Tag Archives: Flex Builder

What should be the new name for Flash Authoring Tool…

May 20, 2009 burakk

I hated the Flash Builder name change and found it totally wrong, it turns out some of my reasoning was caused by different understanding of what Flash and Flash Platform means. I've updated my definitions in my previous post, but my concerns about increased confusion are still valid.

If Flash Builder name is indeed to clear up confusion, logical next step is renaming Flash authoring tool, AKA Flash Professional or Flash IDE (or simply Flash before Flash Builder).

Flash is currently a catch-all name, can refer to a SWF file, Flash Player (AKA Flash Platform in marketing talk), the IDE and more. It's comparatively easy to change the authoring tool name.

Other tools by Adobe, that start with 'Adobe Flash', does not end there. Sure, now current usage is becoming 'Flash Professional' but this also creates its own problems (see below) and it sounds like it's part of the version, not the actual product name.

Flash Professional is the premiere tool for creating Flash content. The day it's gone, will be the day sealing certain death for future of Flash. It's more than an animation tool, or a designer tool. It's a complete development tool, which also appeals to designers. Some Flex/Flash Builder users don't get this. I can understand them, they just don't know what Flash Professional is and so they cannot appreciate it.

I think, in all fairness, Flash Professional is still a good name, which needs no change. But Flash Builder users, who think they are the professional users and the Eclipse plug-in is the professional tool, don't like how 'Flash Professional' sounds more 'professional' and above 'Flash Builder'. So, something must be done, sooner or later.

Suggestions coming from Flash Builder users like 'Flash Designer' and 'Flash Animator' are IMHO quite unacceptable. 'Flash Studio' might have been a good name but it's sure to cause more confusion as initial expectation will be that 'Studio' includes 'Builder'.

The new name, should not be unfair to the tool and it should not sound more professional than Flash Builder. It should not be too different from what it is today. Tough job.

But I think I have a good suggestion, something only Adobe can do:

Adobe Flashshop

That's it. Everybody knows Photoshop and this name IMHO fits like a glove and has a good vibe. What do you think?

Flash Also tagged , , 6 Comments

Why I don’t think Flash Builder is a good name…

May 17, 2009 burakk

A man applies to court to legally change his name. Judge asks "What's your current name?", man replies "John Shit". Judge says "I see why you want the change. What would you like your new name to be?". Man says "James"…

I admit there was some confusion because "Flex Builder" could actually build more than Flex Framework based work etc. I admit another name be it "Flash Builder" or "XYZ" will help cut this confusion.

But the name "Flash" already means many things to many different people. Confusion around the word "Flash" is probably more deep than any Flex related confusion.

What is Flash? To me it's still the Flash authoring tool. For some it's the Flash Player. For too many people it's 'a SWF file'. Does anyone take 'Flash' as 'Flash Platform'? I don't think more than a few if any, you need to explicitly refer to it as 'Flash Platform'.

So is 'Flash' a 'platform'? Has 'Flash' become a 'platform'? I'd say 'yes' but not in 'words'. Confusion rules. And we are to welcome another member.

There are some catchy words, sometimes software companies use for all their applications, like 'Smart', 'Cute', 'Easy' etc. Then when they release any application they will use the cute name first, as a trade mark, like Smart Editor, Smart DVD Ripper, Smart Doc Shredder… I don't dislike the practice, it's totally fine and we can even do that in the future (if we can find a name not taken). I think this is what 'Flash' is becoming. Not a platform but a cute name, a buzz word you find on (hopefully only) Flash related Adobe applications.

I don't want see the word 'Flash' like this. I want it to refer to the platform.

If you refer to a "SWF file" as "Flash", then the word "Flash" can never mean the platform. This is something I strongly believe. Do you think someone when referring to a "SWF file" as a "Flash file" will ever even unconsciously think he is actually referring to a "Flash Platform file"? Do you ever think of a "GIF platform" when you refer to a GIF file?

'Flash Builder' is a better name than 'Flex Builder' in a sense. But if 'Flash Builder' is building Flash, then Flash is the SWF file, not the platform.

