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October 08, 2009

Flash for iPhone is a Hail Mary pass for Adobe

Flash CS5 will output native iPhone binaries, but can Adobe convince developers to choose Flash over Web standards?

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Everyone wants to be able to run Flash applications on the iPhone. Or wait, scratch that: Every major software vendor named after a Native American earth-based building material wants to be able to run Flash applications on the iPhone. And if its latest plan comes to fruition, it looks like Adobe might finally get its wish -- albeit not in quite the way it had hoped.

So far, Adobe has been stymied by the same thing that has prevented Sun Microsystems from porting the JVM to the iPhone. According to Apple's iPhone SDK license agreement, "No interpreted code may be downloaded and used in an Application except for code that is interpreted and run by Apple's Published APIs and built-in interpreter(s)." That means Java is out, as is the runtime for Flash's built-in ActionScript language -- ergo no Flash Player for iPhone.

[ iPhone apps are all the rage, but Apple makes it hard on developers. Read about one developer's torturous iPhone app dev journey. ]

But Adobe thinks it has found a way around Apple's requirements. Flash Professional CS5, the forthcoming version of the company's authoring environment, will allow developers to take existing Flash applications and compile them into native binaries for the iPhone. The resulting apps will be completely stand-alone, with no runtimes and no Flash Player required -- if Apple lets Adobe get away with it, that is.

Is Adobe pulling a fast one on Apple?
Adobe isn't the only company looking to allow developers to build iPhone apps in unorthodox ways. If Apple's Objective C language isn't your bag, MonoTouch is a commercial SDK that lets you write iPhone apps in C#. The cross-platform Unity game engine uses similar techniques to compile iPhone apps from a combination of C# and JavaScript code. And Rhomobile's Rhodes framework enables cross-platform smartphone development using HTML and Ruby.

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8 of 8 comments
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butterfi 8-Oct-09 10:07am
Frankly, I'd be a little hesitant to develop a Flash iPhone app until Apple gives it their blessing. Whats to say the next iPhone firmware update wouldn't break Adobe's run around?
benw 8-Oct-09 10:39am

I don't think this solves the problem of unable to see Flash contents on the iPhone browser. Tons of web sites have Flash contents and this solution won't help any.

lawryll 8-Oct-09 1:25pm
I don't get it. Rather than just program in Objective-C Adobe is proposing we code in their limited Flash environment and then compile that to a crippled and limited Objective-C app? Why bother? Why not just Objective-C and have all the goodies all at once? as benw also said, tons of web sites have flash content already and this isn't going to help a bit...all this does is allow one to program in Flash and...maybe...get an iPhone app out of it. Gee...thanks Adobe.
mswallace 11-Oct-09 6:41am
Over 90% computers and other devices run Flash. Sounds like a web standard to me. Full discloser, I am a Flash developer. There are already a few other languages that are building tools to compile code like C#, Javascript, and others into native iphone apps. As long as it runs on the phone and runs well, who cares where the app comes from. Now if I could just view "Flash Content" in safari on the phone. Personally I like everything that apple has done with the iPhone. Not allowing flash player is my only gripe. Adobe allowing Flash Developers to write code and compile to the phone is something that will will for sure keep me around as an iphone user.
billh 11-Oct-09 1:55pm
lawryll: What you don't get is that not everyone who wants to write iPhone apps knows ObjectiveC, or owns a Mac. For some of us, who have been writing Flash apps for a while, the ability to be able to write native iPhone apps in a familiar environment is a plus. Granted, we won't have the full power of either platform (Flash or ObjectiveC), but it will allow developers an avenue to quickly port existing content to the iPhone platform (which we have been unable to do thus far). Also, I don't agree with the article's premise that the days of Flash are numbered. True, some of the advantages Flash has had since version 6 are now or becoming available in the near future on a standards-based stack, there are still things that Flash can do that you either can't do, or are difficult to do using just JS/CSS/HTML5. And there is a HUGE Flash community out there that are building enterprise-level applications in Flash, as well as the more traditional Flash content of games & video. The future of Flash is going to be to push the boundaries of what is possible on the web. I think it's great that some of the things only available in Flash up to now are making their way into the native browser, but that doesn't mean that Adobe's standing still, and not innovating. If it weren't for Flash, most of the features introduced in HTML5 would not exist, since Flash made it attractive and developed a user base and expectation among users. I see this trend continuing. And remember, it took 15 years to go from HTML 4 to HTML 5. The abilities of the Flash platform will be years ahead of HTML by 2025, when they go back and revamp the standards.
AgentSimon 12-Oct-09 4:11am
I think it would be a reasonable choice for many new iPhone developers. Here's why: 1. as @billh says, not everyone knows how to write Obj-C, or wants to buy and use a mac. 2. Simply; Flash is a brilliant tool for making content. It has great tools for artists to make content; animation (timeline, onion skinning), effects now running at the pixel level, decent drawing tools, good content integration ... to name a few. Some game programmers appreciate its fairly decent API and increasing level of optimisation. 3. Build once for many platforms; web (swf 99% browser uptake?), desktop (AIR) and now devices with this? Seems like a good cross-platform choice to me. Especially for making small and simple apps relatively quickly with minimal experience or hardware / software knowledge. It will never be a good choice for big studios or studios with long term plans. Flash will become increasingly irrelevant with the adoption of HTML5. Disclosure: I was a Flash developer and am now making iPhone games at The Voxel Agents (and loving it). We write in C++ and its extremely unlikely for us to use Flash instead of our own tools / processes. But I still admire Flash and recommend it to new developers / hobbyists.
applecar 6-Nov-09 4:45am
Personally I like everything that apple has done with the iPhone. Not allowing flash player is my only gripe. Adobe allowing Flash Developers to write code and compile to the phone is something that will will for sure keep me around as an iphone user. Links of London | Links of London
Cadrian757 28-Jan-10 11:02pm

Thanks for taking the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love learning more on this topic. If possible, as you gain expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more information? It is extremely helpful for me.
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