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Hey Adobe:Cross compile Objective C to run on Flash Player

29 points by arpit 17y ago

gte910h 17y ago
Compatability layers specifically forbidden...
- arpit 17y ago
  But it wont be a compatibility layer, it would be no different than using a third party Objective C library. Apple cant really mandate all code for an app be written by the developer team itself. Basically its all Objective C code and some Adobe tool cross compiles it to bytecode that the Flash Player can play
  - benologist 17y ago
    It still has to be "originally written" in x.
    - avdempsey 17y ago
      No...you originally write in Objective-C, using an Objective-C framework designed to make cross-compiling to Flash bytecode easier. I think Apple would be a-ok with its competing platforms getting filled with ported apps. You'll still need to program in Objective-C though, and it's hard to see what advantage Adobe's existing apps would bring to Objective-C development.
      - MichaelGG 17y ago
        It's pretty simple for Apple to get around. They can wait until someone does something like this, and then go update their agreement to say cross-platform ui toolkits are not allowed to be used.
  - gte910h 17y ago
    Let's go to what the actual text is: >3.3.1 — Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs. Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine, and only code written in C, C++, and Objective-C may compile and directly link against the Documented APIs (e.g., Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited). For the purpose of your post, the important sentence in all that is: Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited So nee, your solution of a Objective C library written for android would be a compatibility layer, and therefore is forbidden.
daeken 17y ago
"You need the Flash IDE to cross compile to ActionScript bytecode so your market is secured again." No, no you don't. Adobe and many others have free AS compilers. Not to mention that this would require implementing a ton of APIs. It could work, but there's no way Adobe would go for this, or be able to keep up with Apple's development. Edit: Missed the 'cross' part of the original statement. However, ignoring the first two sentences of my comment, the rest still stands.
watty 17y ago
This would require some major development time and give devs another reason to work on the iPhone. IMO, they would be better off devoting the time in solidifying Flash 10.1 mobile and compatibility across non-iPhone devices.
wallflower 17y ago
Adobe's target audience is people who don't want to program in Objective C. By writing a mega .lib to allow cross-compilation, you're not reaching those customers. I really think there are not that many iPhone developers who want to port their code automatically to Flash. Having worked with both Flash and Cocoa/Objective C, I believe this idea would be near impossible to execute - the platforms are so dissimilar. I start to get a headache just thinking how you would translate Cocoa to ActionScript 3/The Stage.
- arpit 17y ago
  They have already done a bit of work in this department with the whole Alchemy project: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/alchemy/ http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/alchemy/
  - wallflower 17y ago
    Interesting. Even though it is just translation of pure server-oriented code, it is a nice start. Of course, I can make the argument that if they can write a program that translates one platform to another - they should go after the holy grail of game development - write once, perform spectacularly anywhere - and make hundreds of millions.

29 points by arpit 17y ago

gte910h 17y ago

Compatability layers specifically forbidden...

arpit 17y ago
But it wont be a compatibility layer, it would be no different than using a third party Objective C library. Apple cant really mandate all code for an app be written by the developer team itself. Basically its all Objective C code and some Adobe tool cross compiles it to bytecode that the Flash Player can play
- benologist 17y ago
  It still has to be "originally written" in x.
  - avdempsey 17y ago
    No...you originally write in Objective-C, using an Objective-C framework designed to make cross-compiling to Flash bytecode easier. I think Apple would be a-ok with its competing platforms getting filled with ported apps. You'll still need to program in Objective-C though, and it's hard to see what advantage Adobe's existing apps would bring to Objective-C development.
    - MichaelGG 17y ago
      It's pretty simple for Apple to get around. They can wait until someone does something like this, and then go update their agreement to say cross-platform ui toolkits are not allowed to be used.
- gte910h 17y ago
  Let's go to what the actual text is: >3.3.1 — Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs. Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine, and only code written in C, C++, and Objective-C may compile and directly link against the Documented APIs (e.g., Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited). For the purpose of your post, the important sentence in all that is: Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited So nee, your solution of a Objective C library written for android would be a compatibility layer, and therefore is forbidden.

daeken 17y ago

"You need the Flash IDE to cross compile to ActionScript bytecode so your market is secured again." No, no you don't. Adobe and many others have free AS compilers. Not to mention that this would require implementing a ton of APIs. It could work, but there's no way Adobe would go for this, or be able to keep up with Apple's development. Edit: Missed the 'cross' part of the original statement. However, ignoring the first two sentences of my comment, the rest still stands.

watty 17y ago

This would require some major development time and give devs another reason to work on the iPhone. IMO, they would be better off devoting the time in solidifying Flash 10.1 mobile and compatibility across non-iPhone devices.

wallflower 17y ago

Adobe's target audience is people who don't want to program in Objective C. By writing a mega .lib to allow cross-compilation, you're not reaching those customers. I really think there are not that many iPhone developers who want to port their code automatically to Flash. Having worked with both Flash and Cocoa/Objective C, I believe this idea would be near impossible to execute - the platforms are so dissimilar. I start to get a headache just thinking how you would translate Cocoa to ActionScript 3/The Stage.

arpit 17y ago
They have already done a bit of work in this department with the whole Alchemy project: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/alchemy/ http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/alchemy/
- wallflower 17y ago
  Interesting. Even though it is just translation of pure server-oriented code, it is a nice start. Of course, I can make the argument that if they can write a program that translates one platform to another - they should go after the holy grail of game development - write once, perform spectacularly anywhere - and make hundreds of millions.