Overview
Adobe is currently developing a mobile-optimized version of the Flex framework that will make it easy for developers to build Flex applications that run across mobile devices. Using Slider, developers can leverage their existing skills to build intuitive applications that can be easily customized and rapidly adapted across platforms.
Based on the Flex 4 codebase, Slider will include significant changes to optimize both the performance and user experience on more constrained device environments. The current broad feature set of Flex 4 will be streamlined to run well on devices that have less memory and slower processors. Slider will include new capabilities specifically designed for mobile development, such as a new construct for managing application “screens," and the notion of resolution-independent sizing to deal with screen-size variations. A new set of user interface components will be added which are designed for mobile form factors and input methods. Finally, Slider will encapsulate design principles and guidelines which make it easy to create applications that fit in across a range of native platforms.
Target Audience and Platforms
Slider may be used by a broad spectrum of both mobile and desktop application developers, from traditional media companies and agencies to internal IT organizations. Initial target use cases range from “companion” applications, or applications that complement existing web or desktop applications, to applications where multi-screen delivery is a core requirement from the outset and integral to the design process.
The initial Slider framework will be optimized to run on high-end smartphones (phones with a processor speed of 400Mhz or more and 128MB of RAM), and will target standalone applications environments such as Adobe AIR. This matches the category of devices targeted by Flash Player 10.
Availability
An early mobile branch of the Flex framework is expected to be available in 2010. There are a few items that need to be in place before making the build available to download, including a number of the new features and components, as well as an easy way to compile projects for shipping platforms. As soon as these criteria are met the first builds will be made publically available.
Learn more
Read the Slider whitepaper to learn more about how the mobile-optimized version of the Flex framework will work and the challenges that it will solve.
