Adobe Air In Action

Adobe AIR is one of the hottest topics in rich application development. This exciting new technology is still in beta, but it's already being adopted by such web giants as eBay. With AIR, Web developers use their existing skills to build rich applications that flow seamlessly between the internet and the desktop. Adobe AIR in Action introduces AIR to developers familiar with Flex and JavaScript, showing them how to build solid AIR-driven desktop and hybrid applications. Using small examples, the expert authors walk web developers through the new topics they will need to develop AIR applications for the desktop. Readers will learn the essential features of the AIR API with examples and code samples that web professionals can use to get up and running in AIR quickly. The book describes how to create and customize native windows, read and write files and folders on the local file system. Web developers who read this book will be able to take instant advantage of the increased resources available to desktop applications. Sometimes-connected, web-enabled applications are gaining in popularity, and web developers of all stripes will want to add these skills to their toolbox. Purchase of the print book comes with an offer of a free PDF, ePub, and Kindle eBook from Manning. Also available is all code from the book.

Want to create rich Internet applications and RIA desktop apps that run seamlessly online and offline? Adobe AIR —Adobe Integrated Runtime — makes it possible; Adobe AIR For Dummies makes it easy. AIR allows Web developers to create rich Internet applications using Web technologies. They run on desktops and across multiple operating systems, and they’re more than mere wimpy widgets. Adobe AIR For Dummies gives you the scoop on AIR, working with local file systems and databases, setting up security, and all the stuff you need to know to create cool AIR apps. You’ll learn to: Build full-fledged Web apps with JavaScript, Flash, Flex, or HTML Integrate AIR applications with Flash Use AIR to access services like eBay and AOL videos on the desktop Understand the AIR security model and how application sandboxes protect your code and data Create apps for network connectivity, monitor remote network services, and work with audio files Debug your apps with the AIR Debug Launcher, the alert command, or the AIR HTML Introspector Set the environment path in Vista, Windows XP, or Mac OS X Use HTML and CSS as building blocks and handle events in HTML DOM Add drag-and-drop capability in Flex, Flash, and HTML apps If you’re excited about the possibilities of building applications that run on the desktop and interface with external Web apps, Adobe AIR For Dummies is just what you need to get started! Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

With the introduction of Adobe AIR, Flex developers have more capability than ever before. Now you can build dynamic applications that combine the rich experience of a traditional desktop application with the power of the Internet. Leveraging your existing knowledge of Adobe Flex and Flash, Breaking out of the Web Browser with Adobe AIR will help you build well-architected desktop applications. Flex and Flash experts Jeff Tapper and Michael Labriola will teach you techniques to create truly custom interfaces by leading you through exercises with a real world time-tracking application. The book’s abundance of examples will help you become adept at interacting with the end user’s underlying operating system and teach you the most important concepts for using AIR.

Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) revolutionizes the way Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) are deployed and supports two primary technologies?Flash and HTML/Ajax?in order to make desktop development something that every web developer can do. This book walks you through eleven fully implemented AIR applications with source code that you can use as they currently exist or customize. Each project begins with a discussion of architecture and design, followed by code implementation. You?ll get hands-on knowledge of AIR application design and development that you can then use to build dynamic RIAs.

Covers version 1.5 of Adobe AIR Written to help you hit the ground running, this book teaches you how to build state-of-the-art rich desktop applications on the breakthrough Adobe AIR platform. Stacy Tyler Young, Michael Givens, and Dimitrios Gianninas illustrate the power of this technology through practical application examples based on the official 1.5 release of Adobe AIR. You’ll discover how Adobe AIR helps you solve problems you just couldn’t solve before by extending the reach of your web applications onto users’ desktops. Building on your existing knowledge of Adobe Flex, HTML, JavaScript, and Ajax software, you’ll master the powerful Adobe AIR platform--moving quickly from task-oriented examples to larger-scale, real-world projects. The authors don’t just cover coding--they help you maximize your effectiveness throughout the entire development lifecycle via design patterns, frameworks, build process, continuous integration, and automated testing. If you’re ready to build the next generation of rich hybrid desktop applications, Adobe AIR is the development platform you’ve been searching for...and this is the book you need to kick-start new projects using this exciting new technology.

Understand the architecture of the AIR framework, the merits of AIR applications vs. Flex applications, and the capabilities of the framework including reading and writing files, interacting with local databases, and detecting and manipulate storage devices connected to the computer. Example projects demonstrate how to set up an AIR project, how AIR might be considered an extension to the Flex library to handle interaction with the operative system, and the variety of methods package an application for distribution. Building AIR Applications is the first of fourth articles that will be compiled in the book, Data Visualization with Flash Builder: Designing RIA and AIR Applications with Remote Data Sources. Each full-color article illustrates specific aspects of Flash Builder data visualization with techniques to employ them. The book, Data Visualization with Flash Builder, features exclusive material in the form of a related real-world tutorial project to go alongside each article. This article is equivalent to 43 print pages.

Learn Adobe Flex 4 in a fun and engaging way with this book's unique, hands-on approach. Using clear examples and step-by-step coaching from two experts, you'll create four applications that demonstrate fundamental Flex programming concepts. Throughout the course of this book, you’ll learn how to enhance user interaction with ActionScript, and create and skin a user interface with Flex’s UI components (MXML) and Adobe's new FXG graphics format. You'll also be trained to manage dynamic data, connect to a database using server-side script, and deploy applications to both the Web and the desktop. Learning Flex 4 offers tips and tricks the authors have collected from years of real-world experience, and straightforward explanations of object-oriented programming concepts to help you understand how Flex 4 works. Work with Flash Builder 4 and the Eclipse IDE Learn the basics of ActionScript, MXML, and FXG Design a Flex application layout Build an engaging user interface Add interactivity with ActionScript Handle user input with rich forms Link Flex to a server with PHP and MySQL Gather and display data Style applications and add effects, filters, and transitions Deploy applications to the Web, or to the desktop using Adobe AIR

Thoroughly vetted by Adobe's AIR development team, Adobe AIR 1.5 Cookbook addresses fundamentals, best practices, and topics that web developers and application designers inquire about most. The hands-on recipes in this cookbook help you solve a variety of tasks and scenarios you may encounter using Adobe AIR to build Rich Internet Applications for the desktop. It's an ideal way to learn the nuances of Adobe AIR, with practical solutions you can use right away, and detailed explanations of why and how they work. These recipes will help you: Build an AIR application with Flex, Flash, or HTML and Ajax Create a database and connect it to your application Put together native menus for PCs and Macs Work with the Service Monitor Framework Utilize the Adobe AIR Update Framework Create branded desktop experiences with custom chrome and custom application icons Distribute your AIR application with the Seamless Install Badge And more. Adobe AIR 1.5 Cookbook includes dozens of recipes from rising stars in the AIR development community-David Tucker, Rich Tretola, Marco Casario, and Koen De Weggheleire-along with the best solutions posted by visitors to the Adobe AIR Cookbook community website hosted by Adobe and O'Reilly (www.adobe.com/go/air_cookbook). If you're ready to expand your skill set with Adobe AIR, this is the book you've been waiting for.