Posts Tagged ‘Flash Builder’

New beta versions of Flash Builder 4, Flex SDK 4 and Flash Catalyst

Tuesday, October 6th, 2009

Adobe released at Max 2009 the second beta versions of Flash Builder and Flash Catalyst. The beta versions provides a huge set of new features.

Here some of the new top features of Flash Builder 4 Beta 2 and Flash Catalyst Beta 2:

Flash Builder 4:

  • Improved Flash Catalyst to Flash Builder workflow
  • LiveCycle Data Service ES 2 and Fiber integration
  • Advanced data management features (CreateReadUpdateDelete)
  • SWFObject as Flash Player detection toolkit
  • Project convertion (Flex2AIR & AIR2Flex)

Flash Catalyst:

  • More Spark components: Checkbox, Radio Button, Toggle Button, Horizontal Slider, and Vertical Slider
  • Better text support
  • Video support
  • Optimize graphics workflow
  • Filters and Motion Easing
  • AIR Export

Additonal Information about the Flash Builder 4, Flex 4 and Flash Catalyst:

Flash Builder 4 at Adobe Labs
Updated Articles for Flex 4 beta 2 on Adobe DevNet
Flash Catalyst at Adobe Labs

Next Flex Builder renamed to Flash Builder

Saturday, May 16th, 2009

Yesterday Ted Patrick officially announced that the upcoming version of Flex Builder will renamed to Flash Builder via Twitter. The last months Adobe forced to speak about the Flash Platform, the new interaction design tool for Flex application was called Flash Catalyst and now the next foreseeable step comes: Flex Builder becomes Flash Builder.

I’m not really sure, what I should think about the hole renaming. From the stand point of Product Marketing, it’s clear. The end result of all IDEs is a SWF running in the Flash Player. In the entreprise world, Flash has no good reputation. This is cause the millions of bad animations and ad banner produced with Flash in the last years. I don’t think the renaming of the product makes it easier to convince decision maker to use Flex for their applications. If Flash hadn’t this negative connotation this renaming wouldn’t be as critical as it is. It looks like we must start talking about the Flex Framework instead of Flex.

More information about the renaming can found on the blogs of the Adobe evangelists: Duane Nickull, Lee Brimelow and Serge Jespers.

PS: Ted Patrick, who announced the renaming changed the name of his blog from “Ted on Flex” (onflex.org) to “Ted on Flash” (onflash.org) about 3 months ago.

PSS: SAP calls it Flex based solutions also Flash Islands and not Flex Islands.