Flex custom components

Question

I red I can create "MXML components" and "AS3 components". The two methods use an existing component as their bases. The question: what if I can't extend any of the existing component (because I need something totally different)? Do I have to create the component from scratch using the (commercial) Flash authoring environment?

Answer 1

what if I can't extend any of the existing component (because I need something totally different)?

You have the option of creating your own components. Enough documentation is available on Adobe's website. See:

* Custom Flex Components

* Custom Actionscript Components

Do I have to create the component from scratch using the (commercial) Flash authoring environment?

You don't need Flex Builder 3 to create AS3/MXML based components. You can do that in any editor. What you do need is the SDK, which is free, for compiling these.