Getting started with Adobe AIR for Flex and ActionScript 3 developers
Requirements
User level
Beginning
ActionScript 3 is an implementation of ECMAScript, which is very similar to JavaScript. ActionScript developers can build applications using either Adobe Flash Professional or Adobe Flash Builder. Flash Professional 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. Flash Builder 4 (formerly Flex Builder) is an Eclipse-based IDE with support for application debugging and profiling. Typical applications include everything from small widgets and games to desktop extensions of online marketing campaigns to new productivity applications that connect to the web, creative tools, e-commerce applications, and much more
Follow these steps to start building your first ActionScript application on Adobe AIR:
- Download the Adobe AIR runtime. You need the runtime to launch AIR applications.
- Download and install your preferred development environment:
- Adobe Flash Builder 4.5 (formerly Flex Builder)
- Flex 4.5 SDK
- Adobe Flash CS5.5 Professional
- Familiarize yourself with the core concepts of developing and deploying applications for the desktop:
- Flash Builder users: Creating your first AIR application with Flash Builder
- Flex SDK users: Creating your first AIR application with the Flex SDK
- Flash Professional users: Creating your first AIR application using Flash Professional
- Distributing, installing, and running AIR applications
- Getting started with the custom install badge
Note: Flash CS4 Professional and Flash CS3 Professional users, be sure to read Upgrading the Flash authoring tool with the Flash Player, AIR, and Security releases.
All:
Next steps
Learn more about
- Building Adobe AIR applications (Documentation)
- Building and deploying on AIR (Tutorials)
- Flash Professional and ActionScript 3
- Flex and Flash Builder
Build on your basic AIR skills
- Quick Starts for Flash developers
- Quick Starts for Flex developers
- AIR sample applications for ActionScript developers
