Applications for iPhone:Developer FAQ
From Adobe Labs
General
Can developers use Flash Platform tooling to develop standalone applications for the Apple iPhone?
Yes. At Adobe MAX 2009, Adobe announced that the next version of Adobe Flash Professional will support creating standalone content for the Apple iPhone and Apple iPod touch.
When will this tooling be publicly available?
In October 2009 at Adobe MAX Adobe announced that this capability would be included in a public beta of Flash Professional CS5 . However, since that time we have changed our plans and Adobe is no longer planning to release a public beta of Flash Professional CS5. Adobe has seen an unprecedented amount of interest in Flash Professional CS5 and the included Packager for iPhone. This change of plan was made in order to ensure the earliest possible delivery of the final software to the large number of designers and developers interested in Flash Professional CS5 and the included Packager for iPhone.
For additional information about this announcement please visit the Flash Platform blog at http://www.adobe.com/go/fpbu
Can developers use Flash Platform tooling to develop browser based content for the iPhone?
The new support for iPhone applications in the Flash Platform tooling will not allow iPhone users to browse web content built with Flash technology on iPhone.
Flash Player uses a just-in-time compiler and virtual machine within a browser plug-in to play back Flash content on websites. Those technologies are not allowed on the iPhone at this time, so a Flash Player for iPhone is not being made available today.
Are there currently any applications on the iTunes App Store created with Flash?
Yes. There are a number of applications created with Flash platform tooling that have been accepted to the iTunes App Store. Some of these applications include:
How can I sign up for the private beta of the Flash Platform tooling for iPhone development?
Adobe is not taking additional applications for the private beta for developing iPhone applications using Flash.
However, we do plan to release a public beta via labs before the end of 2009.
Development
Which Flash Platform tools and technologies can be used to build content for the iPhone?
The primary tool for developing iPhone applications using Flash will be Adobe Flash Professional CS5.
We are also looking at adding this feature to other Flash Platform tools and technologies.
What operating systems are supported for authoring iPhone content using Flash?
iPhone application development will be supported on operating systems supported by Adobe Flash Professional CS5. This includes both Mac and Windows based operating systems.
Which iPhone Operating System versions are supported?
iPhone applications created with Flash are supported on iPhone OS 3.0 and higher.
What type of performance should I expect of content running on the iPhone?
The iPhone and iPod touch have processors significantly slower than those found on most desktop PCs and Macs. Thus, content may run slower than it does when running on a desktop personal computer. However, the exact differences will depend on the specific content.
In addition, the hardware specifications vary greatly between different versions of the iPhone and iPod touch. Because of this, it is important that you test your content early and often across all devices which you plan to target.
What are the requirements for testing Flash content on the iPhone?
In order to deploy and test content on an iPhone or iPod touch device, the developer must be a member of the iPhone developer program, and have an iPhone developer certificate, as well as the appropriate mobile provisioning profiles (which can be obtained from the iPhone Developer Program Portal).
You can find more information on the iPhone developer program at:
http://developer.apple.com/iphone/index.action
Is the Flash Player runtime bundled along with the application?
No. iPhone applications built with Flash Platform tools are compiled into standard, native iPhone executable packages and there is no runtime interpreter that could be used to run Flash byte-code within the application.
Does Flash content deployed to the iPhone leverage any private or unpublished iPhone APIs?
No.
Which version of the Flash Player is supported when targeting the iPhone?
The Flash Player API set available when creating content for the iPhone is based on the core Flash Runtime used in Flash Player 10 and Adobe AIR 2.0.
Which versions of ActionScript are supported when developing for the iPhone?
ActionScript 3 based content is supported when developing content for the iPhone. ActionScript 1 and 2 is not supported and will not work.
Can I re-use existing Flash code and content when targeting the iPhone?
Yes, assuming that that code and content is written in ActionScript 3, and does not use any of the APIs or functionality not available on the device.
