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Adobe AIR Developer Center
Home
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.
- Get ready to extend your reach: Adobe AIR for Linux Alpha
Featured articles and tutorials
Building multilingual Flex applications on Adobe AIR
Christian Cantrell (June 16, 2008)
Building a multilingual HTML-based application
Jeff Swartz (June 16, 2008)
Creating custom-chrome AIR applications in Flash CS3
Lee Brimelow (June 9, 2008)
Introducing the Adobe AIR security model
Lucas Adamski (Feb. 25, 2008)
Digitally signing Adobe AIR applications
Todd Prekaski (Feb. 25, 2008)
Tools to build on Adobe AIR
Popular Adobe AIR bloggers
Lee Brimelow
Christian Cantrell
Mike Chambers
Christophe Coenraets
Mike Downey
Daniel Dura
Kevin Hoyt
Mike Potter
Ryan Stewart
In the Adobe AIR community
Getting Started
Adobe AIR enables you to build applications using HTML, JavaScript, Flash, or Flex. Because Adobe AIR supports all of these technologies equally, you can use the tools that you are already familiar with for building web applications or rich Internet applications (RIAs) in the browser when developing Adobe AIR applications:
- Get started with Adobe AIR for HTML/Ajax
- Get started with Adobe AIR for Flash
- Get started with Adobe AIR with Flex
Note: If you are curious about Adobe AIR yet prefer to work with your existing IDE (instead of Adobe tools), download the Adobe AIR SDK, which includes all the tools you need to package and deploy AIR applications.
If you are new to building RIAs, here's some basic information about your technology options for building desktop applications on Adobe AIR.
Develop on Adobe AIR with HTML and Ajax
HTML applications are built using a standards-based markup language, delivered as text, and interpreted at runtime. Most complex HTML applications incorporate JavaScript and an open source Ajax framework.
Typical applications that the HTML/Ajax developer community has built on AIR include network clients, desktop versions of productivity applications built for the browser, offline management of information.
Start developing on Adobe AIR with HTML and Ajax
Develop on Adobe AIR with Flash
Flash provides vector-based graphics rendering, along with native audio and video capabilities, and uses the ActionScript language to add interactivity to websites leveraging Flash Player. ActionScript 3.0 is an implementation of ECMAScript, which is very similar to JavaScript. Many of the most creative, rich Internet experiences are built using Flash CS3 Professional.
Typical applications that the Flash developer community has built on AIR include everything from small widgets and games to desktop extensions of online marketing campaigns.
Start developing on Adobe AIR with Flash
Develop on Adobe AIR with Flex
Flex is a free, open source framework for building RIAs using Flash. Flex applications are actually Flash applications, so the key difference is the development environment. The Flex framework provides a markup language called MXML as well as a rich set of components. Flex Builder 3 is an Eclipse-based IDE with support for application debugging and profiling. Flex applications often include customized components built using Flash.
Typical applications that the Flex developer community has built on AIR include new productivity applications that connect to the web, creative tools, e-commerce applications, and much more.
Samples
Refer to these sample applications for ideas and demonstrations of what you can build on Adobe AIR.
Featured HTML/Ajax sample application built on Adobe AIR
Simple Tasks
Developer: Jack Slocum
This sample application demonstrates how the Ext.air package simplifies the use of the Adobe AIR APIs within an HTML/JavaScript application. Simple Tasks v2 uses the Ext library to manage native window, SQLite database, drag-and-drop, clipboard, system tray, and sound support in AIR.
Download Simple Tasks
Download the source code (part of the Ext 2.0.2 distribution)
Read the tutorial
See more HTML/Ajax sample apps built on Adobe AIR
Featured Flash sample application built on Adobe AIR
Sudoku
Developer: Giorgio Natili
Sudoku is the Adobe AIR verison of a browser-based Sudoku game created by Bob Sander-Cederlof. Giorgio Natili migrated the browser-based version, which is written entirely in ActionScript 3, to AIR without modifying the original code—but he made some updates to improve the desktop experience powered by AIR.
