Haxe is a programming language created in 2005 that allows developers to write code once that can target multiple platforms including web, mobile, and desktop. It uses an ECMAScript-like syntax that is easy for JavaScript and ActionScript developers to learn. Haxe code can be compiled to JavaScript, Flash, PHP, C++, and other languages, allowing apps to be deployed cross-platform. The Haxe community is very active and provides tools to help developers target multiple platforms from a single codebase.

1. HAXE
One codebase to rule ‘em all

2. GETTING AQUAINTED
• Created by Nicolas Cannasse (who also created the MTASC-compiler) in
2005
• First Beta released on 2006/02/04
=> only Neko and SWF8 targets available
• 2006/05/01: version 1.0 released
=> JavaScript target added
• Today: version 2.08
=> Neko, SWF8, SWF9, JS, C++, PHP targets available
=> C# and Java targets under heavy development
• Open Source
• Very active and bright community
• Mature and fast compiler

3. LANGUAGE FEATURES
• Multi-platform: write haXe source code and deploy to
=> mobile (Windows Phone, iOS, Android, webOS all using native code)
=> desktop (native code, AIR)
=> server (NekoVM, PHP, NodeJS)
=> web (Flash 6-11/HTML-Canvas-WebGL/JavaScript/PHP)
=> command line (C++, Neko)
• Elegant remoting across all platforms: compiling the same remoting classes
source code to different targets allows for successful and fast
deserialization between different platforms
• Syntax based on ECMAScript: easy switching for AS/JS developers, easy
to learn for new developers or developers coming from other platforms
• Strictly typed: compile-time checking across all targets, even for non-
compiled languages like JS and PHP
• Very fast compiler, blazing-fast serialization.

4. LANGUAGE FEATURES
• Macro’s allow you to write code that executes against your application at
compile-time. This allows for advanced code
generation/customisation/optimization.
• Use conditional compilation to handle different platforms
• Type inference allows for less and more beautiful code
• Function and constants inlining makes fast code faster
• Enrich types and fields with metadata
=> accessible at runtime through the haxe.rtti.Meta API
=> or to be used by the compiler internals at compile-time
• Fantastic Reflection API: using Reflect and Type allows for painless runtime
type-checking and variable instantiation
• Standard libraries work across all client and server targets (Math, Xml,
Date, Http, …)

5. LANGUAGE FEATURES
• Rich Type system
=> Void, Null, Dynamic, untyped (bypass type-checking)
=> Array, List, Hash with native iterators
=> Generics (with optional constraints), Typedefs, Enums
• Function type inference
• Dynamic functions: execute function logic on different data types using the
Dynamic type for parameters and return type
• Local functions: functions that exist as the value of a variable
=> e.g.: var functionVariable : ParamOne [[- > ParamTwo] ...]- >
ReturnValue
;
• Advanced cross-platform debugging with CallStack and ExceptionStack
• Cross-platform logging and tracing

6. LANGUAGE FEATURES
• SPOD Macro’s: Simple Persistent Objects Database Library
=> similar to an ultra-lightweight version of Hibernate
=> write haXe expressions instead of SQL
=> benefit from type-safety
=> supports metadata
• Duck typing using type inference and anonymous types
• Access full target platform API’s
• Interface with existing platform libraries using Extern classes or use haxelib
• Generated code is 100% compatible with existing target platform native
code
• Excellent runtime performance on all target platforms

7. THAT’S COOL!

8. IT COMPENSATES A LITTLE FOR EVERYDAY REALITY FOR MOST OF
US…

9. SO, IS IT ALL GREAT?
Actually: YES! 
BUT:
• Writing cross-platform code is not always easy
• It takes some practice and experience to use it right
• A solid IDE is only available for Windows (FlashDevelop). IDE’s for Mac and
Linux exist, but they are not nearly a match for FD.
• “PR” could be better: not always easy to find what you’re looking for on the
website, most valuable info & help only available through the mailing list
=> BUT, big improvement: community moved to Google Groups last week
• Unknown == often not loved: not always easy to convince your
bosses/clients to move to a little-known platform

10. CROSS-PLATFORM TIPS
Abstract display hierarchy through composition

11. CROSS-PLATFORM TIPS
Encapsulate low-level drawing and styling

12. CROSS-PLATFORM TIPS
Separate domain and presentation layers
=> application logic is universal
=> presentation logic can differ greatly between targets and devices

13. CROSS-PLATFORM TIPS
Implement a device-agnostic UI
=> the number of devices that applications can (and will!) run on increases
very fast

14. CROSS-PLATFORM TIPS

15. CROSS-PLATFORM TIPS

16. CROSS-PLATFORM TIPS

17. CROSS-PLATFORM TIPS
Criticise yourself
• Just because you have the power to do a lot of things doesn’t mean you
always should
• Make sense when writing your code and try to keep it maintainable
• With great power comes great responsability

18. CROSS-PLATFORM TIPS
Get started easily using NME
• NME stands for Neko Media Engine
• It’s an SDL-like wrapper for the haXe and Neko platform
• Abstract away low-level stuff, deal with the funky juice

19. DEMO TIME

20. RESOURCES
Books:
• Professional haXe and Neko (Wrox)
• haXe 2 Beginner’s Guide (Packt Publishing)
Online:
• http://haxe.org (official haXe website)
• http://groups.google.com/group/haxelang (new Google Group)
• http://lists.motion-twin.com/mailman/listinfo/haxe (old mailing list)
• http://www.haxenme.org (official haXe NME website)
• http://www.joshuagranick.com/blog/
Twitter: @haxelang, @ncannasse, @fponticelli, @tarwin, @internetsurfing,
@cwaneck, @brunofonzi, @gamehaxe, @polygonal, @leesylvester

21. MY CONTACT DATA
@sventunus
facebook.com/sventunus
http://be.linkedin.com/in/svendens
sven.dens@gmail.com
sven.dens@thesedays.com

22. THANK YOU
A BIG thank you also goes out to all my friends and fellow-haXe-coders on the
mailinglist for inspiring me and allowing me to use/demo some of their stuff!