Adobe Labs is a testing ground to experience and evaluate new and/or existing products. You're able to download these experimental technologies that Adobe has in the works or give your two cents about the latest release of an existing software. All-in-all...its a great place to download free versions of the next Adobe Tool.

Currently, Adobe Labs is accepting requests for users to take part in Flash CS5 beta testing, codename “Viper”. This release will boast a couple of upgrades that I think will make the Flash environment even better. Here's the listing from the product page:

Applications for iPhone
New text capabilities via the Text Layout Framework (TLF)
XML based FLA files
Code Snippets panel
Flash Builder integration
Improved ActionScript editor

So a couple of these upgrades are not only important for me, but also to the students that take Flash training with us. First, transitioning from AS2 to AS3 can be difficult for those who aren't code savvy. With the addition of the code snippets panel, this will allow designers to have built-in functionality without getting knee deep into the code. Not sure if this is going to be as simple as the old behaviors panel, but it’s a start.

Second, CS5 features an improved Actionscript editor. Oh dang! Its about time that Adobe added code hinting for custom or imported classes, making your development a little less painful. It won't be as robust as Flash Builder(formally known as Flex Builder), but it should aid those who code in the Flash IDE.

Thirdly, during my visit to this year’s Adobe MAX convention, they showcased how the new and improved Text Framework provided InDesign-like capabilities into the Flash environment. With the ability of creating multi-column layouts and threaded text fields, Flash is bridging the gap between print and interactive design. This should be interesting to see how this is actually integrated into the text tool.

What I do hope for this new release of Flash is better stability. Flash CS4 is a great product, but it just doesn't seem to be rock solid on performance. Let’s cross our fingers.