When you design a component, use the following practices:
Keep the file size as small as possible.
Make your component as reusable as possible by generalizing functionality.
Use the RectBorder class (mx.skins.halo.RectBorder) rather than graphical elements to draw borders around objects. (See RectBorder class in the ActionScript 2.0Components Language Reference.)
Use tag-based skinning.
Define the symbolName, symbolOwner, and className variables.
Assume an initial state. Because style properties are now on the object, you can set initial settings for styles and properties so your initialization code does not have to set them when the object is constructed, unless the user overrides the default state.
When defining the symbol, do not select the Export in First Frame option unless absolutely necessary. Flash loads the component just before it is used in your Flash application, so if you select this option, Flash preloads the component in the first frame of its parent. The reason you typically do not preload the component in the first frame is for considerations on the web: the component loads before your preloader begins, defeating the purpose of the preloader.
Avoid multiple frame movie clips (except for the two-frame Assets layer).
Always implement init() and size() methods and call Super.init() and Super.size() respectively, but otherwise keep them lightweight.
Avoid absolute references, such as _root.myVariable.
Use createClassObject() instead of attachMovie().
Use invalidate() and invalidateStyle() to invoke the draw() method instead of calling draw() explicitly.
When incorporating Flash components into your component, use their uncompiled movie symbols located in the library of the StandardComponents.fla file from the Configuration/ComponentFLA folder.
