Restriction said to be not directly aimed at Adobe

Contrary to early suggestions that Apple's apparent ban on cross-compilers is aimed directly at Adobe's Flash-to-iPhone utility, sources familiar with the company's plans claim the move is actually related to technical requirements for the multitasking functionality in the upcoming iPhone OS 4.0 update, according to AppleInsider.

Speculation was based on a change in Apple's SDK terms, which currently outlines a simple restriction prohibiting developers from using private APIs. The updated section, included as part of the iPhone 4.0 SDK beta, expanded the language language with new details requiring apps to be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript.

The "originally written" wording was interpreted as a ban on cross compilers, such as the Adobe utility that automatically converts Flash-written apps into a format suitable for the iPhone. Similar products include MonoTouch, Unity3D, and PhoneGap.

Sources suggest Apple will be reviewing apps for compatibility with APIs for smart multitasking. The system is said to require software to behave in exactly the same manner as a native C/C++/Obj-C application, which would reportedly cause problems with cross-compiled apps initially written in another code.

Developers will soon have access to Adobe's latest Flash CS5 software. The Flash-to-iPhone tool has been touted as one of the principal features. As Apple has been known to selectively enforce its SDK terms, it is still unclear if the new language truly represents a comprehensive ban on all cross-compilers.

by MacNN Staff