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Adobe unveils Flash successor: AIR
Link: Adobe unveils Flash successor: AIR
Filed under: Adobe News, Software News, Web Development News, Internet News
Adobe has unveiled AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime), the successor to its Flash application which has long dominated the interactive web.
AIR, which was previously codenamed Apollo, is designed to further enhance cross-platform interactivity and to ultimately succeed Flash.
It is described by Adobe as a cross-OS runtime which enables developers to use existing Web development skills to build Internet applications that can run on the desktop.
At the simplest level AIR is an extension of Adobe’s Flex Software Development Kit. Any application that authors Flex will also author AIR applications.
AIR differs from Flash and Flex in that it does not have an IDE (Integrated Development Environment). Developers can use their preferred environment and can run anything that produces a Flash (SWF) or HTML file as an AIR app.
HTML and JavaScript developed for AIR are currently handled by the WebKit HTML and JavaScript engine, while SWF files are produced by Flex and Flash. A Linux release has been delayed until the new Flash player is finalised.
Adobe’s latest Creative Suite 3 includes support in Dreamweaver CS3 and Flash CS3. Dreamweaver CS3 requires the installation of a developer kit. This means that developers can use HTML to author desktop apps or browser-based apps.
AIR is currently available in beta and full distribution is expected by the end of 2007.
Well just to clarify, AIR/Apollo isn’t a successor to Flash; it’s complementary to Flash by being a platform independent runtime engine that Flash/Flex and HTML/AJAX applications can run over instead of having to piggyback on a browser.
Comment by Darth Sidious — July 19, 2007 @ 4:01 pm
Indeed, it’s certainly not replacing it yet, but if we see mainstream uptake for development purposes, I think we’ll see Flash use on the decline. Hopefully. :)
Comment by Brian Turner — July 19, 2007 @ 4:13 pm