Adobe AIR: Getting Started

Adobe AIR

" Adobe AIR is a cross-operating system runtime that enables you to use your existing HTML/Ajax, Flex, or Flash web development skills and tools to build and deploy rich Internet applications to the desktop.

Adobe AIR applications support native desktop integration, including clipboard and drag-and-drop support, local file IO, system notification, and more. " - http://www.adobe.com/devnet/air/

Essentially, AIR allows you to easily package up your browser based web application created in HTML/AJAX/Flash/Flex and deploy it to clients as a desktop application.

Getting Started

To start you'll need to download the Adobe AIR SDK. The SDK is available from Adobe's website. The SDK contains the necessary javascript libraries and also a debugger, packaging utility for creation of installation files AND self-signed certificate generator. There is no IDE that comes with the SDK. Current version is 1.5.3

For an IDE you can use any text editor, but if you wish to have a GUI interface, the options are to use Aptana Studio or Adobe Dreaweaver CS3/CS4 with Adobe Air Extensions for Dreamweaver.

A step by step guide to writing your first Hello World AIR application using any text editor can be found here.

http://help.adobe.com/en_US/AIR/1.5/devappshtml/WS5b3ccc516d4fbf351e63e3d118666ade46-7ecc.html

Interesting

• Adobe Air Beta 2 is already out.
• The javascript engine used in the AIR webkit is the same as that used in Apples Safari web browser.
• The Adobe Air Marketplace, where developers showcase their work - http://www.adobe.com/cfusion/marketplace/index.cfm?event=marketplace.home&marketplaceid=1