A few days ago, I was browsing the Captivate forums to see if I could give a helping hand to someone. I then stumbled on this post. The originator of the post was trying to create a widget that would extend the Likert question type. He was looking for the question header text but this information was not readily available. In order to tackle this task, he used class reflection and object introspection. This can be a very lengthy process when you don’t have the proper tools to help you out.

This need is actually quite common when you try to extend functionality of a Flash application. There’s a great tool out there that was created a few years ago and that perfectly fits that need. It is called De MonsterDebugger. It allows you to easily scan an object’s display hierarchy and to trace the object’s inner properties. You can even modify properties on the fly without recompiling the Flash application! The only part missing for us is to use it to explore presentations created from Captivate.

So, I would like to introduce you to my newest widget: the Cp X-ray Widget.  The widget, once inserted in your Captivate presentation, will enable you to discover and trace the presentation content with the assistance of De MonsterDebugger. You can find the widget (Cp5 only) on my Widget Page or download it below. You can also consult this page for a brief overview of how to use it.

Have fun!