It’s obviously early days, but good to see that Cairngorm hasn’t fallen by the wayside, as it’s been quite quiet when it comes to updates over the past year or so. Hopefully with this version there will be more focus on helping those new to Cairngorm get up to speed but without sacrificing those who are already familiar to the older version 2.x framework (and vice versa).

To take advantage of this off head over to here to sign up and use the following activation code: 29fa706d to get 30-day free subscription and get learning Flex 2 :)

Adobe has partnered with Total Training™ to offer free online Adobe® Flex™ training for 30 days. The video training features Adobe Flex team veteran James Talbot and Adobe Certified Master Instructor Leo Schuman. This limited-time promotion runs until December 31, 2007.

The original email is below (there is a bit more blurb on it if you are interested).

To give a bit of context, I have been evaluating Aptana for a bit now – mainly from an AIR development perspective. I needed a tool that I could drop in to easily, fitted into my development practices and offered me a more code orientated environment. From my point of view this is exactly what I need from an HTML / AJAX IDE – I have used Dreamweaver, past and present, but never really used all of the wizards and design features – a tad overkill for me to be honest. And as I spend most of my waking hours nose deep in Flex Builder it fits with my workflow. I’ve used TextWrangler, BBedit, TextMate, but in the end I crossed them off my list as they didn’t quite fit into my development process. After using Aptana for a while it got me thinking. Would Aptana add value to Adobe both as a product and as a company if they acquired them?

In my opinion it would make sense. Why?

Well with the announcement of “Thermo” as a tool / process to aid designers provide creativity and consistency for ‘look and feel’ within Flex based applications, in a manner more conducive to their requirements. It struck me that while we have the “established” Photoshop / Illustrator / Fireworks > Flash / Dreamweaver type workflow (and I’m not implying that these are the only production paths in the digital realm). These are primarily creatively led tools, those that provide a more design assisted approach to development. Which is good if you have an eye for design and need to do a bit of development as well. Not something a Java or C# developer would likely choose.

However, it would make sense to provide (or create) a suite of tools that would allow the same approach to a more developer orientated workflow. We already have Flex Builder, couple this with various server orientated eclipse plugin IDE’s, (CFEclipse, PHPEclipse, eclipse’s own Java IDE, to name a few) and a smattering of utility plugins, and you are on the way to a robust set of tools for developer focused requirements.

One of the pieces that is missing though is a feature rich HTML / AJAX solution to compliment Flex Builder. Since Adobe acquired Macromedia they have added some amazing products to their portfolio. Glaringly obvious by it’s omission is a “code only” HTML editor akin to Home Site / BBEdit that always used to get bundled with Dreamweaver.

Obviously Adobe have Dreamweaver (and GoLive). However there are a lot of Home Site fans who don’t like either of those or just don’t need that level of automation or creativity. Granted Adobe have JSEclipse, but to my mind that is more of a “what it could be” plugin than a full blow IDE when compared to Aptana – I’m not knocking JSEclipse, just making a simple observation.

Enter Aptana…

For the vast majority of developers I suspect this is one of the first times you’ve ever heard of it. So for the uninitiated, Aptana is an eclipse based HTML / AJAX IDE with built in support for the vast majority of Ajax frameworks ( Aflax, Mochikit, MooTools, Scriptaculous and Adobe’s own Spry to name a few). It is available in two variants as mentioned earlier – The free Community version or the supported Professional edition (which has a built in JSON editor, support for FTPS and SFTP, remote importing of projects and of course, priority support).

Both versions have optional support for the development of Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) applications (which needs to be installed once you have Aptana up and running but that is exceedingly simple). To find out how to integrated AIr support with Flex Builder 3 I have steps detailed here.

Compatibility And Cohesion

This is where, for me, the main benefits come in. As it is eclipse based makes it very easy to integrate into an already established eclipse workflow. Aptana can take advantage of any concurrent versioning solutions that you may already have installed within your eclipse framework (Subversion, CVS, Perforce or, heaven forbid, VSS :p). As well as team / project management systems like Trac, Bugzilla et al. Not to mention the ability to use Aptana specific editors within non specific HTML / AJAX development and vice versa. Ideal if you are developing a hybrid Flex / HTML / AJAX AIR app (how’s that for acronyms and current buzz technologies :p).

