We’re open!

So big news: the Flex SDK is going open source! I won’t reiterate a lot of information because other blogs will do a better job of it. Rather I thought I’d mention that this isn’t just the framework that’s being opened up. MXMLC (the MXML compiler), ASC (the ActionScript 3 compiler) and the debugger are all being opened as well.

So this might not be immediately obvious, but Flex Builder uses MXMLC for MXML compilation and the debugger for, well, debugging. In the current state of the world third-parties can’t use these technologies in their own tools, limiting the chances of a viable Flex Builder alternative. Honestly, you just don’t have a true IDE without an integrated compiler and debugger…it’s just not useful for serious development. But with MXMLC and the debugger soon to be available under the MPL, other open source ActionScript 3 or Flex IDEs can finally integrate a compiler and debugger. This means more competition for us and personally, I love competition. And it can only help the Flex community: other IDEs mean more people using Flex, and more IDEs keep the Flex Builder team on its toes.

Anyway, I’m excited! Look for the public bugbase and daily builds soon, with more infrastructure going live as we get closer to the end of the year.