Adobe Releases Flash Builder 4 For RIA – Introduces Social Network Integration
Adobe has released Adobe Flash Builder 4 and ColdFusion Builder software for building multi-platform rich Internet applications (RIAs). In addition, Adobe has added a new Social service that streamlines integration between Web applications and 14 leading social networks. The Flash platform claims to reach over 98 percent of Internet-enabled desktops.
Flash Builder 4 (formerly Adobe Flex Builder) is an Eclipse based development tool for rapidly building multi-platform rich Internet applications (RIAs) and content using the open source Flex framework. Flash Builder 4 enables enhanced integration with a variety of data back ends (including PHP, ColdFusion, Java and Adobe LiveCycle) and easy introspection and consumption of REST and SOAP based services.
Andy Gutmans, ceo, Zend Technologies says “We are excited to see Adobe continue to invest in making RIA development for PHP developers faster and easier. Including the Zend framework with Flash Builder 4 makes it even easier for PHP developers to add expressive UI to enterprise Web applications.”
The updated open source Flex 4 framework, also now available, includes a new component architecture for RIAs providing complete separation of appearance and functionality, enabling each to be changed independently without affecting the other. The new skinning and component architecture, code-named Spark, builds on top of the existing MX architecture, providing a much more efficient mechanism for developers and designers to work together to control the appearance of their Flex applications.
In collaboration with Gigya, the new Adobe Flash Platform Services Social service enables developers to rapidly integrate applications created with Flash Builder and Adobe Flash Professional with social networks. Developers no longer need to do the work of integrating with each separate, constantly changing social network service API to provide users access to multi networks. A single Flash Platform Services layer does the heavy lifting across multiple social networks. Additionally, the Social service will monitor each social network site to ensure changes to APIs do not break applications.
David A. Yovanno, ceo Gigya says “With the recent growth in referred traffic coming from social networks, this new service will help developers more easily create innovative applications that can reach larger audiences.”
Today’s availability of Flash Builder 4 comes in advance of the much anticipated release of Flash Player 10.1, expected in the first half of 2010. Currently available in beta, Flash Player 10.1 and Adobe AIR 2 software enable designers and developers to use the same code, assets, frameworks, tools and services to create the most expressive applications, content and video for the browser and the desktop today, as well as mobile platforms in the future.
ColdFusion Builder is a new Eclipse-based integrated development environment (IDE) for rapidly and efficiently building ColdFusion applications and is integrated with Flash Builder 4 for fast, easy RIA development.
About the Adobe Flash Platform
The Adobe Flash Platform is the leading Web design and development platform for creating expressive applications, content, and video that run consistently across operating systems and devices and reach over 98 percent of Internet-enabled desktops. Flash Player 10 was installed on more than 93 percent of computers in just the first ten months since its release. According to comScore Media Metrix, approximately 75 percent of online videos viewed worldwide are delivered using Adobe Flash technology, making it the No. 1 format for video on the Web.
