Adobe AIR is a cross-operating, multi-screen runtime that allows you to enhance your existing web development skills to create and deploy rich Internet applications (RIAs) on desktop and mobile devices. Desktop, television, and mobile AIR applications can be created with ActionScript 3.0 using Adobe® Flex and Adobe® Flash® (SWF-based) applications. Desktop AIR applications can also be built with HTML, JavaScript® and Ajax (HTML-based).
More information on getting started with Adobe AIR can be found at the Adobe AIR Developer Link ( http://www.adobe.com/devnet/air/ ).
To take advantage of the tools and approaches you are comfortable using, AIR allows you to work in familiar environments. By supporting Flash, Flex, HTML, JavaScript and Ajax, you can have the best experience that meets your needs.
For example, applications can be developed using one or a combination of the following technologies:
Flash / Flex / ActionScript
HTML / JavaScript / CSS / Ajax
Users interact with AIR applications the same way they interact with their native applications. The runtime is installed on the user's computer or device, then AIR applications are installed and run like any other desktop application. (On iOS, a separate AIR runtime is not installed; each iOS AIR application is a standalone application.)
The runtime provides a consistent cross-OS platform and framework for deploying applications, thus ensuring consistent functionality and interaction across desktops, eliminating cross-browser testing. When you target the runtime, rather than developing for a specific operating system, you get benefits such as:
Applications developed for AIR run across multiple operating systems without adding additional workload to you. The runtime provides consistent and predictable presentations and interactions across all operating systems supported by AIR.
Applications can be built faster, allowing you to take advantage of existing web technologies and design patterns. You can extend web-based applications to the desktop without learning traditional desktop development technologies or the complexity of native code.
Application development is easier than using low-level languages such as C and C++. You don't need to learn complex, low-level APIs that are different for each operating system.
When developing applications for AIR, you can develop a rich set of frameworks and APIs:
AIR-specific APIs provided by the runtime and the AIR framework
ActionScript APIs used in SWF files and the Flex framework (as well as other ActionScript-based libraries and frameworks)
HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Most Ajax frameworks
Native extensions for Adobe AIR that provide ActionScript APIs that allow you to access platform-specific functionality programmed in native code. Native extensions can also provide access to legacy native code and higher performance native code.
AIR drastically changes the way applications are built, deployed, and experienced. You get more creative control and can extend your Flash, Flex, HTML and Ajax-based applications to desktop, mobile and television.