JD on EP

Comments reminder: Anonymous posts may be deleted... stand up for what you believe in, don't skulk in the shadows.

I have been developing Flash applications for over 10 years and have welcomed every update MACR/ADBE has released. However, over tha last few years I really feel that MACR/ADBE has focused on the wrong things. Working for a large media company, we need better rendering performance, better video quality, some form of media security (DRM), and better developer tools and standards so when we hire on "Flash Developers" we don't have to try to find out if they are experts in AS1/AS2/AS3 or design/animation. My feeling is that AS is still a scripting language and not considered a true programming language. Sure, this is changing with AS3, but finding C# programmers and testing their skillset is easier than Flash and AS.

MSFT, is drawning a line between Designers (Expression Blend) and Programmers (Visual Studio) with both IDE's blurring the lines a little. However, Expression Blend can attract designers both traditional and motion graphics designers (potentially, even After Effects folks). The workflow makes sense and staying true to timeline based animations and drawing tools (which a designer can relate to). The ADBE Flex model typically relies on the programmer to make/wire up the tweens and animations, thus makes the developer act as a designer -- I think MSFT has it right.

MSFT, with Silverlight, basically has seen where Flash is weak and is focusing on "killing" it with these features. Now, I believe in the future we will still have Flash (it's powerful in may other ways), however, if ADBE doesn't make up for lost time, Flash may not be the only serious rich media player in town.

Danny

[jd sez: Hi Danny, would you like to send those Player feature requests to the Player team directly, or would you prefer that I ask them to read this post and pull them out?]

JD,

I'm sure the team already knows about these concerns, however, if they don't, feel free to forward them on.

Thanks,
Danny

i agree with Danny.

recently Macr/Adobe is focusing on programmability of Flash. i've been using Flash since v3. and i still remember how it was easy to make simple interactions with Flash 3/4 style AS. and i think the best release of Flash, in terms of programming (AS1), designing & simplicity, was v6 (MX). the later versions mostly focused on AS. but the designing toolbar remains same until CS3.

i can even now write AS1 in CS3, that very good thing, for me and for the trainees i get in touch with. frankly, when someone asks i want to learn Flash and AS. i say him to start with VB6, it sounds pretty odd, but i have successful guys with that approach. VB6, then AS1, both work almost same, the difference is legendary timeline.

Silverlight is a great thing, i have not fully explored it yet, nor its tools. but in specs and reviews, i found that its v1 features things that Flash started in/after v5. for example, XML, SOAP webservices, Video, etc.

also, i have very bad experience with that wish-form. i sent many feature requests through it, with no results, i have some available here:
http://www24.brinkster.com/chall3ng3r/flashmx/
later, i stopped posting from it :|

i've been asking for features like Apollo offers, since ver5 of Flash, but now they have recognized that this is really big thing.

Silverlight Mobile seems to be another area Adobe have to keep eye on. FL currently is so restrictive, FL developers want to do more. and the distribution of player is only through OEMs and Operators. FL is out since 2003, but there're very few contents out there bcoz of that distribution policy. i'm keen to see how MS will distrubute Silverlight Mobile.

// chall3ng3r //

Silverlight is great, but when the creative suite is the design standard Flash is way ahead. What's next - Microsoft Design 2009? Thanks Microsoft, but no thanks.

BTW, Check out htmlwrapper - an XHTML rendering engine in AS3. This is the future of the web, everyone!