Adobe Flex

Flex 4.5

The Adobe Systems Incorporated company provided upgraded versions of the software of Adobe Flash Builder 4.5 and Flex 4.5 which allows developers to create applications for iPhone, iPad and BlackBerry PlayBook. Support of devices based on Android was provided in April, 2011.

Now at the disposal of developers there was a single platform for creation of attractive mobile applications which can be extended through app stores of Android Market, Apple App Store and BlackBerry App World. Available in the form of a separate product or as a part of packets of Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium and Master Collection, the solution Flash Builder 4.5 allows to create applications which will work at the leading mobile frameworks.

"Reaction of developers to the new opportunities for work with mobile applications implemented in the solution Flash Builder 4.5 and in the environment of the Flex 4.5 was absolutely fantastic, –Ed Rowe, the vice president for tools of developers, Adobe [[Rowe Ad|]] says. – Impressed them, it is how easy to create magnificent mobile applications for devices based on Android now and also for BlackBerry PlayBook, iPhone and iPad. Now the companies have an opportunity to interact effectively with the customers, whatever devices the last used".

Updating took place together with the announcement of the Adobe Digital Enterprise Platform platform. Taking into account that today consumers work with content more and more actively, using the smartphones and tablet devices, large enterprises need to provide a possibility of use of mobile applications in the marketing strategies. At the same time, IT of the enterprise aim to create applications for business process management, CRM products and other applications for increase in productivity of employees with the purpose to provide more broad support of numerous devices and platforms. Using Flash Builder and Flex of the enterprise have an opportunity to use the uniform tool, a unified environment and the uniform code for creation of high performance applications which will work on desktop computers, smartphones and on tablet devices.

The environment of Flex 4.5 also provides significant increase in productivity, allowing developers to create quicker applications for desktop computers, the Internet and the largest mobile platforms. Ready professional template codes and also the functions of automatic end and code generation implemented in Flash Builder 4.5 accelerate creating applications of Flex and ActionScript and provide to developers an opportunity to implement these applications using the software of Adobe of AIR, a working environment of Adobe for start of independent applications. All this allows developers to create applications more than for 80 million devices based on Android and also BlackBerry PlayBook, iPad and iPhone presented today at the market. By the end of the year support of applications of Air will be implemented more than in 200 million mobile devices.

Adobe is going to transfer development of Flex SDK to hands of community. The company is going to entrust work on Apache Software Foundation technology that community Flex and all interested persons could take part in creation of its future versions. The solution of Adobe, contrary to expectations, aroused indignation of Flex-developer — the community believes that Adobe tries "get rid" of unprofitable technology.

Flex SDK is a framework of development for the Adobe Flash environment which allows to create Flash-applications using XML and ActionScript. On Flex are developed both web applications, and autonomous desktop and mobile by software. Web developer use Flex to avoid problems of cross-browser compatibility and also for work with multimedia and data visualization. Besides, the framework contains a number of tools for creating applications, data-driven and therefore it is often used in developments of the corporate level. A part of the Flex code, including key components, was open in 2007 under the license Mozilla Public Licence, however development was still strictly controlled by Adobe.

Transfer of Flex on open management model it was announced on November 11, 2011. Initially was declared that non-profit Open Source-организация with the ironical name Open Spoon Foundation will manage development of Flex (a word play: "spoon" - "spoon", "fork" - "fork" and "fork programs"; Adobe is claimed that "are not going to do fork Flex"), the founded Adobe especially for this purpose. On November 15 Adobe was specified: Open Spoon Foundation itself will not manage the project; the organization only cooperates with Adobe that through joint efforts to translate Flex SDK under management of Apache Software Foundation. The same was already made with PhoneGap — the project of Nitobi company which Adobe was purchased several months ago.

News caused confusion among Flex-developer. "It seems that Adobe is going to throw completely Flex, and in the long term, and Flash... Our company invested millions in development on Flex, and now I just do not know what to tell employees", - Erich Cervantez, the senior Flex-developer in large network of fitness centers is indignant.

Concerns of developers are not unreasonable. Flex is much more "problem" product, than PhoneGap as it is SDK for the proprietary environment, and the Flash Player Adobe code is not going to open. It is unknown whether Apache Foundation will agree to approve the project which is so strongly tied to the proprietary platform; moreover, even if it will occur, development of Flex will not be able to continue without participation from Adobe — only the company will know that new is in future versions of Flash Player.

At the same time, Adobe is told openly that they consider technology of the future not Flash, but HTML 5. "We are convinced that in the long term of HTML 5 will become the best technology for commercial development. At the same time, we know that now Flex has advantages where it concerns the large-scale projects first of all connected with development of desktop software, - the Flex command writes in the official blog. - Having experience of innovations in Flex development, we are going to enclose as much efforts in development of HTML 5, since mobile applications. Most of engineers and managers who worked on Flex SDK will be soon distributed on HTML-projects".

Statements of Adobe for change of focus do not disperse from case: shortly before it, on November 9, 2011, the company announced the termination of development of a Flash-plug-in for mobile browsers, in particular, on Android and PlayBook. The situation goes to the fact that the Flash technology becomes less and less profitable to Adobe, especially in the mobile market: Google and RIM pushed Flash the background recently, having concentrated on HTML 5, and structures of Apple, as we know, never supported him. In the light of it transfer of Flex SDK on open management model for many participants of community looks as the beginning of a decline of Flash — and designates the unenviable future to Flex as the company obviously tries to separate from the project ceasing to make profit.

Adobe, however, claims that "Flex and Flash Builder - IDE for development on Flex founded on Eclipse is still betrayed". If Adobe is also going "throw" Flex, then it happens not soon, otherwise the company risks to lose corporate clients who already refuse to invest in the project whose future is under the threat. The same is right and for Flash — its components and dependences are too closely integrated into all products of Adobe, including mobile applications. Transition to HTML 5 which obviously makes the new strategy of the company will gradually happen, and the task facing now Adobe — to make it, without having lost consumer confidence.

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