Based on the amazing Ace editing component, Caret brings professional-strength text editing to Chrome OS. With Caret, you no longer need to install a second OS to get what other platforms take for granted: a serious editor for local files, aimed at working programmers.
: The software provided a library system where users could organize and reuse assets across projects. Pre-built components allowed for rapid development of interactive elements.
And yet, for the cult following, none of that mattered. ADOBE FLASH PROFESSIONAL CS5.5 -thethingy-
Today, you’ll find CS5.5 running on old Mac Minis in indie game studios. It’s used to convert ancient .FLA files from 2008 into sprite sheets. It’s used by Newgrounds veterans to export one last loop. : The software provided a library system where
: Open the Actions window (F9) to add simple code, like stop(); to hold a frame or click events for buttons. Publishing & "Making a Post" Today, you’ll find CS5
Unlike the web player, Adobe AIR (the desktop runtime) still works perfectly on Windows and macOS (with a trick). Using CS5.5, you can build lightweight utilities, point-of-sale kiosk software, or indie RPGs that run offline. The workflow is 10x faster than Electron or React Native. If you need a cross-platform desktop tool fast, -thethingy- is still viable.
: Flash CS5.5 offered a robust set of tools for creating animations and interactive designs. It included a timeline-based interface that allowed users to create frame-by-frame animations, tweening, and motion paths.
: It offered various publishing options, including SWF files for web deployment, as well as export to other formats. The software was particularly popular for creating content for websites, such as banners, cartoons, and simple games.
If you're running Chrome, you can install Caret directly from the Chrome Web Store. You don't need to be logged into a Google account, but some features (like synchronized settings) won't work unless you are.
If you're a little paranoid about installing code from a walled garden (and who could blame you?), or you want to run the very latest version, you can also install Caret directly from this website by saving this file and dragging it onto your Extensions page in Chrome. You'll still get automatic updates on the "beta channel" this way. You can also clone the repo and install it as an "unpacked extension" from the Chrome extensions page, but then you'll have to remember to update on your own.
Like all good developer tools, Caret is 100% open-source under the GPLv2. Visit the GitHub repository to view the code, file bugs, or contribute yourself. Any help is welcome and much appreciated! You can also report bugs via the store support page.
The best way to ensure privacy is not to gather your information in the first place. I have no experience (or interest, honestly) in managing user data, so there is no tracking code built into Caret, and it never sends any of your information over the network. In fact, Caret requests no network access permissions from Chrome, so it's incapable of communicating beyond your local machine even if I wanted it to.
Caret does use Chrome APIs for synchronizing your settings between computers and checking for updates. Synchronized storage is linked to your Google account, encrypted according to your Chrome settings, and does not provide any personally-identifiable information when used. None of that information ever gets back to me.
Caret is written by Thomas Wilburn, with a little help from open-source contributors.
Ace is a project of Cloud9 and Mozilla.
Chrome, of course, is a product of Google through the Chromium Project.
