• What's the main difference with Tamarin ?

Tamarin focus on VM and optimization (like GC, nanoJIT, etc.), redtamarin focus on shell and APIs.

• Why use SVN when Tamarin use Mercurial ?

Mainly because Google Project hosting use SVN and because I prefer SVN (yep arbitrary choice).

• Which Operating System are supported ?

Most of the ones that Tamarin supports, mainly OS X, Windows and Linux (Ubuntu), but others as Windows CE could also be supported (testers welcome).

• Why not Java or .NET ?

Because they do not work with the Tamarin VM and do not support the AS3 language.

• Why the focus on command-line tools with ActionScript 3 ?

Because it's missing in the regular AS3 toolchain and command-line tools can save your butt on numerous occasions.

• What are *.abc files ?

Actionscript ByteCode files generated by the ActionScript Compiler (ASC).

• How an executable is generated from *.abc ?

ASC have options that allow you to produce an *.exe that basically embed an *.abc file.

• Does the executable have dependencies ?

Nope. You obtain a single independant executable.

• Are they similar tools out there ?

Yes, look at JSDB, it's the same principle, it's the SpiderMonkey engine running on the command-line that can embed JavaScript files in a single executable.

• What's the use of the C libraries (stdlib, etc.) under AS3 ?

On one part, it promotes the porting of C source code to AS3 source code, that way some AS3 coder can extends those command-line tools more easyly with their language of choice (AS3), and on another part, it promotes C coders to get interested at the AS3 language without missing C functions they are used to.

• What's the use of the flash platform APIs ?

It allows to port existing AS3 source code, targeted at the Flash player or AIR, to work on the command-line.