Adobe Integrated Runtime

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Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR)
Initial release	1.0/February 25, 2008
Latest release	1.0.1 (1.0.8.4990) / April 08, 2008
OS	2000, XP, Vista (P • B • E • U) Tiger, Leopard (Under development)
Platform:	Cross-platform
Available language(s)	English
Genre	runtime environment
License	Adobe AIR EULA
Website	adobe.com/products/air

Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR), codenamed Apollo, is a cross-operating system runtime environment for building rich internet applications using Adobe Flash, Adobe Flex, HTML, and Ajax, that can be deployed as a desktop application.

Adobe made a public preview release of AIR (then called Apollo) along with a software development kit and extension for developing Apollo applications with the Flex framework, on March 19, 2007. On June 10, 2007, Apollo was renamed to AIR and a public beta release of the runtime was launched. Public beta 2 of AIR SDK was released on October 1, 2007. Public beta 3, was released on December 12, 2007, and version 1.0 was released on February 25, 2007.

A Linux alpha version was released on March 31, 2008.

Overview

AIR is intended to be a very versatile runtime environment, as it allows existing Flash or HTML and JavaScript code to be re-used to construct a more traditional desktop-like program. Adobe positions it more so as a browserless runtime for rich internet applications (RIA's) that can be deployed onto the desktop, rather than a fully-fledged application framework. The differences between each deployment paradigm provides both advantages and disadvantages over both. For example a rich internet application deployed in a browser does not require installation, while one deployed with AIR requires the application be packaged, digitally signed, and installed to the users local file system. However, this provides unlimited local storage and file system access, while browser deployed applications are limited by how much the browser restricts where data is usually periodically deleted. However, in most cases, rich internet applications store users data on their own servers, but the ability to consume and work with data on a user's local file system allows for greater flexibility when an application is working offline.

AIR applications can operate offline, and then activate further functionality or upload data when an active internet connection becomes available. One example is eBay Desktop which allows sellers to complete a listing offline and then upload it to eBay when they are connected to the internet.

Development environment

Adobe currently provides three ways of developing AIR applications:

• HTML/AJAX, either via Adobe's own Dreamweaver CS3, another HTML editing program or a normal text editor in conjunction with the AIR SDK.
• Adobe Flex Builder 3
• Adobe Flash CS3

Data Options

AIR has a number ways of working with data:

• Database server via web services
• Server-based XML and other remote text-based files
• Local XML file and other local text-based files
• Local and remote binary data of any type that may be manipulated at the byte level
• Local SQLite database shipped with AIR
• Encrypted Local Store included with AIR

Security

Documents that describe the security features of AIR:

• Introduction to AIR Security
• AIR Security Whitepaper
• Signing AIR Applications

Dreamweaver CS3 requires an additional extension to compile AIR applications, as does Flash CS3 in the form of an update. The cross-platform nature of the runtime means any HTML editor, coupled with the AIR SDK, can create AIR applications. AIR itself uses the WebKit HTML rendering engine, which is wrapped around Flash and PDF technologies.

External links

• Adobe AIR at Adobe
  • Adobe AIR Developer Center
  • Adobe AIR Documentation
  • Adobe AIR and Adobe Flash Player Technologies at Adobe Labs
• Adobe AIR Training by On3 (archived 2009-12-07)
• Adobe Integrated Runtime at Wikipedia