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Apache Flex The Way Forward

Apache Flex The Way Forward. Justin Mclean Class Software Email: justin@classsoftware.com Twitter: @justinmclean Blog: http://blog.classsoftware.com. Who am I?. Director of Class Software for 15 years Developing and creating web applications for 15 years Programming for 25 years

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Apache Flex The Way Forward

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  1. Apache FlexThe Way Forward • Justin Mclean • Class Software • Email: justin@classsoftware.com • Twitter: @justinmclean • Blog: http://blog.classsoftware.com

  2. Who am I? • Director of Class Software for 15 years • Developing and creating web applications for 15 years • Programming for 25 years • Adobe certified developer and trainer in Flex and ColdFusion • Adobe Community Professional • Apache Flex PPMC member and committer • 120

  3. It’s been an interesting few months for Flex Developers

  4. Adobe MAX 2011 • Keynotes focused on HTML and Flash for gaming and video • Sessions included Flex and Flash roadmaps for the next several versions • New Flex features show in sessions (e.g. new spark components) and sneak peaks • No mention of any upcoming announcements (including the community summit)

  5. November Announcement • Adobe announces restructure and lays off 750 staff • Adobe press release apocalypse! • “Flash is dead”/”Apple was right” response from most of the IT media • Adobe clarified some points in various blog posts over the next week

  6. November Outcome • No future Flash Player for mobile browsers (Android) after 11.1 • Mobile focus will be on AIR for app stores • Flex proposal to Apache Software Foundation • Future versions of Flash Builder will have Flex support • Flex 4.6 SDK and FP 11.1 releases

  7. Apache Donation • Flex SDK (including automation and data visualisation) • Actionscript and MXML compilers • New spark components • BlazeDS • Flex testing tools • New generation compiler (Falcon)

  8. Flex Summit • Invite only of customers and community members (mainly US) • Broadcast online and wider community questions (thanks to Spoon) • Adobe will no longer sign framework RSLs • Flash Catalyst dropped • Design view in Flash Builder dropped • Falcon timeline late 2012 then Falcon JS

  9. Apache Flex • Proposal was accepted • Initial committers and PPMC set up • Mailing list setup • Incubator site setup • New Flex logo voted on

  10. Flex White Paper • Clarifies Adobe position on the future of Flex • Give good reasons to continuing to use Flex

  11. Flex Tour • Tour of user groups by Adobe evangelists • Spoon helping out to add some community involvement • US and Europe tour underway • South America and Asia/Pacific dates to be announced

  12. Flash White Paper • Flash as a gaming and video platform • Sets out roadmap of next 3 versions of the Flash Player • Flash Player “Next” due early 2013 will have AS improvements/changes • Flash and Chrome on Linux

  13. Why has this happened? • iOS would never support Flash in a browser • Unable to keep up with growing number of platforms • Most frameworks are open source • Previous Flex open source model was broken • Adobe was unable to work out a way to make money out of Flex

  14. Summary • Adobe to focus on Flash tooling, gaming and video • Adobe to use AIR to target mobile • 11.1 last Flash Player on Android mobile browser • CS5.5 last version of Flash Catalyst • 4.6 SDK is the last official version of the Flex SDK • No design view in next version Flash Builder • No signed framework RSLs

  15. Flex is now Apache Flex!

  16. What is Apache?

  17. Apache Software Foundation • US non profit organisation • Run by volunteers • Individuals not companies • 100 software projects • Apache web server • ANT, Axis2, Derby, Maven, Struts, Solr, Subversion, Tomcat, Xerces

  18. Mission • Provides free open source software • Licence business friendly • Provides project infrastructure • Legal protection

  19. Apache Way • Collaborative software development • Open discussion and development • Merit driven • Consensus driven

  20. Apache Way in Practice • Email list and archive • Not on the mailing list it doesn't happen • Lazy consensus • Scratch your own itch • Prove yourself • Commit then review for low risk changes

  21. Roles • Users • Contributors • Committers • PPMC/PMC • Mentors • Members

  22. What is the Spoon Project?

  23. The Spoon Project • Initially a friendly fork of the Flex SDK • Initial focus was on making the Flex SDK unit testable • Put in lots hard work to convince Adobe this was a good idea • Just about to get full steam when Adobe PR apocalypse happens!

