The Flex Builder installer provides the following two configuration options:

Plug-in configuration This configuration is for users who already use the Eclipse workbench, who want to add the Flex Builder plug-ins to their toolkit of Eclipse plug-ins (for example, someone who also uses Eclipse to develop Java applications). Because Eclipse is an open, extensible platform, hundreds of plug-ins are available for many different development purposes.

Stand-alone configuration This configuration is a customized packaging of Eclipse and the Flex Builder plug-ins created specifically for developing Flex and ActionScript applications. The user interface of the stand-alone configuration is more tightly integrated than in the plug-in configuration, which eliminates much of the potential confusion that the open, multipurpose plug-in configuration might create. The stand-alone configuration is ideal for new users and users who intend to develop only Flex and ActionScript applications.

If you aren't sure which configuration to use, follow these guidelines:

• If you already use and have Eclipse 3.11 (or later) installed, select the plug-in configuration. On Macintosh, Eclipse 3.2 is the minimum version.
• If you don't have Eclipse installed and your primary focus is on developing Flex and ActionScript applications, select the stand-alone configuration. This configuration also allows you to install other Eclipse plug-ins, so you can expand the scope of your development work in the future.

Both configurations provide the same functionality and you select the configuration you want when installing Flex Builder.