Facebook, Adobe Team On Support For FlashFacebook, Adobe Team On Support For Flash

Facebook and Adobe have teamed up to give developers access to open source support for building new rich social applications.

The two companies announced Tuesday that they had joined forces to make it easier for developers to use Flash technology. The launch coincides with the Web 2.0 Expo in San Francisco, which runs through Friday.

Both companies got together last fall after Facebook reviewed support for ActionScript and found that none of its client libraries was complete and fully updated. The companies worked together to take Jason Crist's open source version and revamp it for all Facebook APIs. They added features to improve support for authentication for Facebook Platform and Facebook Connect.

Adobe's new ActionScript 3.0 client library now gives developers using Flash for Facebook the ability to integrate Flash with Facebook's APIs. The ActionScript 3.0 Client Library for Facebook Platform is among four of Facebook's officially supported client libraries. The others are PHP, JavaScript, and iPhone.

Twelve of Facebook's top 20 applications already use Flash, including Texas HoldEm Poker, which boasts 11 million monthly users. Elman said the new platform provides an easier "get-started toolkit."

Facebook senior platform manager Josh Elman said that now Facebook's developers can build rich online applications for video, audio, and games and make them "deeply social." In other words, users' friends can see right away when they're enjoying a video, a song, or a game and engage in real-time interactions.

The platform is free and open to independent developers. It's available for download immediately. Adobe's Developer Connection provides the most complete set of materials and samples, Elman said.

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