  24. Spoon Involvement • Several Spoon members are committers and PPMC members of Apache Flex • Spoon will fill in gaps between Adobe and Apache • Helping getting community involved in Adobe events • Organising some upcoming events

  25. Old Spoon

  26. Apache Donation

  27. Future Spoon

  28. Apache Flex Progress

  29. Current Status • Incubation site and wiki set up • Flex SDK framework has been donated • Still waiting legal clarence on other donations • Mailing list set up and has heavy traffic • SVN set up and working (with history) • JIRA setup and working • JIRA import of existing Adobe bug base has issues

  30. New Flex Logo

  31. Can I build the SDK? • Check out trunk as new Flash builder project • Download Adobe OS 4.6 Flex SDK • Copy everything except the frameworks directory • Run (via ANT) framework_build.xml • Real process waiting on code donation from Adobe

  32. Javascript/HTML5 output • Falcon JS compiler and timeframes • May be delivered early to Apache • Goshawk • What about other virtual machines?

  33. Unit Testing • FlexUnit and Mockolate donation to Apache Flex • Discussed changes to SDK to enable easier unit testing • Still waiting on donation of Mustela (Adobe’s functional testing framework for the SDK)

  34. But I use Git! • Apache uses SVN • Can use git-svn • GIT mirror at http://git.apache.com • A couple of GitHub copies • No pull requests accepted. JIRA and patches need to be submitted.

  35. ANT-RID • Current build script use ANT • Mavin • Gradel

  36. Locales • Modified build script to work for multiple locales • Locale only needs to be edited in one spot • Locale name appears in SDK description • en_AU and en_GB locales added

  37. Flash Player Versions • Build script changes to target different flash player build • Works for Flash player 10.2,10.3,11.0,11.1 and 11.2 • Some mobile features may not work or work slowly in earlier versions of the FP

  38. UIComponent • Is a huge beast! • Break up into multiple components • Make behaviours optional • Performance considerations

  39. RSL security • Adobe will not sign Apache RSLs • With SDK easier to patch RSLs become more useful (no need for monkey patches) • How to make RSLs secure?

  40. Whiteboard Area • Place for committers to put ideas and works in progress • Tink’s navigators Coverflow, Carousel, TimeMachine, DataAccordion etciView and mobile dropdown list • S9tpepper’s String g11n validators • Frishy’s fast grouping datagrid • Mschmalle’s mobile popups

  41. Get Involved • Sign up to the mailing list • Contribute to mailing list • Vote on issues • Sign up to JIRA • Submit JIRA bugs, ideas, wishes and patches • Review JIRA bugs and patches • Designers are welcome it’s not just about code

  42. But I’m not a Committer • Anyone can sign up and email the mailing list • Anyone can create and comment on JIRA issues • Find a friendly committer to help you or ask on the list • You don’t have to be a committer to contribute • If you contribute you may be invited to become a committer

  43. Still Unresolved • JIRA and code donation taking longer than expected • Incubation and first parity release • Flex name legal issues • Automation legal issues • Falcon and FalconJS timeframe

  44. Flex Developers • Brush up on ANT • Download and compile your own SDK • Look at the source code! (try not to cringe) • Take a peek at SVN history and comments • Get familiar FlexUnit and Mockolate • Consider other IDEs • Take a look at other technologies/frameworks out there

  45. Future of Flex • Active community with lots of ideas • Community now decides what direction Flex goes in. It’s up to us! • Adobe is committed to Flash as a platform • Adobe are still involved and providing resources and developers • Spoon Project is helping the community • Far easier to submit and fix bugs

  46. Links • Apache Flex sitehttp://incubator.apache.org/flex/ • Mailing list sign uphttp://incubator.apache.org/flex/mailing-lists.html • Apache Flex mail archiveshttp://markmail.org/search/+list:org.apache.incubator.flex-dev • Apache Flex JIRAhttps://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/FLEX • Apache Flex SVN viewerhttp://svn.apache.org/viewvc/incubator/flex/trunk/

  47. Links • Apache Software Foundationhttp://www.apache.org/ • Spoon Projecthttp://www.spoon.as/

  48. Adobe White Papers • Adobe Flex white paper:http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flex/whitepapers/roadmap.html • Adobe Flash white paper and roadmap:http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flashplatform/whitepapers/roadmap.html

  49. Questions? • Ask now, see me after the session,follow me on twitter @justinmcleanor email me at justin@classsoftware.com. • Code and slides can be found athttp://blog.classsoftware.com

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