Mobile Computing | News

Flash Builder Adds iOS, BlackBerry Support

• By David Nagel
• 06/20/11

Adobe has released updates to its Flash Builder 4.5 and Flex 4.5 development tools, adding support for Apple iOS-based devices (iPhone, iPod, iPad) and BlackBerry PlayBook.

Adobe Flash Builder, part of the Creative Suite 5.5 Web Premium bundle, is a development tool for building apps for mobile devices and the Web and for creating software for desktops. Based on the Eclipse Foundation's Eclipse IDE, it includes a range of coding tools and templates for creating ActionScript applications.

The open source Flex 4.5 framework lets developers build apps that run on a range of desktop, Web, and mobile platforms, including iOS devices, Android devices, and BlackBerry tablets. It also includes new mobile support for ActionScript and HTML5 emulation for testing HTML5.

According to an Adobe blog post today, mobile platform support has been expanded beyond the initial support for Android devices to include iOS and BlackBerry PlayBook, allowing developers to create apps for all of the major smart phone and tablet platforms with a single codebase and programming language.

Further details can be found on Adobe's Flash platform blog or on the Flash Builder or Flex pages.

About the Author

David Nagel is editorial director, education for 1105 Media's Public Sector Media Group and editor-in-chief of THE Journal. A 22-year publishing veteran, Nagel has led or contributed to dozens of technology, art and business publications.

He can be reached at dnagel@1105media.com. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn at or follow him on Twitter at @THEJournalDave (K-12) or @CampusTechDave (higher education).