Will a future release of Apache Flex support cross-compiling MXML & ActionScript to JavaScript?

2
votes

In early September, Adobe donated the source code for the next generation ActionScript compiler code-named "Falcon" to the Apache Flex project.

Next to the ActionScript to SWF bytecode compiler, Adobe developed a prototype of an ActionScript to JavaScript cross-compiler called FalconJS.

In December 2011, Adobe held an Open Discussion on Falcon and FalconJS, and it sounded like the FalconJS will be donated to Apache Flex as well, with a target date of Q4/2012.

Will there be future version of Apache Flex integrating the FalconJS component, enabling the cross-compilation of existing MXML applications to JavaScript/HTML5?

The demos shown at the Adobe event in December 2011 look very simple, and it seems that not all features of Flash can be reproduced in JavaScript/HTML5.

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javascriptactionscript-3apache-flexcross-compilingmxml
Your guess is as good as ours. – paxdiablo

1 Answers

4
votes

You are asking two questions here.

  1. Will there be cross-compilation support in a future release of Apache Flex?
    Only, if the community members and project committers start working on it. As far as know, Adobe doesn't have any plans to continue working on FalconJS. FalconJS is not finished product, but probably more like a proof-of-concept showing that it's technically possible to cross-compile ActionScript to JavaScript.
    As an Apache Software Foundation project Apache Flex does not provide a roadmap with features, but you are welcome to join the project and contribute to FalconJS.
  2. Is it technically possible to do cross-compilation of Flex 3.x or 4.x applications?
    Based on my experience with OpenLaszlo cross-compilation feature (have used the technology for 8 years, worked for Laszlo and as a committer on the open source project) I'd say that the current Flex components are too heavyweight to effectively cross-compile existing (ActionScript based) components to JavaScript.
    With an optimized component set (some foundation classes and a runtime specific kernel) it would be possible to utilize the Falcon compiler for cross-compilation, and the applications should be performant at least on desktops and dual-core smartphones/tablets. But it would be a considerable amount of work to create such a feature, definitely not something you would see happening within the next 12 months.