Hope this isn't politically inappropriate here;-) 1. Flash is dying as a browser plugin, but otherwise still alive, especially with compilation of Actionscript to native code [2,3].
2. Adobe has been growing support for HTML/Javascript options. 3. Actionscript is based on an old ES draft standard that failed to reach consensus, partly because its changes were considered too much at once. [my impression - I don't have a reference] 4. Lots of Actionscript developers find themselves having to grow accustomed to the world of HTML/Javascript One consequence of 4 are blog posts about "Javascript technology X, for Flash developers". When I read such blog posts (eg, [1], with side-by-side comparisons of AS and JS code), I get the feeling that the transition would be much easier from AS3 to ES6, where things like modules and minimal classes exist. There is an opportunity here, if those parts of the standard are sufficiently stable to recommend transpiling (until real ES6 implementations come along). One consequence of 3 is that there should be a vibrant community of AS developers who have practical experience with features similar to those considered for ES6, in a Javascript-like language. Yet I do not see any experience reports or spec feedback based on that here on this list. Wouldn't it be very helpful to invite such input? I don't expect Actionscript developers want to lose any of their language features, but there might be profit (for both AS and ES developers) if Adobe could try to align AS4 to ES6 so that the common language subsets have common syntax and semantics. Such a hypothetical AS4 would be a typed version of ES6, making it easier for Adobe's tools to support both, and making it easier for developers to use or maintain either. Are there any Adobe folks listening here? Does anyone have the contacts to raise the question with them? Do you agree that there is potential for useful exchange of information and joining of efforts if the wall between AS and ES could be lowered? And no, I'm not a Flash/Actionscript developer. I just keep encountering cross-references, and thought I'd bring up the topic. Claus http://clausreinke.github.com/ [1] http://jessewarden.com/2012/08/backbone-js-for-flash-and-flex-developers.html [2] http://www.mikechambers.com/blog/2011/11/11/clarifications-on-flash-player-for-mobile-browsers-the-flash-platform-and-the-future-of-flash/ [3] http://blogs.adobe.com/conversations/2011/11/flash-focus.html _______________________________________________ es-discuss mailing list [email protected] https://mail.mozilla.org/listinfo/es-discuss
