At the MAX conference earlier this month, Adobe announced that designers and developers will be able to use Adobe Flash Professional CS5 to create rich, interactive applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch.

This is NOT Flash Player running on the iPhone.  There is no new information about Flash Player on the iPhone.  This announcement means that Flash designers and developers can use Flash Professional CS5 and ActionScript 3 to build native applications that can be distributed and downloaded via the Apple App Store.

This new feature was demonstrated in a sneak peak of Flash Professional CS5.  The new features of Flash Professional CS5 also include a new text engine for creative freedom and control with text, XML based FLAs to boost team collaboration on projects, prebuilt code snippets for rapidly adding interactivity, as well as integrations with Adobe Flash Builder to improve ActionScript editing.  A beta of Flash Professional CS5 will be available later this year via Adobe Labs.

Adobe announces ability to publish ActionScript 3 projects to run as native iPhone apps.  More info at http://www.adobe.com/go/iphone

Adobe Flash Pro CS5 beta coming, supporting native iPhone apps.  Sign up and more info at http://www.adobe.com/go/flashprobeta


You can learn more about this announcement in the FAQ below as well as in the following places

• Adobe News Room (http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/)
• Information about apps for iPhone on Adobe Labs (http://www.adobe.com/go/iphone)
• Information about Flash Professional CS5 on Adobe Labs (http://www.adobe.com/go/flashprobeta)

More about Flash Professional CS5

What did Adobe announce at MAX regarding Flash Professional?
Adobe previewed an early version of the next major version of Flash, Adobe Flash Professional CS5. Adobe also announced that a public beta of Flash Professional CS5 will be available for download from Adobe Labs later this year.  That beta will include support for the ability to compile ActionScript 3® projects in Adobe Flash Professional to run as applications for iPhone.  Interested designers and developers can go to Adobe Labs to sign up and to be notified when the beta is available.

What are the new features of Flash Professional CS5?
There are many new and exciting features in Flash Professional CS5.  These include

• New text capabilities via the Text Layout Framework (TLF). Get unprecedented control and creativity with text in Flash projects.  Advanced styling and layout, including right to left text, columns, threaded text blocks let you work with text in Flash like never before.
• XML based FLA files let you manage and modify project assets using source control systems, and enable teams to easily collaborate on files.
• Code Snippets panel provides pre-built code that can be injected into projects for greater interactivity and also reduces the ActionScript 3 learning curve. The panel includes code for timeline navigation (ie: click to go to the next scene) actions (ie: drag and drop), animation (ie: move with keyboard arrows), audio and video, event handlers (ie: mouse events) and loading and unloading of assets.
• Flash Builder integration.  Use Flash Builder to write ActionScript code within Flash projects.
• Improved ActionScript editor, including custom class code-hinting and completion

When will the Flash Professional CS5 beta be available for download?
The beta will be available for download from Adobe Labs before the end of 2009.

How much will Flash Professional CS5 or Creative Suite cost?
We are not announcing any pricing at this time.

Where can customers go to be notified when the beta is available?
You can sign up to be notified: https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=fpcs5_notify

More information about applications for iPhone

Q: When will Adobe Flash Platform tooling support building applications for iPhone?
A public beta of Flash Professional CS5 including support for building applications for iPhone is planned for later this year.  Sign up to be notified when the beta is available.: https://www.adobe.com/cfusion/mmform/index.cfm?name=fpcs5_notify

Q: How does the Flash Platform tooling update help developers?
The tooling update allows developers to use Flash technologies to develop content for iPhone and iPod touch, devices that were previously closed to them. Developers can write new code or reuse existing web content to build applications for iPhone. Because the source code and assets are reusable across the Flash Platform runtimes,—Adobe AIR and Flash Player—it also gives developers a way to more easily target other mobile and desktop environments.

Q: How is this different from Adobe Flash Player 10 coming to iPhone?  Will iPhone users be able to view web content built with Flash technology in the iPhone browser?
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, but it may allow developers to repackage existing web content as applications for iPhone if they choose to do so.

Flash Player uses a just-in-time compiler and virtual machine within a browser plug-in to play back 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.

Flash Professional CS5 will enable developers to build applications for iPhone that are installed as native applications. Users will be able to access the apps after downloading them from Apple’s App Store and installing them on iPhone or iPod touch.

Q: Can applications for iPhone built with Flash Platform tooling be delivered through Apple’s App Store?
Yes. Developers can deliver applications built with Flash Platform tooling just like any other iPhone application. This will require the developer to be a member of the iPhone Developer Program and follow the program guidelines.

Q: Do developers need to participate in Apple’s iPhone Developer Program in order to develop or deploy applications for iPhone using the Flash Platform tools?
Yes. A developer certificate from Apple is required in order to test and deploy applications to iPhone. Apple provides information on its developer programs at http://developer.apple.com/iphone/.

Q: Are applications for iPhone built with Flash Platform tools interpreted at runtime?
No. IPhone applications built with Flash Platform tools are compiled into standard, native iPhone executables, just like any other iPhone application.

Q: Can applications load SWF files or other code at runtime, such as a module from a website?
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 ActionScript bytecode within the application.

Q: Which version of the iPhone SDK/operating system is supported by the applications?
Applications can be built targeting iPhone OS 3.0 and later.

Q: Will applications built with Flash Platform tools work on iPod touch? iPhone 1.0? iPhone 3G? iPhone 3GS?
Applications should work on all iPhone and iPod touch devices.  However, as the hardware specifications of the devices are widely divergent, content performance may vary between devices and device generations.

