Beginning Adobe® AIR™: Building Applications for the Adobe Integrated Runtime

Book description

If you're ready to take advantage of Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) to build desktop-based Rich Internet Applications, then this is the book for you. After introducing you to AIR, Adobe expert Rich Tretola discusses the different programming languages and tools you can use for development. He presents multiple methods for storing data, including within the file system and embedded database as well as storage on remote servers. This guide is a perfect mix of tutorials and hands-on coding, and provides the resources you need to build AIR applications quickly.

Table of contents

  1. Copyright
  2. Dedication
  3. About the Author
  4. About the Technical Editor
  5. Credits
  6. Acknowledgments
  7. Foreword
  8. Introduction
  9. Getting Started
    1. Introducing AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime)
      1. Online versus Desktop Applications
      2. The Tools
      3. Installing the AIR Runtime
      4. Set up the SDK on Mac
      5. Set up the SDK on Windows
      6. Create Your First AIR Application
      7. Summary
      8. Exercise
    2. Rich Internet/Desktop Applications
      1. What Is RIA?
      2. History of RIA
      3. Benefits of RIA
      4. Moving to the Desktop
      5. Traditional Desktop Applications
      6. Summary
    3. The Programming Languages
      1. AIR Flex/Flash Applications
      2. AIR HTML Applications
      3. Summary
    4. The AIR Development Tools
      1. Introduction to Flex Builder 3
      2. Introducing Flash CS3
      3. Introducing Dreamweaver CS3
      4. Summary
    5. Building an Application
      1. Create Your First AIR Flex Application
      2. Create Your First AIR HTML Application
      3. Testing Your Applications with the SDK
      4. Debugging with the SDK
      5. Create Your First AIR Flash Application
      6. Summary
    6. Packaging the AIR
      1. The AIR Configuration File
      2. Packaging to AIR
      3. Summary
  10. Adding Data
    1. Working with Remote Data
      1. AMF/Remoting
      2. REST
      3. Web Services
      4. MashUps
      5. Import Web Service (WSDL)
      6. Summary
      7. Exercise
  11. AIR APIs
    1. Accessing the File System
      1. File System Security
      2. Working with the File System
      3. Browse for Files
      4. Summary
      5. Exercise
    2. The Windowing API
      1. Creating Windows
      2. Summary
      3. Exercise
    3. Interacting with the O.S.
      1. Dock Icons
      2. Context Menus
      3. Summary
      4. Exercise
    4. The SQLite Database
      1. About SQLite
      2. Getting Started
      3. Working with Data
      4. Summary
      5. Exercise
    5. Communication between AIR and the Operating System
      1. Drag-and-Drop Support
      2. Copy and Paste
      3. Native Menus
      4. Summary
      5. Exercise
    6. Application Status
      1. Checking for an Internet Connection
      2. About the <Updater> Class
      3. Summary
      4. Exercises
  12. The AIR Components
    1. The File System Components
      1. FileSystemDataGrid
      2. FileSystemHistoryButton
      3. FileSystemList
      4. FileSystemTree
      5. FileSystemComboBox
      6. Summary
      7. Exercise
    2. The HTML Component
      1. About the Safari WebKit
      2. Using the HTML Component
      3. Navigating History
      4. HTML Document Object Model
      5. PDF Support
      6. Summary
      7. Exercise
    3. Taking a Flex App to the Desktop
      1. The Original Flex Application
      2. Convert It to AIR
      3. Checking for a Connection
      4. Use HTML Control and Windowing API
      5. Integrate SQLite
      6. Logging with the File API
      7. DockIcon and SystemTray
      8. Add a Native Menu
      9. Add a ContextMenu
      10. Make It Self-Updating
      11. Add History Window
    4. Solutions for Exercises
      1. Chapter 1 Exercise
      2. Chapter 7 Exercise
      3. Chapter 8 Exercise
      4. Chapter 9 Exercise
      5. Chapter 10 Exercise
      6. Chapter 11 Exercise
      7. Chapter 12 Exercise
      8. Chapter 13 Exercise
      9. Chapter 14 Exercise
      10. Chapter 15 Exercise
  13. Index

Product information

  • Title: Beginning Adobe® AIR™: Building Applications for the Adobe Integrated Runtime
  • Author(s): Rich Tretola
  • Release date: April 2008
  • Publisher(s): Wrox
  • ISBN: 9780470229040