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EnglishWhich Platforms Can Apache Flex Applications Target?
Updated
Apache Flex applications can target browsers, desktops, and mobile devices, but the browser path has a hard constraint: Adobe Flash Player support in browsers ended at the end of 2020, and Adobe along with Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge announced they would no longer support the Flash Player runtime. If you need to output content to the browser today, the Apache Flex site points to its sister project, Apache Royale, which lets you keep using ActionScript while outputting native JavaScript and HTML. Desktop and mobile output through the Adobe AIR runtime provided by Harman is still supported.
Platform Targets at a Glance
| Target | Runtime / Technology | Current Status per Apache Flex Site |
|---|---|---|
| Browsers | Adobe Flash Player and JavaScript | Flash Player browser support ended at the end of 2020; use Apache Royale for browser output |
| Desktop | Adobe AIR (provided by Harman) | Still supported |
| Mobile | Adobe AIR | Still supported; targets iOS devices, Android smartphones and tablets, and BlackBerry Playbook |
Browser
The original Flex value proposition was building expressive web applications that run in all browsers via Flash Player, with JavaScript also part of the described approach. That path is effectively closed for new browser-facing work because the major browser vendors dropped the Flash Player runtime. The site's own guidance is to check out Apache Royale if browser output is the goal.
Desktop
Flex desktop applications rely on the Adobe Integrated Runtime (Adobe AIR). The site states that Flex output to desktop platforms through the Harman-provided AIR runtime is still supported, so desktop remains a viable target.
Mobile
Flex supports cross-platform mobile applications through Adobe AIR, with the site naming Apple iPods, iPhones, iPads, Android-based smartphones and tablets, and BlackBerry Playbook devices as targets. As with desktop, this depends on the AIR runtime rather than the browser Flash plugin.
What This Means for Choosing a Target
- If you need browser delivery: plan on Apache Royale rather than the Flash Player path, since browser Flash support has ended.
- If you need desktop or mobile apps: Apache Flex with Adobe AIR remains an option the project describes as supported.
- If you are maintaining an existing Flex app: the platform decision hinges on where it runs — AIR-based desktop and mobile deployments are unaffected by the browser plugin shutdown, while browser deployments need a migration path.
Practical Check Before You Commit
Confirm the runtime your deployment actually uses. A Flex application packaged for Adobe AIR is a different delivery mechanism from one that expected a browser Flash plugin, and only the latter is affected by the end of browser Flash Player support. The Apache Flex download page lists the Flex SDK Installer for application developers, SDK source and binaries for SDK developers, FlexJS beta, FlexUnit, Blaze DS source, Tour De Flex source, Squiggly Spell Checker, and Flex Utilities, plus previous versions — useful if you are setting up a toolchain for a specific target.
Flex itself is open-source under the Apache License, version 2.0, and is backed by the Apache Community for updates and support, so licensing is not a barrier to targeting any of these platforms.