SapphireSteel Software announces the release of Amethyst Professional 1.5, the Flex, Flash and ActionScript IDE for Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 and 2010.
 
Huw Collingbourne, SapphireSteel Software Director of Technology says: “Amethyst 1.5 provides a powerful environment that enables programmers to work with both .NET and Flash applications right inside Visual Studio. Its multi-process debugger even makes it possible to debug hybrid .NET/Flash Platform applications in a single debugging session, stepping seamlessly between C# or VB and ActionScript.

“Amethyst 1.5’s drag-and-drop design environment gives programmers a simple way to design and deploy Flash-based applications for the desktop, the web or mobile devices. Many Microsoft developers have been reluctant to work with Flash due to the requirement to use unfamiliar development tools based on Eclipse. Amethyst 1.5 gives developers all the tools they need within Visual Studio.”
 
MAJOR NEW FEATURES
– Mobile Development (design, debug, deploy: Android, iOS, Blackberry)
– Support for Adobe’s new Flex 4.5 framework
– Tight integration with Adobe IDEs: Flash CS4/5 and Flash Builder
 
CORE FEATURES OF AMETHYST PROFESSIONAL
 
Visual Design
Amethyst is the only non-Adobe Flex IDE to provide an interactive visual design environment
– Drag&Drop design for Flex 3, Flex 4, Flex 4.5 and AIR
– ‘Go Live’ mode lets users interact with controls in Designer
– Double-click control to create event-handlers (as in C# and VB)
– Integrates with VS Toolbars and palettes
 
Code Editing
– Extended Code colouring (all VS standard colours + 76 more)
– Code folding (based on syntax and user-defined regions)
– Customizable code formatting (spacing, newlines, wrapping, indenting – 23 options)
 
IntelliSense
– Code completion for ActionScript and MXML
– Double-pane completion lists (Common/All)
– Parameter completion tooltips
 
Refactoring
– Rename identifiers (auto rename all references in project)
– Auto-generate getters/setters (‘encapsulate field’)
– Extract code into new method and many other refactorings
 
Debugging
– Unique ‘Amethyst Cylon’ debugger fully integrated with VS
– Multi-process debugging (step between different SWFs in a single debug session)
– Flash/.NET debugging (e.g. step between ActionScript and C# in single debug session)
 
Integrates With Adobe Tools
– Share projects with Flash CS4/CS5 or Flash Builder
– Import entire Flash Builder workspaces

Pricing and Availability
Amethyst Professional sells for $249 USD. A free 60-day Trial is available. At the end of the Trial period, the software degrades to Amethyst Personal (a free, limited feature version of the software) unless a licence is purchased. Existing users of Amethyst Professional 1 can upgrade free to version 1.5.