Flex / AS3 / Controls (Text Input, etc)

Hey,

So I’m working with Flex 2.0, using the command-line compiler (avoiding using Flex Builder 2 as I don’t want to get used to it, have the trial-period run out, and be stuck without it! So not downloaded it!) with AS3.

My problem is creating things with objects that otherwise exist in the fl.* files. These aren’t available outside of Flash CS3 (or are they?) so I can’t do, for instance, import fl.controls.TextInput;

I always just use .AS files - is it worth creating .MXML files, and if so how and why? Do these allow for fl.* to be used, as they appear to in samples I’ve seen?

Advice would be very much appreciated!