Does anyone remember how Microsoft guidelines urged developers for calling their applications as "XXX for Windows" and not as "Windows XXX"? (I assume they still do). Is it "MS Windows Word" or "MS Word for Windows"? Obviously when Windows was new this made more sense, it was totally normal someone would want to include the name "Windows" in their application name as "Windows XXX"… I hope you get my point.

If 'Flash' was a platform, then the new name should have been 'Builder for Flash', not 'Flash Builder' *.

This would have also caused confusion. Heck, it's still creating confusion if SWF refers to 'Shockwave Flash' or not. Unfortunately, we have to accept that 'some' confusion is here to stay. With correct moves you make it less, with wrong ones you create more.

There are levels of confusion. To the clueless, a guitar (with 6 strings) can look like the same as a bass guitar (with 4 strings) (I have actually seen this happen more than once). You can either call all guitars as 'bass guitars' which will, on the surface look like it has cut the confusion (but will create more in the future). Or you can accept that level of confusion as a fact of life, that cannot be fixed for the clueless at that level (At least you should avoid a move that will create more confusion than it fixes)…

I want to finish with a positive note. It's good that, myself included, now not many people think it's still necessary to avoid the word 'Flash' to make 'Flex, Flex Builder' taken seriously (by people with Java background etc. who may think Flash is 'animation with a skip intro button').

Another positive note: It seems most people, many fellow bloggers I respect, don't agree with me on this one. This means probably I'm wrong and this is a good thing because Adobe won't change the naming policy because I don't agree, Flash Builder name is here to stay. Hopefully, I'm wrong and the name change will be better for the Flash platform.

* I don't think 'Builder for Flash' is a better name, or 'for Flash' use will be better. My point is that you shouldn't use the 'platform' name as a prefix to applications that create content for that platform. If I were to make the decision, probably the next version of Flex Builder would be called 'Adobe RedLight'…

Flash, Flex Also tagged , , 6 Comments

ASV is 9 today…

May 16, 2009 burakk

So I haven’t been posting lately.

I was obviously busy, but main reason was (as I have written before) I didn’t want to sound like trying to sell more copies of ASV using my blog, and I didn’t want to post off-topic, but any on topic useful bits of info I could share was un-shareable. What was left was Adobe press release like news, like the recent Flash CS4 10.0.0.2 update, but I decided I didn’t want that long ago.

Of course, I can always post about hot topics of the day, like recent Flex Builder name change to Flash Builder. Well, I hate it and I think it’s wrong. Adobe is exploiting the ‘Flash’ name and I think it will not help the ‘Flash’ brand or the platform. A totally, absolutely wrong move – will cause lots of confusion in the long run* (so I totally disagree with KP on this one). OK I said it, it won’t change anything (other than maybe some people with strong feelings about this will start not having good thoughts about me).

A few months ago I even did an off-topic test blog to see if I can really post at least daily. I saw that I could.

Anyway…

Today is ASV’s 9th anniversary. I had to post, because I realized if I didn’t, some people might get wrong ideas about us, ASV, ASV’s future etc. We are on pre-release for quite some time now, for various reasons, but we are working and alive just as we always have been (We released last pre-release ASV just 16 days ago with improved SWF 10 and AS3 support). Second of all, I call myself ‘ASV Guy’, so this makes this post appropriate. And 9 years is quite a long time for any product.

I don’t know how often I will post here, hopefully my next post will not be exactly this day next year…

* Unless Adobe is getting ready to ‘phase out’ Flash IDE, the authoring tool, which would be a worse (or probably the worst) move and Lee Brimelow says this is not the case.

MG, Misc. Also tagged , , , 3 Comments

Flex Builder: The IDE for Flex

August 23, 2004 burakk

Macromedia released Flex Builder (formerly code named Brady), the IDE for Flex.

Flex Builder comes bundled with Flex. When you purchase Flex, you receive 5 licenses for Flex Builder.

The net result is that Flex as a product is updated and now the price, considered out of reach by many of us, includes a nice IDE. On top of this, Flex Builder is based on DreamWeaver MX 2004 and has every feature it has, so when you have Flex Builder, you don’t need an extra DreamWeaver license.

See Flex Developer Center for more info and articles. Also don’t miss out Lucian Beebe’s column titled On the Release of Flex Builder.

Flex Also tagged 2 Comments