A practical new Flash framework?

Gaia Flash Framework

I just read a blog post and watched a screencast about a new Flash framework called Gaia and I like most of what I saw.

For one thing, it uses SWFObject and SWFAddress and thus forces developers to use good practices when embedding their Flash applications (via progressive enhancement) and makes sure that applications support deep linking (thereby visibly disproving a popular myth that just refuses to die).

Flex Builder and the Flash IDE can learn a lot from Gaia when it comes to supporting good practices. Both Flex Builder and the Flash IDE should use SWFObject and SWFAddress and it baffles me why they do not to this day.

Their site states that the Gaia framework is available in both AS2 and AS3. I did see some timeline code (AS2) in the screencast that made me cringe a little but I haven't had a chance to play with it myself (give a guy a break, it's almost midnight!) I assume that the AS3 version uses the document class and code behind.

From what I've seen, Gaia looks like a very pragmatic front-end framework for Flash developers. I plan on looking at it in more depth when I get a moment and I suggest that you do the same.

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