Over the last five years, much has been written about Adobe Flash and its role in web development and its viability on the desktop, on mobile and beyond.
Just as interesting as Flash's future is looking back at its past. In just short of 20 years, Flash has evolved from a sketching program for pen computers to a framework for building interactivity into the web to a conduit for allowing video playback into its current role as a platform that supports the next generation of interactive web tools, including HTML5.
Flash in the Future
Flash has always existed in two forms. There is Flash Player – which is how end users interact with content on a web page (or in an app) and then there is Flash Professional, the software that creators use to create Flash elements.
Over the last two years, Adobe has started to transition Flash away from its more traditional ActionScript roots with more of a focus on cross-platform and mobile development, including support for HTML5.
Moreover, Flash is still heavily used in animation (including TV shows such as Squidbillies), interactive games and for interactions still not available in HTML5.
Video, however, has increasingly become more HTML5 and mobile-aware – with Adobe's own Flash player compatible with becoming an HTML5 wrapper on devices that don't support the Flash plugin.
Just as interesting as Flash's future is looking back at its past. In just short of 20 years, Flash has evolved from a sketching program for pen computers to a framework for building interactivity into the web to a conduit for allowing video playback into its current role as a platform that supports the next generation of interactive web tools, including HTML5.
Flash in the Future
Flash has always existed in two forms. There is Flash Player – which is how end users interact with content on a web page (or in an app) and then there is Flash Professional, the software that creators use to create Flash elements.
Over the last two years, Adobe has started to transition Flash away from its more traditional ActionScript roots with more of a focus on cross-platform and mobile development, including support for HTML5.
Moreover, Flash is still heavily used in animation (including TV shows such as Squidbillies), interactive games and for interactions still not available in HTML5.
Video, however, has increasingly become more HTML5 and mobile-aware – with Adobe's own Flash player compatible with becoming an HTML5 wrapper on devices that don't support the Flash plugin.
