The Future of Flash Builder 4.7 and on

[phonefusionryan]

Simply put.... is there any? Flash Builder 4.7 came out in 2012... 3 years ago.

I see adobe rolling out new versions of AIR but why no concern over the existing Flash Builder bugs or creating new features?

Imagine a Flash Builder where when you add assets to your source folder, you don't have to clean project > close FB > open FB > clean project > pray > compile.

Imagine a Flash Builder where when you replace your swcs, you don't have to clean project > close FB > open FB > clean project > pray > compile.

Imagine a Flash Builder where you could select your Native Android or iOS library files and click "compile ANE".

I'm sure there are many many other wishes for AIR developers but these are a few of mine. I'm also sure the people over at Apache Flex would love an update... seeing as how they've had to have Adobe manually release .jar files to fix known issues (Flex New Project Issue - Flash Builder 4.7).... As far as I know, this is the only ever update from Adobe for Flash Builder 4.7 since release. An update for Adobe Flash Builder would do SOOOO much for inspiring the community about Adobe's faith in it's own superior cross-platform development suite.

I think I would do a backflip if I could get some insight from someone at Adobe about the future of Flash Builder. Chris Campbell or Joseph Labrecque maybe?

[Joseph Labrecque]

I'm hopeful that we will see some small update to Flash Builder - simply to keep up with changes - but do believe the general consensus is that people are using other IDEs like IntelliJ IDEA, FDT, or FlashDevelop for heavy AS3 and Flex work these days.

[phonefusionryan]

Thanks for the reply. Honestly the first time in 3 years I've seen anyone from Adobe even comment on the subject..... Where do you get the general consensus that people are using other IDEs? Is it because of the bugs and lack of updates for Flash Builder?......The main reason I see other people use other IDEs is DIRECTLY because of the bugs/lack of support for Flash Builder.

It would seem to me that the other IDEs that have grown popular utilizing "ADOBE" integrated runtime, would be enough evidence for that "ADOBE" should want to maintain or update it to be the best. I personally am not fond of any of the other IDEs.

I'm not trying to sound negative but hearing this is actually really hurtful for my faith in Adobe. It literally sounds like.... "Because I'm not allowed to directly call our own product dead, I'll say I'm hopeful for updates, but in reality we have lost faith in our own product, and since other IDEs are available and it would cost too much to spend any resources to fix 3 year old bugs...Flash builder is dead".

I will though however take this as an official "Adobe has no plans to ever add any new features for Flash Builder".

[Joseph Labrecque]

I'm not an Adobe employee - just sharing my thoughts on the subject.

I would say that people using different IDEs is definitely because of lack of recent work on Flash Builder. I still use Flash Builder for some projects but use IntelliJ as well. I would prefer that Flash Builder continue improving as a product and have told Adobe such. As I mentioned - I remain hopeful but personally have not heard of any real news in this area.

[chris.campbell]

I'm not part of the Flash Builder team, but I would agree with Joseph's assessment.  Other than potential critical security updates, I don't think we'll see any development for Flash Builder in the foreseeable future.  That said, I've heard very positive comments and feedback on third party IDE's like IntelliJ and FlashDevelop.

Flash Pro CC is a different story.  Lots of work going on there and some great improvements being made.

[phonefusionryan]

Well I think that but about puts an end to the discussion... the ONLY people I ever see talking anything related to AIR (and to my mistake) aren't even part of the Flash Builder team (meaning there isn't one).

So there ya have it folks.... Flash Builder = Dead. So sad... this platform really had so much potential.... time to move on.

[jfreeney]

Before this gets out of hand. Chris, can we get a comment about how the death of a specific IDE does not mean the end of the platform. I am doubling down on AIR in 2015 for a number of reasons (stable cross-platform features,$$$,world class support). It is great to hear so bluntly that I should be making plans to move away from Flash Builder though as this has come up a number of times in the last 6 months. Right now it is all we use so I guess I have a bit of r&d to do. 

[MikeBedar]

If you don't think that the total lack of support for the main IDE indicates a lack of support for the platform in general than you are a lot more "hopeful" than I. Adobe has been in the process of abandoning Flash for a while now - the writing was on the wall but it's kinda faded out a bit now with age.

[jfreeney]

Mike your use of vivid metaphor has inspired me at this late hour.

I apologize in advance for the following rant written at 2am...

IDE != platform

As stated above they are not even from the same team.

Light Hearted Rhetoric:

All technology is in the process of being abandoned, all we can do is use it while it is of value to us. The real question is not if it will be abandoned, but when will it be abandoned. I am betting big it is not 2015 based on the huge investment in support process and features(64 bit, new compiler, continual rapid bug fixing). So instead of worrying about rain while the sky is blue, instead just enjoy the sunshine

Flash can be used to make awesome stuff today so I use it today. I never used Flash because I thought the majority of people would be using it in the future. Instead I basically banked on it being a niche market. Maybe trying to be in the business of competing for developers love with an IDE was detracting from their ability to meet the needs of the platforms community. To me it seems like a sound business decision given the strong competition.

