Flex is just a more programatic way of creating Flash movies. It all
compiles down to swf files which run in the flash player. The Flash
IDE is targeted more at movies while FlexBuidler et al. are more at
applications, but they all compile to the same format and use the
same APIs in the Flash player.
For Flex there's two sets of development tools from Adobe,
FlexBuilder which is an Eclipse plugin and the free (and open source)
Flex SDK. FlexBuilder is built on top of the SDK. Both the AS3 class
library and the compiler itself are open source too.
There's been some progress creating an open source GUI designer like
what's in FlexBuilder: http://flexible.riaforge.org/
It should be noted that the flex compiler compiles AS3 code which
runs on the new ASVM2 which is only present in Flash 9 and up.
Incidentally the VM was open sourced and donated to mozilla...
<http://www.mozilla.org/projects/tamarin/>... But gnash won't be able
to play it.
On Mar 6, 2008, at 10:25 AM, Wesley Griffin wrote:
Yes, FlexBuilder is not open source, neither is the free Adobe Flex
SDK. But there is the Opensource Flex SDK on that page which is
licensed under the MPL. From <http://opensource.adobe.com/wiki/
display/flexsdk/Legal+Stuff>
"There are 2 licenses to consider for the various packages of the
Flex SDK.
Mozilla Public License, version 1.1 (MPL)
Primarily covers the source code of the Open Source Flex SDK
including the Flex framework, the compilers, and the debugger.
Adobe Flex SDK license
Covers elements that Adobe was not able to release under an open
source license including the Adobe® Flash® Player, Adobe® AIR™, and
other third-party code used by the Flex SDK for specific functions,
such as font encoding."
On Mar 6, 2008, at 10:22 AM, Charles Cranston wrote:
Free as in free beer, not as in free speech... ;-)
On Mar 6, 2008, at 9:59 AM, Wesley Griffin wrote:
You might look into Flex Builder <http://labs.adobe.com/
technologies/flex/flexbuilder_linux/>, but its not open source.
The Flex SDK is open source <http://opensource.adobe.com/wiki/
display/flexsdk/Downloads> but I'm not sure from reading that
page if it will do flash authoring. The free (not open source)
Adobe Flex SDK (from the same page) does likely do authoring.
HTH,
Wes
On Mar 6, 2008, at 8:58 AM, Rob Sherwood wrote:
Hi all,
Does anyone here have any recommendations for open source flash
players
and creations tools/libraries?
Thanks in advance,
- Rob
.
