What are the Pros/Cons of Flash Builder vs. FlashDevelop?

Question

I want to play around a bit with FLASH for app development. I'm looking for a good IDE for that. Someone suggested Flash Develop.

Answer 1

Flash Builder

Pros

• better debugging and profiling
• visual designer for MXML
• because of Eclipse: support for other languages (eg. with Aptana, PDT...) and usage of plug-ins for the Eclipse Platform with features not shipped with FlexBuilder (code snippets with CFEclipse "Dynamic Snippets", "auto-code" for getter/setters with Monkey scripts...)
• support of virtual folders/files (links to external files/folders handled intern by Eclipse, so also working on Windows)
• refactoring (renaming of classes, functions, properties with automatic changing of dependencies)

Cons

• Commercial license
• Big and because of Eclipse problematic with newer Eclipse versions for the FlexBuilder plug-in version (eg. not working with Eclipse Ganymede 3.4.1)
• adding and configuring the missing features with Eclipse plug-ins needs time and searching in the Internet (which plug-in? settings etc.)
• Code assist only average and sometimes buggy eg. if correct imports are missing ("java.lang.NullPointerException")
• missing of a code formatter or automatic get/setters (but there are solutions with other Eclipse plugins like Monkey Scripts, CFeclipse, Flexformatter "FlexPrettyPrintCommand"...)
• sometimes a bit sluggish if background tasks in Eclipse are working
• no package explorer
• AS2 and AS3 only - no Haxe

FlashDevelop

Pros

• free and Open Source (developed with C#)
• lightweight and snappy
• best available Code Assist for ActionScript
• supports all flash languages - AS2, AS3, haxe
• "auto code" for automatic getter/setter, variables, code for event handlers
• code snippets with integrated snippet editor
• extendible with plug-ins
• support for asdoc comments
• package explorer (show classes, symbols from a SWC file)
• basic refactoring
• multiple source code folders per project
• useful plugins : ANT integration, SWC creation, mini map, quick navigate

Cons

• only for Windows
• no visual designer for MXML
• no support of virtual folders/files inside the project
• weak refactoring
• changing classpaths must be done manually
• plug-ins often not working in newer versions and many plug-ins are only rarely updated
• limited support for debugging Haxe applications

Common

Pros

• projects for full range of flash apps : websites, AIR (desktop, mobile)
• debugging of FP/AIR apps with breakpoints and stepping
• debugging with watch windows and locals
• support for ASDoc comments
• automatic adding of imports and organizing of imports
• class wizard
• SVG/GIT integration

Cons

• no editing of graphics or animation (use Flash IDE for that)

Summary

For debugging, visual design of MXML forms : Flash Builder

For coding AS2/AS3/Haxe projects under Windows : FlashDevelop

Answer 2

Major reason to use FlexBuilder: has a real debugger you can set breakpoints and single step and watch/edit variables.

Unless FlashDevelop has .. developed .. don't think it got any of that yet.

BTW - if you are a student/teacher FlexBuilder can be had for free

Answer 3

Flex builder has a design view for MXML so you can build more visually. Flashdevelop on the other hand is free!