Adobe Announces “Wallaby”, Converts Flash To HTML5

One of the major features iOS lacks is Adobe Flash support. While Apple had decided to take a completely different path using HTML5, Flash still (for now), dominates internet content.

But that isn’t keeping Adobe away. Late last night, Adobe announced a new prototype software for iOS devices, codenamed, “Wallaby”. “Wallaby” is a new Flash-to-HTML5 conversion tool which doesn’t do much yet. Wallaby currently only converts typical banner ads to HTML5, noted Adobe… 

For example, the tool lacks an ActionScript conversion, which could be used to program inside Flash.

“Wallaby” is the codename for an experimental technology that converts the artwork and animation contained in Adobe® Flash® Professional (FLA) files into HTML. This allows you to reuse and extend the reach of your content to devices that do not support the Flash runtimes. Once these files are converted to HTML, you can edit them with an HTML editing tool, such as Adobe Dreamweaver®, or by hand if desired. You can view the output in one of the supported browsers or on an iOS device.

Please note that not all Flash Professional features are supported in the HTML5 format. The Wallaby Release Notes describe what features are supported, what differences we have already discovered between the various browsers, what device variations have been found, and any currently known issues.

The main goal for “Wallaby” is to enable easy exporting of Flash content (such as ads) to iOS, which doesn’t support Flash. So, at this point in time, we probably won’t see an all-HTML5 Web for a couple of years. But, this is a start!

Check out “Wallaby” in action below:

Let us know your thoughts in the comments!