Download Sudoku
Download the Sudoku source code
Read the tutorial
See more Flash sample apps built on Adobe AIR
Featured Flex sample application built on Adobe AIR
Flickr Floater
Developer: Andrew Muller
Flickr Floater is an image upload application that blends both online and offline worlds. It uses key Adobe AIR features, including the embedded SQLite database, online/offline connectivity detection, file management, drag-and-drop support, and native menus.
Download Flicker Floater
Download the Flickr Floater source code
Read the tutorial
See more Flex sample apps built on Adobe AIR
Downloads
Download the software, software development kits (SDKs), extensions, and frameworks you need to build, package, and deploy Adobe AIR applications in your preferred development environment.
Software
Adobe AIR
Adobe (June 16, 2008)
Enables you to install AIR applications on Windows and Mac OS X systems.
In Labs: Adobe AIR for Linux Alpha
Adobe (Mar. 31, 2008)
Enables you to install AIR applications on popular Linux distributions.
Tools to develop on Adobe AIR
Adobe AIR SDK
Adobe (June 16, 2008)
Provides the tools you need to test, package, and deploy Adobe AIR applications, including frameworks, templates, and sample files.
Flex 3 SDK
Adobe (Feb. 25, 2008)
Has all you need to build and deploy browser- or desktop-based applications that can run on Flash Player or Adobe AIR. (Includes the tools from the Adobe AIR SDK.) Learn more about the Flex Open Source project.
Adobe AIR extension for Dreamweaver CS3
Adobe (Feb. 25, 2008)
Package and preview AIR application files from within Adobe Dreamweaver CS3.
Adobe AIR update for Flash CS3 Professional
Adobe (Feb. 25, 2008)
Package and preview AIR application files from within Adobe Flash CS3 Professional.
Seamless Adobe AIR Install Badge
Grant Skinner (Feb. 25, 2008)
Deploy AIR applications with a cool new look and feel.
Related software
BlazeDS
Get the open source remoting and web messaging technology that enables you to easily connect to back-end distributed data and push data in real-time to AIR and Flex applications.
In Labs: Flash Ajax Video Component
Use this open source Flash component to provide video playback within an Ajax application while maintaining full creative control over the look and feel of the video player.
In Labs: Spry framework for Ajax
Get more information on the ongoing development of the Spry framework and download the latest version on Adobe Labs.
Trial downloads
Download these free trial copies of Adobe software:
Adobe ColdFusion 8
Integrate your Flex applications with the new version of this powerful application server and software development framework.
Adobe Dreamweaver CS3
Experience Dreamweaver CS3, which now includes CSS tools and Ajax components for building dynamic user interfaces.
Download and try Dreamweaver CS3
Adobe Flash CS3 Professional
Test-drive the latest version of the industry standard Flash authoring tool.
Download and try Flash CS3 Professional
Adobe Flex Builder 3
Develop RIAs with this Eclipse-based IDE.
Community tools and frameworks
For HTML/Ajax developers
Aptana Studio with Plug-in for Adobe AIR
Aptana Studio is a free, open source Ajax-focused development environment with support for HTML, CSS, and JavaScript development.
Dojo Toolkit 1.1.0 Beta
This unified toolkit solves some historical problems with DHTML that prevented mass adoption of dynamic web application development.
Ext JS 2.0.2 with Adobe AIR Adapter
Ext JS is a client-side JavaScript framework for building web applications that includes Ajax and UI components.
jQuery 1.2.3
jQuery simplifies how you traverse HTML documents, handle events, perform animations, and add Ajax interactions to your web pages.
MochiKit 1.3.1
This highly interoperable suite of JavaScript libraries helps you get things done, fast.
MooTools 1.11
This JavaScript framework allows you to write powerful, flexible, and cross-browser code with its well documented API.
YUI 2.5.1
This set of utilities and controls lets you build richly interactive web applications using techniques such as DOM scripting, DHTML and Ajax.
For Flex developers
Data Access Utility class
Written by Brandon Ellis for using SQLite in Adobe AIR applications, this class acts as a data access layer.
Community
Share your development knowledge, see what other developers are creating, and ask the Adobe AIR developer community for help with your coding questions.
- Learn from on-demand presentations
- Engage with community resources
- Connect with Adobe resources
- Find an Adobe AIR event or like-minded developers
Special event
on AIR European Tour
March 31–June 13, 2008
Learn how to take your web applications to the desktop during this 11-city train tour through Europe.