However, due to the significant differences in processor speed between the iPhone and desktop based CPUs, content may need to be optimized or adjusted in order to provide the best user experience.
You may also need to re-factor the design and interactions of the content in order to provide a user experience tailored to the smaller form factor and different interaction models of the device.
You can find more information on optimizing content for mobile devices on the:
Adobe Mobile & Device Developer Center
Which Flash Runtime APIs are available when developing for the iPhone?
As a general rule, Flash Player 10 and Adobe AIR 2.0 APIs are available when developing content for the iPhone. However, there are a number of exceptions, including, but not limited to:
- Embedded HTML content (via webkit in Adobe AIR).
- RTMPE
- Dynamically loading SWFs that contain ActionScript
- PixelBender Filters
- Microphone Access
- Video Camera Access
In addition, APIs which do not apply to iPhone (such as accessing dock icons) are not available.
Can applications dynamically load SWFs at runtime?
Yes, although any ActionScript in the SWF will be ignored (as there is no virtual machine to interpret the code).
Which native iPhone APIs and functionality are supported when using Flash tooling?
The following native device APIs and functionality are supported:
- MultiTouch
- Screen Orientation
- Saving images to Photo Library
- Accelerometer
- Geo-location
- Cut / Copy / Paste
Can applications take advantage of hardware acceleration?
Yes. In some cases, the rendering of Flash content will be hardware accelerated.
We will publish more information on this when we release the public beta.
Can I play H.264 Video from Flash content on the iPhone?
Yes. You can play H.264 video from Flash content by launching the content in the native iPhone video player. You cannot play back H.264 content directly within the application.
Can I use the Flex Framework to create content for the iPhone?
While it is possible to create iPhone content using the desktop Flex Framework, we do not recommend it. The Flex framework is currently optimized for execution in a desktop environment. The performance, UI, and interaction models have not been optimized for mobile devices.
Adobe is working on a mobile Flex Framework, which should be better suited for iPhone development. You can find the latest information on the mobile Flex Framework at:
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flex/mobile/
Which fonts should I use when developing content for the iPhone?
A good baseline font to use is Helvetica at 14pts.
You can also specify the following font types, which will map to the fonts specified:
- _sans : Helvetica
- _serif : Times New Roman
- _typewriter : Courier New
The following device fonts are also available within your content:
- Sans-serif : Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Trebuchet, Tahoma
- Serif : Times New Roman, Georgia
- Fixed-width : Courier New, Courier
Can I run content created with Flash in the iPhone simulator on Mac?
No. Flash content created for the iPhone will not run within the iPhone simulator on Mac.
Can I use native iPhone OS Controls in my Flash based iPhone content?
No.
What size should my Flash content be when targeting the iPhone?
In fullscreen mode, the screen size is 320 x 480 (480 x 320 in landscape mode). With the status bar showing, the screen size is 320 x 460 (300 x 480 in landscape mode).
Are there any general guidelines I should consider when developing content for the iPhone?
Yes. In general, your content should adhere to the Apple iPhone Human Interface Guidelines.
It is also important to thoroughly test content on all targeted devices as performance and capabilities can vary greatly between different device versions.
Deployment
Does the Flash Player or Adobe AIR runtimes need to be installed on the iPhone in order to run content created with Flash?
No. iPhone applications built with Flash Platform tools are compiled into standard, native iPhone executable packages and no runtime interpreter is necessary to run the application.
Can I submit my app to the iTunes App Store?
Yes. You can submit apps built with Flash tooling for the iPhone to the iTunes App Store by following the policies and procedures specified by the iTunes App Store.
Will I be able to distribute my content to other developers / users directly?
Yes. You can create an Ad Hoc certificate from the Apple iPhone developer portal, which will allow you to specify a limited number of devices that the content can be deployed to.
Where can I post additional questions about using Flash to create applications for the iPhone?
You can post additional questions about creating content for the iPhone using Flash technologies in the:
Applications for iPhone User Forum
