Updated October 5, 2009
- What is Adobe announcing?
- What is Slider?
- How is Slider different from the Flex framework?
- Will I be able to run my Flex desktop applications on these mobile devices?
- When will Adobe make Slider publically available?
- On what platforms will Slider run?
- Who should develop applications using Slider?
- Will Slider be open source?
- What is Adobe releasing?
- Will I be able to use Flash Builder 4, the next version of Flex Builder, with Slider?
- Will Slider run on the iPhone and other mobile platforms?
- How large is the download of the mobile framework? Will RSL caching be available for mobile?
- Will there be a major architectural change to enable Flex to run well on mobile devices?
- Where can I learn more about Slider?
- I heard about what OpenPlug is doing. Is it the same as Slider?
- How will Slider applications get onto a mobile device?
- What is the difference between Flash, Flash Lite and Slider?
- Will Slider applications work on consumer electronics devices?
- What is Adobe announcing?
- Adobe is currently developing a mobile version of the Flex framework (code-named Slider) which will enable Flex developers to build mobile applications for smartphones and other high-end mobile devices.
- What is Slider?
- Slider is 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.
- How is Slider different from the Flex framework?
- 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.
- Will I be able to run my Flex desktop applications on these mobile devices?
- Yes, but there are important differences between applications that run on the desktop vs. applications that run on mobile phones. In addition, the performance and screen-size constraints of mobile devices may impact the user experience significantly, which is one of the key reasons that we are working on a mobile-optimized version of the framework.
- When will Adobe make Slider publically available?
- We plan to take an iterative approach in making the mobile framework available to developers. An early mobile branch of the Flex framework is expected to be available in 2010. There are a number of items that need to be in place before making the build available to download, including a number of the new features and components listed above, 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.
- On what platforms will Slider run?
- The initial Slider framework will be optimized to run on high-end smartphones (phones with a processor speed of 400Mhz or more, 128MB of RAM), and will initially target standalone application environments such as Adobe AIR. This matches the category of devices targeted by Flash Player 10.
- Who should develop applications using Slider?
- Slider may be used by a wide range 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.
- Will Slider be open source?
- Adobe is currently considering the best way to bring Slider to market. Making Slider an open source project is being considered, following a similar licensing arrangement as its desktop counterpart.
- What is Adobe releasing?
- At this time, Adobe is only announcing the development of Slider and providing some additional materials to describe the future direction. There is currently no public access to a Slider build at this time.
- Will I be able to use Flash Builder 4, the next version of Flex Builder, with Slider?
- Yes, but there are modifications that need to first be made to support it. Once these modifications are made, Builder will become the recommended development tool supporting Slider.
- Will Slider run on the iPhone and other mobile platforms?
- Yes. Slider will compile to a native iPhone application using the same new compiler that Flash Professional CS5 will use. Slider is also planned to run on other devices like the PalmPre. While Slider will technically run on all devices that support Flash Player 10 or AIR for mobile devices, the specific performance characteristics of each device will dictate the viability of the end-user experience. The goal is to make Slider run well on all devices that have a minimum processor speed of 400Mhz and 128MB of RAM. Adobe is will be working to make Slider available on as many mobile devices as possible. The Open Screen Project sets the stage for the many device manufacturers that Adobe is working with.
- How large is the download of the mobile framework? Will RSL caching be available for mobile?
- We do not yet have the information to provide useful guidance on the size of the framework. We continue to work to make it as small and as fast as possible. RSL support is not currently planned mainly do to the fact that AIR and Standalone applications are the primary use case.
- Will there be a major architectural change to enable Flex to run well on mobile devices?
- We are working to insure that you will be able to leverage your existing skills to create Flex Mobile applications. There are times where functionality will need to be changed or scoped down in order to make sure running the framework on mobile viable. While the features of Flex may be modified from their desktop counterparts, the goal will be to preserve the core capabilities of the desktop framework that make sense for mobile. The “soul of Flex” will be maintained, including the underlying Flash API, the language, and core capabilities such as binding, skinning, layout, styling and media support. In all cases, we will balance any modification with the goal of getting to great performance on mobile devices.
- Where can I learn more about Slider?
- For a complete overview on Slider, please read the Slider whitepaper.
- I heard about what OpenPlug is doing. Is it the same as Slider?
- OpenPlug is a French company who specializes in creating optimized software solutions for mobile phones. OpenPlug is creating a Mobile FlexBuilder Toolkit to help Flex developers create applications that run on mobile devices which require using their specialized components. OpenPlug does not run the Flex framework, but instead is a complete replacement which takes advantage of the MXML language syntax.
Adobe appreciates that third parties are embracing and extending the Flash platform. The Flex development model is a powerful one and the promise of using Flex to develop across multiple screens is tremendous. In addition to supporting third party efforts, Adobe will continue to invest in extending Adobe tools and frameworks such as Slider to simplify the process of multi-screen development. - How will Slider applications get onto a mobile device?
- This will depend on the target platform, and developers may rely on the standard application distribution mechanisms offered by individual carriers and OEMs.
- What is the difference between Flash, Flash Lite and Slider?
- Flash Lite is a smaller, lighter-weight runtime created to run on low-end phones. The Flash Player is the core application runtime supporting both applications written to run on the desktop in the browser or on high-end smartphones. Slider is a mobile version of the Flex framework designed for building applications that target Flash Player-based application environments (such as Adobe AIR and Notus).
- Will Slider applications work on consumer electronics devices?
- Slider applications will run on all devices that support Flash Player 10.1. This will include many consumer devices that will ship later in 2010 and beyond.
