On Feb 21, 2012, at 9:49 PM, Michael A. Labriola wrote: >> thanks for the input, let me put it another way. Adobe can change the >> runtime anytime they want. They have not made the runtime code accessible to >> the Apache >Flex project. Its within the realm of possibility that they can >> change something in the runtime that breaks for example current Flex >> 4.6 apps. Since you don't have the runtime code accessible how will you go >> about fixing the issue. > > So, yes, they could decide that when the runtime starts up that it will no > longer run any code. That is their choice as they own the runtime. Doing so > though is not in their or anyone else's best interest and doesn't make much > sense. Doing so would not only break all Flex projects currently deployed in > the world but also likely all content created in Flash or ActionScript > projects. It is worth noting that Adobe said they would test future version > of the Flash Player and AIR against Flex 4.6. That does give us a baseline > > I think the best predictor of future behavior is the past. Flash has always > strived to be backward compatible with code written long ago. When major > changes were made to the Flash runtime, they actually create a whole new > virtual machine so that the original code would continue to work forever > more. If I had to guess, that's what we will eventually see here. My 2 cents. > Personally that isn't what keeps me up at night, it's a losing proposition > for Adobe to make such a change. > > More scary is the prospect of Apple and Microsoft changing licensing to > disallow things like AIR and Flash Player. This is not in any way likely. > Apple tried it. It didn't go well, just saying this would be more of a fear > than the other items. > >> And I have not played with Java for a while. I know there's an open JDK . >> Isnt' the Java runtime open sourced as well ? > > The Java runtime is under an open source license, but it is controlled in a > proprietary fashion... much the way Flex was previously. It is useful to know > that the format for SWF is also available and open. Further, the core virtual > machine for the Flash Player is available as part of the tamarin project > under Mozilla, so, much like an open JDK, it is possible to write our own > Flash Player.... please know this is not a suggestion. >
Somehow i always find this funny, people saying you can build your own flash player because the swf format is open and we have tamarin. Where are the official specs of v11-v13 swf format then? Maybe i'm looking in the wrong places. But AFAIK they're not publicized by Adobe. (at least no one answers on the forum about it see http://forums.adobe.com/thread/878781 and on the site i can only find this: http://www.adobe.com/devnet/swf.html) So yes you can start building a flash player running swf's that comply with the adobe specs that are 3 versions behind the current production release. That is a ridiculous task. I think adobe is not so keen on giving those specs away as many people tend to think. I heard Adobe promote about how open the swf format is. To me it feels a bit dishonest. If you want to promote the swf format as open then you should release the specs at the same time as the runtime playing it. Not years later... > Mike > > > Met vriendelijke groet, Arnoud Bos Artim interactive E arn...@artim-interactive.nl W www.artim-interactive.nl T +31 6 246 40 216 A Elisabeth Wolffstraat 77-3 1053TT Amsterdam