You also have the option, like Flex Builder to use a standalone version if you would rather keep your IDE’s separate – I personally feel that having the tools all integrated into a single “container” provides me with a development speed boost as I don’t have to open up additional products to do my work, (as well as the advantages of an established eclipse workflow as highlighted above) – This is, of course, more psychological than performance related as you will still take a performance hit if you have four perspectives active in eclipse as opposed to having four separate instances of eclipse based IDE’s (I doubt there is much in it between these two options and I personally like neat and tidy :p).

I have to say that there are some teething troubles – but this may actually be a Flex Builder 3 problem (I have yet to fully investigate). The CSS editor for Flex Builder no longer works in my build since installing Aptana and OxygenXML. I cannot conclusively point the finger at any one of the three, but I am more likely to blame the beta software of FB3 first. I’ll do a few installation tests and update this once I have hard proof. However, beyond that they all live happily alongside each other so no real gripes beyond that one editor.

And…

So if you are a code orientated developer and / or work in an organization where there is a designer / developer role distinction; or you are looking for a more code orientated traditional front-end development IDE that can be integrated into your eclipse workflow then check out Aptana. If on the other hand you are looking for better integration between Flex development and HTML / AJAX (and AIR) then have a look, while it may not be your main focus in your working day. I am sure it will make it smother and more efficient when you are asked to produce a hybrid technology solution. Lastly, if you’re already using a code editor and have no interest in switching, just take five minutes to read through the blurb on their site – you may be pleasantly surprised.

According to the official press release

Web 2.0 technologies have spurred the development of RIAs that enable data sharing, collaboration, user participation, social networking, and more. Flex is the industry’s most advanced framework for building cross-operating system RIAs for the Web. By offering Flex Builder 2 at no cost, educational institutions will be able to improve students’ and researchers’ knowledge of RIA development. With Flex 3, currently in public beta, students will be able to extend their RIAs to the desktop using Adobe® AIR™.

“By making it easier for educational institutions to adopt Flex 2, we are ensuring that students and researchers are better equipped to harness the power of Web 2.0 and RIAs,” said Peter Isaacson, vice president of education marketing at Adobe. “It is clear that RIAs are the future of Web development, and a strong skill set in RIA development will serve students well in their careers.”

“As someone who teaches a Flex course, I applaud Adobe for helping to provide the free software that will help professors better prepare our students for the future,” said Yakov Fain, adjunct professor at New York University. “People with Adobe Flex skills are already in big demand in the industry, and this smart move will help to substantially increase the number of Flex-enabled college graduates. We are pleased to be among the first universities to offer this kind of coursework to our students.”

Yahoo also run with this story, and while it appears in their News & opinion section it doesn’t offer much more at this point beyond reproducing the Adobe press release.

So all in all a pretty comprehensive line-up of products. To find out more and register head over to the Creative License Tour site.

…of particular interest may be the Web Development track where we’ll cover Flex, Flash, ColdFusion and AIR. We also have a number of other tracks around Web Design, Video, Photoshop and Print.

So what are you waiting for get over to the Creative License Tour site and get registered :D. I’ll probably pop along to the London one on the 17th September. So if anyone is about and wants to meet up let me know :). This could be the perfect excuse to get into the MAX Europe conference vibe.

There is an additional tab “Creative Tools” which looks like it has potential. Currently only the Special effects entry is active and this just allows you to add global effects to your image, like Black & White, Vignette, Soften etc.

It doesn’t look like Photoshop, which is refreshing The interface has a, in the nicest possible way, Fisher Price look and feel. So it will be ideal for those that are not super techincal (I shall test this theory on my mother) and are used to sites like Flickr (there is an option to link it to your Flickr account).

