>From Wikipedia: "*Adobe Flex* is a software development
>kit<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_development_kit>(SDK) released by
>Adobe
Systems <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Systems> for the development and
deployment of cross-platform rich Internet
applications<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Internet_application>based on
the Adobe
Flash <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adobe_Flash> platform."
Adobe Flash Plataform includes web applications (SWF Files) for use on a
browser and standalone projectors (like those on DVDs), Adobe AIR
Applications - full desktop cross-platform applications with database and
access to hardwares and OS resources.
SWF Files use Flash Player to run. AIR Files use AIR Runtime to run.
The languages used to create applications are the Actionscript scripting
language and the MXML markup language. Think that the actionscript is the
javascript to the MXML-HTML (both HTML and MXML are just markup languages).
Both SWF and AIR applications can use actionscript-only applications or or
full actionscript+MXML (FLEX SDK). The Flex SDK as a full set of visual
components ready to use, like datagrids, buttons, lists, etc.
To develop a Flash Applications, we have some tools to choose:
*- Adobe Flash Professional (CS3,4,5....):* Build applications using just
actionscript, not using MXML (So, not using the FLEX SDK). Here you can
create both Flash Player and AIR Runtime applications.
*- Adobe Flash Builder (former Flex Builder - changed the name to avoid
confusion.. too late IMHO):* Build applications using the full set of the
Flex SDK, using actionscript and MXML. Here you can create both Flash Player
and AIR Runtime applications.
- Any JAVA IDE, like Eclipse: Adding the Flex SDK, any JAVA IDE can build
applications for Flash Player and AIR using actionscript and MXML.
So, the Google Maps guys made a API to enable us to create a Official Flash
Google Maps Applications. They made 2 SWC files (Flash Library): one made to
enable us to use in the actionscript only applications (Using Flash
Professional or not) and the other one, made for us to use in the FLEX SDK
applications. If you open the SDK.zip file, you will see in the lib folder 2
files: map_1_20.swc for actionscript only and the map_flex_1_20.swc for Flex
SDK.
All SWF and AIR applications, for desktop or mobile smartphones, are Flash
applications. So, Google Maps API for Flash is a correct name.
I hope that this help you. My boss asked me this question too when we began
to develop Flex Applications ("Flex is Flash or not? our clients will need
to install a different plugin?").
Regards,
Flavio Carmo
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