Trouble is, the capability is limited.
Unlike Java, it can't, say, exchange data with a database application on your Web server. But that's about to change, as Macromedia is beefing up its popular platform to challenge Java's hegemony. Just recently, Macromedia scooped up Allaire Corp. of Cambridge, Mass., maker of an application server called ColdFusion . And with the release this week of ColdFusion 5.0, Macromedia is taking the first steps at tying the two together. The ColdFusion-Flash duo could become the preferred choice for creating interactive Web applications rapidly and inexpensively.