All in all this looks like a very promising application given it’s Web 2.0 ‘beta’ status :p. It makes me wonder how many of these style apps will be migrated (read exported :p) to Apollo once it is released…

I suspect a few of you may have been thinking “Apollo = Central 2.0″ :P. To be honest from what I have read and seen posted on various blogs and breezos Apollo seems very cool and could be a real winner once it gets released.

However there are a couple of things that could put a damper on this prospective new era of Flash platform penetration. Namely XULRunner and the growth in micro runtimes like Yahoo! widgets (formerly Konfabulator). Apple’s Dashboard for OSX Tiger (allegedly a rip off of Konfabulator). And finally Opera 9 widgets. These aren’t the only ‘kids on the block’ though I am also quite excited about the developments over at Haxe.org on ScreenweaverHX – I cannot confirm this as of writing but this looks like it is built with XUL / XULRunner as part of its core runtime.

Don’t get me wrong this isn’t solely focused at Apollo – although that is the central theme. This has as much impact on Microsoft as it does on Adobe. Microsoft’s Window Presentation Foundation / Everywhere (WPF/E), XAML and the range of tools that allow development for it, (Expression Interactive Designer or ‘Sparkle’ as most know it, for one), could also come under the hammer so to speak if these runtimes get greater exposure and faster adoption. The real advantages that they have over Apollo and WPF/E at the moment is cross platform deployment. Xulrunner is deployable on Windows, Mac OSX and Linux. Likewise in respect to Apollo they are already available to develop with – even if some of these are beta builds.

So which holds the most clout?
To be honest I don’t think any of them have a massive advantage at this point in time over Apollo. For starters XULRunner is still in beta – so there is functionality missing or not fully implemented. Of the micro runtimes Opera 9 widgets require you install Opera 9 to use them, so in some respects this kind of defeats the point of a true deployment platform and becomes more of a novelty add on for the users of Opera 9.

As for Yahoo! widgets and Dashboard, the problem these two options have is that they are tied to a very limited communication model as well as sandboxed access to the actual OS. It’s not the functioality that lets these micro runtimes down, but more their overall usefulness beyond the quirky. They tend to have very limited interaction performing as consumers of RSS / web services and the operations available therein. Some allow limited data storage but nothing that would inspire anyone to look at them as serious development opportunities. Nor should they as these are not designed to perform that level of complexity. These are good for cutting your teeth on though and make a perfect stepping stone. Some may be now wondering why Opera 9 widgets gets more of a look in but Dashboard and Yahoo! widgets don’t. In some respects it’s more to do with functionality and integration with the host OS – Opera 9 widgets offer a far greater scope for building applications than either of the other two ‘widget’ engines currently offer.

Finally we have Microsoft’s WPF/E. Regardless of what is said and by who is always likely to be a Windows centric runtime and is very unlikely to spread beyond that platform even if the technical aspect is there to allow it to do so. If this does hold true then it will lose out on the growth in adoption of Apple’s OSX (thanks in part to the migration to the Intel chipset). As well as the throng of Open Source Software (OSS) developers pushing Linux down the road as a viable and user friendly desktop replacement. So in respect to that in my mind it comes off worse than even the micro runtimes due to this lack of ubiquity across the desktop.

So that leaves Apollo…
Well it has two of the main web based formats, (dare I use the word ’standards’), already in the bag – SWF and PDF. Couple this with HTML to round the whole web to desktop migration off. Though to be honest I’m not sure how ‘functional’ HTML deployed desktop apps would be – call be a Flash prig, but hey Ajax or nought it’s still HTML :P

Seriously though – here again Adobe have it somewhat covered with the new Spry framework. The real advantages with utilizing these technologies is that there is a massive developer base already producing rich internet applications that could easily make the transition to the desktop with minor, if any alterations.

There is also a very interesting breezo regarding Apollo hosted by Luis Polanco and Mike Chambers entitled ‘Building Killer Desktop RIAs?” that shows off early Apollo development (and why I initially started thinking about similarities with Apollo and XULRunner). I strongly recommend that anyone interested in Apollo and the move of RIAs to the desktop should watch it. There are quite a few interesting slides on where Adobe want to position Apollo and how the competition (i.e. Microsoft) are likely to approach the same goal.

