WebProNews

The developers spoke, and Yahoo answered. Support for ActionScript 3 arrived for the Yahoo Maps API today.

At the Yahoo Flash Developer Center, Yahoo took a break from the spate of Microsoft-related takeover news to discuss something nearer to web developer hearts.

Yahoo built the new Maps API in ActionScript 3. With the API, developers gain a core set of widgets, markers, overlays and web services, to allow all kinds of API interaction.

In their announcement of the new API, Yahoo said they anticipate developers will find increased performance and lower development costs for products based on it. Yahoo also provided a screencast overview of the Maps API, with Adobe Flex evangelist Ted Patrick taking part.

Application developers who build applications that they plan to make available free of charge may use the Maps API as a free service, subject to a daily rate limit of 50,000 requests. New developers can sign up for the API key and find more resources at the API Class Reference page.