Thursday's meeting minutes are now available.

http://groups.adobe.com/posts/66289cff7e#minutes

If you are not able to go to Flashpitt this year due to cash restraints, you're in luck. You can enter to win free tickets to the event. Flashpitt is on October 15 & 16 in Pittsburgh.

Enter here- http://blog.flashden.net/general/win-two-free-tickets-to-flashpitt-09

Central Penn Adobe User Group (CPAUG) is offering two free tickets to iPhone development training, normally priced at $599. Fill out the the form below completely and be entered to win a free ticket to iPhone Application Development for Flash Developers training Sept 25-26 in New York.  There will be two lucky winners!  Travel is *not* included.

Enter here. http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dHNiUUFZaE5kVWplenlHWTNlbDA1RGc6MA..

More information about the contest can be found at: http://www.richmediainstitute.com/iphone_NYC_2009.

As one of our new initiatives that you, the members, asked for, we have our first homework challenge. It is to create a Twitter application by using the Twitter API. Your application can be anything. Simply a Twitter status display, a game, a mashup with another technology, and anything in between.

Its as simple as loading XML into Flash. There are also some ActionScript classes and SWCs available. Below are a few links to get you started. We will show off what each of us creates during next month's meeting.

Twitter API
http://apiwiki.twitter.com (XML based)

There are a ton of references you can find on the subject. Here are a few.

twitterscript API- http://code.google.com/p/twitterscript
tweetr API- http://code.google.com/p/tweetr  (Better documentation/samples) *** UPDATED ***

Tutorials
Parsing XML- http://www.kirupa.com/developer/flashcs3/using_xml_as3_pg1.htm
ActionScript & Twitter API- http://actionscripter.co.uk/blog/?page_id=262
Flash Tuts- http://www.tutorialhero.com/click-58173-assemble_a_nifty_twitter_widget_using_flash_and_the_twitter_api.php
gotoAndLearn.com- http://gotoandlearn.com/play?id=99 (Flex)

Thanks everyone for coming out on Thursday. Thanks to those who presented. I hope everyone is excited about the homework challenge. Check out the meeting minutes.

http://groups.adobe.com/posts/0e092a5879#minutes

Thanks everyone for coming out last night. And thanks a lot to Jim who presented on how to control Flash with the Wii Remote. Great meeting! Here are the meeting minutes and links from last night. We covered a lot of, so if you missed the meeting, definitely check out the minutes.

http://groups.adobe.com/posts/3be5ac0369#minutes

From our friends over at O'Reilly:

Hi there,

If you've used our popular programming Cookbooks, you know just how useful they can be in helping you solve all kinds of programming problems. (And if you haven't used our Cookbooks, check them out on our website. You can download sample recipes by clicking on specific book titles and selecting "Sample Recipes.")

We've received many requests for videos that present the Cookbook recipes step-by-step, so we recently created 4 sample clips that are available online.

Now we're eager to gather your feedback.

All you have to do is watch the sample video and tell us what you think about it. When you complete the survey, we'll automatically enter you into a special drawing.* Three winners will receive the opportunity to select a collection of O'Reilly ebooks valued at up to $200.

*The drawing will be held on August 19, 2009. The winners will be notified via email. If we don't hear back from a winner within 14 days, the prize will be awarded to another survey respondent. Winners will have 90 days to make ebook selections.

For more information, go to training.oreilly.com/videosurvey

Until next time--
Marsee

Just wanted to remind everyone of this year’s FlashPitt in Pittsburgh on October 15 & 16. I and a few CPFUG members went last year, very cool. This year it lasts two days, Day 1 with four half-day workshops, and Day 2 for a full day of sessions running in two tracks. The workshops are separate from the sessions so you can pick and choose what you want. I was thinking it would be cool if a several people were interested, they can all carpool or something. Pittsburgh is only a 3 hour drive from Harrisburg.


Workshops:
Beginning ActionScript 3.0
Flash Video and Flash Media Server
iPhone Development for Flash Developers
Intermediate ActionScript 3.0


Sessions: (More to come)
Flash and Web Standards: Getting Along on the Playground
Creative Interactions: Flash Experiments
Hacking the Newsroom
Brewing Non - PC Flash Experiences
Plays Well with Others
Developing MMOs on the ActionScript Platform

http://www.flashpitt.com

Check out a working demo of Flash on a TV.

http://www.building43.com/videos/2009/06/26/flashy-future-of-tv

Updated meeting minutes from last week's meeting. Thanks for coming out everyone!

http://groups.adobe.com/posts/e299cad750#minutes

Knowing the interests of our members is extremely important for shaping the future of CPFUG.  We're asking everyone to take a quick survey so we know more about you and what you're looking for in in future meetings.

Click here to take the survey.

Thanks a lot everyone.

Thanks to everyone who came out to our June meeting. We previewed Flash Catalyst, Flash Builder, and covered the new Flex 4. Thanks to Adobe we had food, drinks, and some sweet prizes to give away. We also gave away a copy of Creative Suite 4 in our bi-annual software giveaway.

Remember that you can earn entries into our next software giveaway by attending meetings, bringing a friend, and presenting on any topic.

I hope to see everyone at our July meeting.

Just a reminder about our June meeting this Thursday. Don't miss this special Flex and Flash Catalyst event! Come learn about the Flex 4 SDK, Flash Builder 4 and Flash Catalyst.

Pizza, beer, and soda will be provided as well as some other sweet giveaways. We will also raffle off a copy of Creative Suite 4.

Please RSVP if you plan on attending so we have an idea of how much food to get.

http://groups.adobe.com/posts/c3e58b684b

Hope to see you there.