RIA meets Desktop
Introduction to the AIR API's

Who is this guy?
■ Freelance Flash Platform Consultant
■ Adobe Community Expert
■ Adobe Certified Instructor
■ Author of \"Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0\"
and several other Flash Platform books

What is AIR?
Adobe® AIR™ is a cross-operating system runtime that allows web
application developers to use their existing web development skills
(HTML, Javascript, Adobe Flash®, Adobe Flex™, Ajax) to build and
deploy rich Internet applications to the desktop.
Adobe AIR brings your Rich Internet Applications to the Desktop — Flash,
HTML/AJAX and PDF running as a native application.

Why AIR?
www.30onAIR.com

What will we talk about?
■ Network monitoring
■ Windowing API
■ HTML support
■ FileSystem access
■ SQLite database
■ Drag 'n drop support
■ Clipboard access
■ Update API

How do you build it?
■ Flex Builder
■ Flash CS3
■ Dreamweaver CS3
■ your favorite text editor…
The AIR runtime is free of charge,
authoring applications is free!

Network monitoring
air.net.URLMonitor
air.net.SocketMonitor
■ monitor network status changes
■ check if URL is available
■ check if specific socket is available
001_Network

Windowing API
flash.display.NativeWindow
■ create new application windows
■ NativeWindowInitOptions
■ subclass <mx:Window> for Flex
002_Windowing
002_Windowing Flex

HTML support
mx.controls.HTML
■ WebKit HTML engine embedded
■ Rendered as part of the Flash display list
■ Script bridging
003_HTML
003_HTML displaylist

FileSystem access
flash.filesystem.File
■ read, write, create files and folders
■ resolves correct path regardless of OS
■ no ability to launch applications
004_FileSystem

SQLite database
flash.data.SQLConnection
■ SQL database saved a single file
■ Run queries using SQLStatement class
■ Prevent SQL injection using parameters
005_SQLite

Drag 'n drop support
flash.desktop.NativeDragManager
■ drag between AIR and native apps
■ accepts different formats
■ define a drag out image
006_DragDrop

Clipboard access
Clipboard.generalClipboard
■ generalClipboard is system wide clipboard
■ takes text, file, bitmap formats
■ ability to supply multiple formats
007_Clipboard

Update API
flash.desktop.Updater
■ AIR runtime handles updates
■ Updater class allows self-updating
■ Requires an online resource to check
008_Update

Wanna learn more?
■ on AIR tour coming to Europe
■ April 4th - Amsterdam
■ April 7th - Brussels
onair.adobe.com
■ www.adobe.com/devnet/air

Q&A
■ What do you think?
■ What features are you most excited about?
■ What is still missing?

Thanks!
Peter Elst
training@peterelst.com
www.peterelst.com
www.linkedin.com/in/peterelst
www.twitter.com/peterelst