO and FIXME tokens (this search is case insensitive, so it also finds todo). The same action takes place after a file has been saved. If a token is found, a new Task gets generated with its message set to the comment and displayed in the Task View (To open Task View choose Window-->Other Views...-->Basic-->Tasks in Flex Builder 2 standalone and Window-->Show View-->Other-->Basic-->Tasks when running Flex Builder 2 as a plugin in Eclipse). Note: to really delete a Task you have to delete the comment - deleting a Task from the Task View does not kill the comment, so after you save the file the Task will reappear.

Installation: unzip the ZIP file and move the content of the plugins folder to the plugins folder of Flex Builder 2 / Eclipse. Then, close Flex Builder 2 / Eclipse and restart. The ZIP also contains a Test.mxml file which can be used to test the functionality.

Currently, the plugin only processes single-line comments but it ignores whitespaces between the start of a comment line and the TODO/FIXME token. I'm open for comments and enhancement requests, so please post them here.

Download Flex Builder 2 Task Plugin 1.0.0

Last but not least: Kudos to Stephen Milligan and Mike Morearty - they gave me some great hints on how to build this plugin. Thanks guys!

Dirk.

...all to no avail. Any suggestions?

For me, it successfully adds the indication mark, but it doesn't act as a go-to-line button.

I'm using the plugin version and clicking on a Task in the Task View jumps to the correct line here (if the file is already opened, if not the file gets opened but the line is not marked. I have to click on the Task again to jump to the marked line).

Dirk.

Excellent work, this is most useful and works great for me. Thanks!

Dirk.

I'd vote for multiline comments, as well as having it open the file AND bring you to the right line, if possible. Both would be nice additions.

Would also be nice to have a custom area in Preferences to set search terms (TODO, FIXME, etc) and what they correspond to, like the inherent Eclipse Java one.

Easy for me to say... it's magic to me you got THIS working so well.

@James: that's strange. I just tried it with standalone on a different machine and clicking on the blue indicators on the right side (I guess you mean those?) does make the document jump to the right line.

Dirk.

Again, this is really helpful. Thanks!

Machine 1) Eclipse / MyEclipse / FB2 Plugin Machine 2) Eclipse / FB2 Plugin

I've tried both MXML and AS comments, restarted my eclipse instances, and cleaned my projects to no avail...

Short of restarting my computer...?

Brendan

Oh well, mental notes it is.

/** * Constructor * TODO asdf2 */ public function MyClass() { super(); }

I have been really inteested in seeing how an extension gets built for Eclipse.

All the tutorials that I have found are over my head for the time I have.

This seems like something simple and we could learn a lot from.

If not, do you have any refs that could get some one that DOES know java up to speed to build an extension that interacts with Flex builder on a simple level like this one does?

Peace, Mike

I just download and did the instructions you said in your post, but also, Works fine, the only problem is I use the Flex Builder 2 Stand Alone with CFEclipse installed, it just work only with .cfm files, but I tried a lot with Actionscript and MXML and doesn't work. Did everything, include the JesseXL after reading his comment.

Can you point me out on this?

I put the plugin in the plugin directory, just clean up the project then tried to add some //fixme: and //todo: in uppercase and really doesnt work.

mail me if you have some idea on what could be.

Regards.

Dirk.

I've installed on Flex Builder 3 beta 2 and it seems to work fine (I can see blue marks on the right, and the icons on the left).

But should there be a Tasks panel I can open up somehow with a list of all items in it?

Cheers.

I have a flex application, and I need to compile it to run with Flash Player 7.

Someone can tell me if it's possible to do, if it's possible, how can I do that.

Regards.

My suggestion for an enhancement is to offer an optional tree structure in the Tasks view where Resources act as the root nodes. With a lot of items, it would be easier to manage if we could collapse/expand items by resource.

Cheers Rob

Cheers Rob

I does not appear to work with actionscript files. Can you add .as files to the item types?

Brad

Very useful gadget indeed! Good work!

I was wandering ... is there a way for me to add cusom tokens? JTD has such a facility and it's very useful for me.

Cheers,

Atanas.

... but I had to issue the following command in Terminal on Mac OS X to get it up and running: "/Applications/Adobe Flash Builder Beta 2/FlashBuilder.app/Contents/MacOS/FlashBuilder" -clean

Hope that helps!

Much appreciated.