Humorous Prediction:

A cold day in February 2016 - Facebook pushes an api change that results in iOS9 requiring all apps to now support mental controls schemes for devices weighing less than a Swingline Stapler. Flash Builder can no longer cope with stress of debugging mental controls across a telepathic link. Adobe declares one of the other IDEs the official IDE of Flash, starts funding a new open source project, and life carries on.

Thread Hijack:

However, now that Flash Builder is on the way out I have no idea how they are going to fund Flash other than indirectly through Flash Pro? Maybe Creative Cloud has given the proper amount of overspray?

I truly think we have them in a catch 22. They have no way of monetizing Flash directly. They are stuck losing users if they try to fund improvements(premium features) or losing users if they don't implement improvements fast enough(Flash is dead whiner babies). I wish they would put out a bucket so we could all just start filling it with money. I owe my professional career to this amazing technology and so do many of you. Without the rich web of yesteryear to inspire this new generation of more streamlined standard technologies the reality of a website/mobile app/interactive anything would be much different. I personally want Adobe to do it again for wearables, ambient computing, VR, AR, and the thing ridden internets - they can take the risks that "standards" can not. We blame many outside sources for killing Flash but they are not killing it we are letting it die. Don't further the erosion just to pander to the crowd. #paybackflash2015

Chris please send an invoice to hello@yeticgi.com line item "facilitating Josh's livelihood" just fill in whatever amount you think is fair and I will pay it. I and all the other folks who have enjoyed such prosperity from your efforts truly are grateful and you are not wasting your time. Continue doing whatever you think is best.

Serious Side Note:

FDT looks awesome - has anybody used it? Is it worth the cost?

[chris.campbell]

Joshua Freeney wrote:

Before this gets out of hand. Chris, can we get a comment about how the death of a specific IDE does not mean the end of the platform. I am doubling down on AIR in 2015 for a number of reasons (stable cross-platform features,$$$,world class support). It is great to hear so bluntly that I should be making plans to move away from Flash Builder though as this has come up a number of times in the last 6 months. Right now it is all we use so I guess I have a bit of r&d to do.

In my mind, our platform is the Runtime (Flash Player and AIR SDK/Runtime).  I can assure you that our team has been working non stop.  Since the last Flash Builder release (which Google tells me was back in December of 2013?), we've had 24 official AIR SDK releases and probably 2-3 times that in beta releases.  I'm guessing we've had 30+ releases of Flash Player in that same time period.  We have no plans on slowing down.

I know that Flash Pro CC is also hard at work and have made significant improvements in their releases in 2014.

[jfreeney]

Thank You!

[SwiftDeveloper]

Please, return Design View and step up ANE, that feature have an extended future on Desktop, Mobile and other devices maybe Arduino (exist videos on You Tube, experiments...), I have seen developers ask supports for Raspberry PI on Google or Forums (future trend for developers) IMHO, the Power of AIR is Graphical Elements and BackEnd Communication (ANE, Remote Object, Web Service) so it becomes more customizable and flexible UI not static, hard and boring components like Java, .NET, Silverlight (nasty copy). Long Life Flash Builder, long life AIR.

Mauro
A Flash RIAs & AIR Desktop/Mobile Developer

[NilsTT]

Well Google can also tell you that since 2013 (and probably even before that) the most requested feature for adobe air has been Windows phone (first 7, than 8, now 10). Tip: google for the 'adobe bug base'

So in this case: Deaht of IDE == Deatho of PLATFORM

[ozmachine]

I use Flash Builder daily. I have tried others (mainly FlashDevelop), but I like the features of Flash Builder. If anyone can tell me if a more modern IDE can do these things better than Flash Builder:

• Re-factor (rename vars) across all projects hosted within IDE. Flash Builder does this easily.
• Auto-sense the public properties/methods of class your are working with.
• Easily create Workers. You just right-click on a class in FB to define as a Worker. FB handles the rest.
• Simplify the App signing and compilation process. I know Flash can do this as well as FB.
• Test/debug on target devices. Simple setup process to detect and test on iPhone/Android?
• Easily define ADL simulator devices (all those screen sizes, etc).

I sort of like FlashDevelop, but it usually takes a lot more steps to match Flash Builder. Is IntelliJ a better option?

[phonefusionryan]

This and more is exactly why I use Flash Builder daily. It's just so heartbreaking to officially hear there is no future for it. I would instantly switch to different IDE if I felt it had to same capabilities. maybe someone can enlighten me.