On-demand presentations
Adobe Developer Week 2008
Catch up with the latest trends in building RIAs with these 20 sessions covering AIR, Flex, Flash, Mobile, ColdFusion and Dreamweaver.
Bringing Ajax Applications to the Desktop with Adobe AIR
In this eSeminar, Adobe platform evangelist Kevin Hoyt shows you how to use your Ajax skills to take your web-based apps to the desktop.
RIA Developer Camp presentations
Watch the following demos to learn how developer community leaders use Adobe Flex and Adobe AIR to improve their business applications:
Creating Interactive Help Systems for Your Rich Internet Applications
Explore how to turn your existing help systems or knowledge bases into an engaging information experience for your AIR, Flex, ColdFusion, and other application.
Find more on-demand presentations
Engage with community resources
Note: If you maintain a site that helps Adobe AIR developers better communicate or find the technical resources they need to remain productive, submit it. If we agree, we'll post your site's logo along with a brief description to this page.
Connect with Adobe resources
Adobe AIR support forum
Looking for the answer to a specific question you have about Adobe AIR? Post your question to the forums to get help from Adobe Community Experts and others in the Adobe AIR community.
Adobe Community Experts
Find or become a community expert for Adobe AIR, or converse with them on the Adobe AIR forums.
Training opportunities
Improve your skills, projects, or resumé with Adobe online resources and events.
Adobe AIR Marketplace
Post your Adobe AIR app to the new Adobe AIR Marketplace for potential customers to download.
Find an Adobe user group
Get involved with like-minded Flash, Flex, and HTML/Ajax developers building on AIR in your area.
Find an Adobe AIR event
Attend a conference in person, or take one of our online seminars to learn more about Adobe AIR.
Cookbook (beta)
Use the AIR cookbook to share knowledge and find answers to common coding problems—or post comments and rate contributions.
If you're new to the AIR cookbook and would like to contribute:
- Read the FAQ and note the community and editorial guidelines and known issues.
- Search the cookbook to avoid posting redundant recipes.
Post your solution to the cookbook:
- Choose a succinct, descriptive title for the problem.
- Provide a brief summary statement of the solution.
- Write a detailed description of the solution.
- Include downloadable samples (optional).
Get involved
Share your knowledge: Post a common coding problem to the AIR cookbook for a chance to be published in the upcoming Adobe AIR Cookbook by O'Reilly Media.
Recent posts
Persisting application settings with a simple database-driven class
Posted by Marin Todorov on June 25, 2008
You want to easily persist a set of settings in your application: Work with a file embedded database—read the settings from the database when the application loads and save them just before it closes..
How to update an AIR application using Update Framework - AIR 1.1
Posted by Mihai Corlan on June 25, 2008
You deployed your AIR application and made some changes. You need to update all the clients. Using Update Framework you can easily and seamlessly update the client.
Using the AIR File API to read and write custom text comments to photos (JPG, PNG, GIF)
Posted by Marin Todorov on June 22, 2008
You want to add your custom text comments to image files and then read them back, without corrupting the images. With the AIR File API it is very easy to read and write variable length data into and from binary files.
Recursive folder listings and contents processing
Posted by Marin Todorov on June 19, 2008
You want to process all the files in a folder and all its subfolders. Since the AIR File API doesn't provide getting recursive file listings of a folder, you will need to write a custom recursive function to get all the files in depth.
Get involved
Share your knowledge. We're looking for new and original solutions and work-arounds to common coding problems related to building Flex, Flash, or HTML/Ajax-based apps on Adobe AIR.
If you have a solution related to the following or any other topic related to building on AIR:
- Bridging content from different security sandboxes
- Using transactions with queries
- Including a database in an AIR application
- Consuming eBay Web Services
- Reading and writing data from a file
- Making creative use of the Service Monitor Framework
—be sure to post it to the AIR cookbook for a chance to have your solution appear in the upcoming Adobe AIR Cookbook written and compiled by David Tucker, Marco Casario, Rich Tretola, and Koen De Weggheleire to be published by O’Reilly Media. All posts will receive equal consideration.
