Adobe is preparing to sue Apple over a recent anti-competitive decision on the iPhone OS4 platform to block cross-compilers.
A cross-compiler makes it possible for software developers to create programs using one platform, say Adobe Flash, and then run a program which enables it to be used on a different platform, say Apple’s iPhone.
A recent change in the license agreement for the iPhone states that applications must be written in Objectiv-C, Apple’s workhorse development language of choice.
Adobe released Flash CS5 yesterday, and included functionality to compile applications as a standalone iPhone application. This function has now been rendered illegal by Apple’s licensing change.