OpenLaszlo: Free Flash!

[Kaurotu]

I, like most people, don't have nearly $1000 just to drop on a application for web development. But, I love Flash. It's just too stinking expensive.

Recently, Linux Magazine featured OpenLaszlo. It's an open source framework for developing interactive web pages similar to Flash's. They look as good too. OL's language, called LZX, looks like XML but has Javascript functions for adding client-side logic. Plus, it's Object-Oriented.

I think the best feature is the capability to compile to SWF files so anybody running Flash 6 Player or better can view your web pages.

This is worth checking out. They have great demos too. OpenLaszlo

 

[GulfVetSAF]

Just a note; I posted a thread today asking about mac compatible web development. I've been using frontpage and microsoft expression for 12 years and this is one area I wanted to make the switch (one less MS product as well as all the other reasons). Thanks for posting this.

Scott

 

[Kaurotu]

Yeah no problem.

Quick side note: The development cycle for OpenLaszlo is quite different and more difficult than just clicking a button. Please read up on the documentation before attempting to compile anything if you decide to use this. It took me a little tinkering to get my first application compiled, but it's easy once you do it for yourself.

 

[MacPeterBristol]

to speed up the download proces, when they ask for name tellynumber don't fill anything in just hit submit

 

[Kaurotu]

Yeah it's unnecessary to provide your information. It's only an option if you want to send them a comment.

 

[rdean]

I, like most people, don't have nearly $1000 just to drop on a application for web development. But, I love Flash. It's just too stinking expensive.

Recently, Linux Magazine featured OpenLaszlo. It's an open source framework for developing interactive web pages similar to Flash's. They look as good too. OL's language, called LZX, looks like XML but has Javascript functions for adding client-side logic. Plus, it's Object-Oriented.

I think the best feature is the capability to compile to SWF files so anybody running Flash 6 Player or better can view your web pages.

This is worth checking out. They have great demos too. OpenLaszlo

I tried this a few years ago and loved it, but the IDE support through Eclipse was awful and it just got to be to painful to do that type of development thru command line. Is there an decent IDE plugin for Laszlo? I know I can check, but I was curious was your experience or anyone else who may be using Laslo's is? I also heard that Adobe might be Open Souring there development tool and no just the SDK. Which would be nice also.

-Richard

 

[Kaurotu]

The only IDE I've seen for OpenLaszlo is the IDE plug-in Eclipse you were talking about. But I think they've stopped developing that. I personally don't use an IDE. I just use TextWrangler to edit my LZX files and then I navigate to the file with the OL Server and then it compiles my app to SWF into the directory.

It's a weird development cycle, but it works for now.