Flex 4.6 SDK gets last non-Apache release

Adobe has released version 4.6 of the open source Flex SDK and proprietary Flash Builder development environment. This is apparently the last release of the Flash application framework under Adobe's remit; in November, Adobe announced its intention to hand development of Flex over to an open source foundation, later clarifying that it did, in fact, mean the Apache Software Foundation.

The Flex SDK is licensed under the Mozilla Public Licence 1.1, apart from components such as Flash and AIR which Adobe retain under a proprietary licence. How this mixed licensing model will work when the SDK is incubated at Apache is unclear. The incubation proposals for Flex SDK have yet to be released by Adobe for the Apache Software Foundation's approval.

The 4.6 version of the SDK includes a number of new mobile components such as a SplitViewNavigator for Master/Detail views, Callout and CalloutButton for popping up information and selection buttons, SpinnerLists for easier selection from lists, DateSpinners, and a simple swipeable and stylable ToggleButton.

The SDK also offers unified "StageText" native text editing for InputText and TextArea components, dynamic splash screens which adapt to different screen form factors, an improved scroller with selectable paging and the ability to choose between 16- and 32-bit render modes. The Flex SDK is a command line driven SDK; the proprietary Flash Builder offers an Eclipse-based SDK and has added new features such as the ability to call native C, Objective X and Java extensions from AIR, and be able to embed the AIR runtime in the final application.

The Flex SDK is available to download from the Adobe open Source web site.

(djwm)