Mike Chambers, Adobe’s Principal Product Manager for developer relations for the Flash Platform, says in a blog (http://www.mikechambers.com/blog/2010/04/20/on-adobe-flash-cs5-and-iphone-applications/) that Adobe is abandoning its efforts to bring Flash to the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad.
He notes that in Apple’s latest draft of their iPhone OS developer program license that 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).
Chambers says that, essentially, this has the effect of restricting applications built with a number of technologies, including Unity, Titanium, MonoTouch, and Flash CS5. “While it appears that Apple may selectively enforce the terms, it is our belief that Apple will enforce those terms as they apply to content created with Flash CS5,” he says. “Developers should be prepared for Apple to remove existing content and applications (100+ on the store today) created with Flash CS5 from the iTunes store.” Adobe will still be shipping the ability to target the iPhone and iPad in Flash CS5. However, they’re not currently planning any additional investments in that feature.
“To be clear, during the entire development cycle of Flash CS5, the feature complied with Apple’s licensing terms,” Chambers writes. “However, as developers for the iPhone have learned, if you want to develop for the iPhone you have to be prepared for Apple to reject or restrict your development at anytime, and for seemingly any reason.”