[MigsFR]

I still work with Flash Builder 4.6 on a regular basis with 4.6 sdk. Yes I know it's like the ice age of Flex! Trust me I really wish I could use and benefit from the newer sdks such as 4.11 but I just can't accept to not have the Visual Editor anymore. The reason why I use Flex is mostly because I can put together a complex web app very fast and the Visual Editor is a major contributor to the speed of development. I could of course make a point of not using it but just the thought of having to run the application and navigate through the app just to check if my button is not 1px shifted revolts me. What a waste of time! I might as well embrace the HTML crap and it's awful CSS/javascript browser compatibility issues, its messy javascript language and the multiple framework created as attempts to make it bearable.

So basically I tend to evolve the framework on my own by fixing bugs on some components or creating components myself and in the end it works because the base is good. I can admit that Flash/Flex is not the most suited solution for mobile devices but I still strongly believe that not only it still has its place on the desktop field but it's also still much better than HTML5 on so many levels. Desktop web apps are not dead, there are so many use-cases where a mobile device is still so inconvenient to use... So why kill Flex in general just because of the rise of mobile and HTML5?? It's a bit like saying that we are going to stop building cars because bicycles are getting trendy. They are lightweight, don't consume any gaz etc. but they are nowhere close to what a car can do, it's just 2 different use-cases. Dropping Flash Builder was such a mistake and I do hope Adobe will realize this some day (although I'm not too hopeful...). In the meantime I will keep using FB 4.6 and it's related sdk until the web finally evolves and can propose an alternate solution to the current HTML non sense (I'll probably die before that...).

I'm not going to forget that backstab soon...

[SwiftDeveloper]

I am still work with Flash Builder 4.6 too but I was sniffing some forums and I have updated it to SDK AIR 4.0 - Flash 12

Totally agree with you, help so much visual design.
Rebirth Flash, if you enhanced the web in the past. I think so now should maximize more!
overcome more to HTML 5...

[phonefusionryan]

Well even though it seems there will be no more updates to Flash Builder for me... you on the other hand can at least upgrade to Flash Builder 4.7!!!

[MigsFR]

Nope, I can't even upgrade to FB 4.7 because if I do, I will loose the Visual Editor since it has been removed from this version... I'm stuck with 4.6...

[phonefusionryan]

Yikes I was unaware of that. I guess I hadn't noticed cause I never really used the visual editor just did the manual mxml code.

Either way I did a little research and found this: SapphireSteel Software: Amethyst 2 Product Page

Obviously this thread is about Flash Builder's Future  and having yet another IDE option just stirs the pot.... but people have bills to pay.

[easypzmaths]

I am using Flash Builder 4.7, after having done other things for a while. It's great to use. I really wish they would take my money and keep working on it. That's it.

John

[Guest]

Currently I am in the process of convincing my client, to port app developed on older version of flex to some other platform, instead of new version of Flex. I once enjoyed working on this technology,believed that it has great potential. But now, since it is quiet clear that Flex is not a future proof technology, it is already dead, why invest on it? The clear sign of death of Flash/Flex is that Adobe lost faith in it. It has stopped investing in it. Better donate Flash Builder to Apache, they may be able to save it, by updating it. Complete silence from Adobe on Flash builder is frustrating.

[ozmachine]

At the end of the day, Flash Builder 4.7 just works for me. I've tried other things, but they're either too complex, or lack the features of Eclipse that I like.  FDT looks ok, but is expensive.

Meanwhile, I haven't had many problems with FB. I realize it has issues under OS X 10.10 (which is why I'm on 10.9), but under Windows 8, where I do most of my work, it's fine.

Maybe once Adobe goes with the "3.3 billion AIR installs" line of thinking in its product development, they could infuse some fresh energy into FB (whatever that would be).

[MikeBedar]

Even if Adobe got FlashBuilder updated to use the latest version of Eclipse it would be a huge improvement. The Eclipse that ships with FB is 3.7.1 ... I believe that the latest version is 4.4.2. If that doesn't seem like a big difference, note that Eclipse 3.8 was released in 2012.

[hferreira.80@gmail.com]

Just to give my opinion and also give some light to someone, I used Flash Builder since version 3 to 4.7 (this one since day 1 until about a month ago).

Because of lack for precious time to investigate another IDE, I never switched to another but after YEARS without any single update, delays from IDE because the projects became bigger and complex, a few crashs here and there and for last but not least, a clear decision from Adobe that we will not recieve any new update (read the lines), I decide to try for good other possibilities and I choosed IntelliJ (other possibilities must be payed as a service or was not multiplatform, etc ...)

I needed a whole week on trial with IntelliJ.

The only think that I couldn't use on IntelliJ was to build for Android with x86 (fixed on last build of IDE).

The IDE is far from perfect and seems that flash_flex is the less updated module but the standard (comum) is intensively updated and guess what: there is someone that responde your question in 1 or 2 business days.

Even from miracle, Adobe decide to release FB 4.8 or even FB 5.0, would be very hard to go back.