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Apache Flex The Way Forward

In this comprehensive overview, Justin Mclean, Director of Class Software and an Adobe-certified developer, outlines recent developments surrounding Apache Flex. Following significant events such as Adobe's restructuring and the transition of Flex to the Apache Software Foundation, Mclean shares insights from the Adobe MAX 2011 conference, including future roadmaps and exciting new features. He emphasizes the importance of community engagement and the potential of Flex in the evolving landscape of web application development.

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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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