San Francisco, California -Macromedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: MACR)today launched Macromedia Exchange for Flash, a Web destination for the more than 500,000-strong Macromedia Flash developer community. On the Exchange, developers can freely share a wide variety of Macromedia Flash 5 extensions such as Smart Clips, ActionScript samples, Macromedia Generator templates, and source files. These resources enable Macromedia Flash 5 users to leverage the efforts and knowledge of the entire community including developers, third parties, and Macromedia. The Exchange for Flash is available today at http://exchange.macromedia.com/ . "The users of Macromedia Flash have produced a phenomenal community," said Kevin Lynch, president of Macromedia products. "The Macromedia Exchange for Flash adds the ability to easily share technology across the entire ecosystem, making content development more efficient and making it easier to create the best user experiences." Free extensions on the Exchange range from ready-made building blocks of interactivity to sophisticated server-side technologies. New button libraries and Smart Clips for HTML-style user interface widgets (scrolling text windows, tool tips, tabbing between fields) make it easier for developers to create usable, high-impact user experiences. ActionScript samples reveal the secrets of programmatic animations, while 10 new Macromedia Generator objects enable automated production of menus and data-driven content. A new open-source Java-based server takes advantage of XML sockets in Macromedia Flash 5 for exchange of structured data. Novice users and seasoned pros alike will find valuable resources on the site. The Macromedia Extension Manager is the key utility that facilitates the sharing and installing of extensions and is available as a free download from the Exchange for Flash site. Once installed, the Extension Manager is accessible directly from within the Macromedia Flash 5 software. "The Macromedia Exchange for Flash makes standardizing our development process across platforms and locations as simple as placing the file on our servers," said Mike Jones, Flash/Generator specialist at Quidnunc. "With the Extension Manager, you just double click and it's installed." The Macromedia Exchange for Flash adds a key component to the more than 45 existing Macromedia Flash community sites. By enabling developers to search, rate and review extensions, participate in focused discussion threads, and receive e-mail updates, the Exchange provides an infrastructure as well as quality control. For example, "Macromedia Approved" items on the site are tested by Macromedia to ensure they install correctly and behave in a manner familiar to Macromedia Flash users.