It is also worth noting that Adobe appear to be looking at this as the logical progression (maybe even conclusion) of information and content distribution to the end user via networked devices in an ad hoc, or disconnected system. Whereas Microsoft, in my view are looking at it from more of a gluing perspective on sticking the distributed data to applications built for the OS.

Is that it?
This is by no means a definitive article on the subject of Apollo, more of a speculative view and review of what is out there and how products like Apollo fit in or improve. I’ve tried to include just enough information to make it informative, but not overtly technical (if such a thing is possible when talking about emerging technology). If you agree or disagree let me know. Only time will tell if Apollo is, as I hope and believe, the best choice for transitioning RIAs to the desktop. It does make me think that while Actionscript and the SWF format are becoming truly ubiquitous with each additional platform or technology that supports the Flash platform that all that is required now is that Business Process Management (BPM), or workflow as most refer to it gets aligned in the same manner from a development and production point of view. So it is easy to develop RIAs with mixed disciplines in a traditional creative agency. That is a thought, and potentially an article, for another time though.

Further reading
Apollo Breezo
Adobe Consulting Weblog: Oh, Apollo!
XULRunner
What XULRunner Provides
XULPlanet.com – excellent XUL resource

Flash Integration
ScreenweaverHX
FXR
FXR tutorial

I’d recommend having a browse through his blog as there is some good information there. Oh and if you ask nicely he may even post some stuff up on Java and Flash / Flex development. Anyway enough trumpet blowing stop by liverail.net and see for yourself.

Eric Anderson has an article on the Adobe (formerly Macromedia) site about Flex 2.0 beta 2, but a few of the key points are below:

Adobe Flex 2.0 Software Development Kit (SDK): The Flex SDK includes the Flex 2.0 compiler and Flex 2.0 framework. The SDK is available for free for building and deploying RIAs with Flex.
Adobe Flex Charting: Flex’s Charting components provide advanced charting capabilities including multi-axis charts and sophisticated financial charts along with line, bar, and pie charts.
Adobe Flex Builder 2.0: Flex Builder 2.0 is the Flex 2.0 IDE based on Eclipse that provides an enhanced development environment for building Flex 2.0 applications. Flex Builder delivers developer productivity capabilities like code hinting, code debugging, and a graphical Design view.
Adobe Flex Data Services 2.0: Flex Data Services (formerly Flex Enterprise Services 2.0) provides the same RPC services available in Flex 1.5 (RemoteObject, proxied Web Services, and HTTP) with new data messaging capabilities to enable pub/sub messaging, collaboration, and data push along with data management services to solve the unique performance, data synchronization, and data paging problems that data-rich rich Internet applications present.

If you want to see what’s changed between beta 1 and beta 2 have a read through the release notes. The one thing that did jump out at me (as I never really read these sort of things), was the fact that if you want to run Flex Builder 2.0 on a Windows system you’ll need 1GB of ram. (This covers off the Flex 2.0 SDK, the 2.0 charting components and the 8.5 player).

However if you want to go the lean and mean route and just use the commandline Flex 2.0 SDK you’ll only need 512MB (1GB recommended). Plus it allows Mac, Linux and Solaris to join the party too as development platforms (Now where are their IDEs :P).

I wonder if we are getting near the actual release system requirements here? I know that eclipse can be a bit of a resource hog and 1GB isn’t too much of an issue for me personally but imagine having to attempt to open it with all the other digital trappings of corporate life. Hopefully this will drop to about 512MB come release so take the specs with a pince of salt :)

For those of you who haven’t already got it you can download it here. If you haven’t already tried Flex 2.0 and the new Flex Builder 2.0 have a go – you may be surprised and actually enjoy using it :P

A big thanks to Beau and the SFMMUF for allowing me a turn, now back to my holiday – and a beer :)