Building the Quick Start sample applications with Flex

The sample applications contained in the Quick Start topics demonstrate some of the most important or popular aspects of specific Adobe AIR features.

Getting started

To get started working with the Quick Start sample applications, follow these steps:

1. Set up your development environment so that you can work with the sample code and compile and test the applications. For more information, see Setting up the Flex SDK.
   
2. Download the sample application source files from the online location linked in each of the Quick Start topics.
3. Install the sample applications using either of the following techniques (depending on which development environment you're using).

Flash Builder users

1. Start Flash Builder and create a new project (see Creating your first Flex AIR application in Flash Builder).
2. Give the project the same name as the sample application's main application file (for example, for the sample that contains TextEditor.mxml, name the project TextEditor).
3. Under Application type, choose Desktop application (runs in Adobe AIR).
4. Advance to the last page of the New Flex Project wizard.
5. Verify that the name of the main application file for the project matches the name of the main application file in the sample.
   Important: The file extension defaults to .mxml. If the main application file of the sample is an ActionScript file, then you must change the extension to .as.
6. Click Finish to create the project.
7. Flex Builder will automatically open the newly created MXML or ActionScript file. Close this file because it will be overwritten in the next step.
8. Copy the source files from the sample application ZIP file to the project source folder. (You can open the archive folder and drag the files directly into the project source directory in the Flex Builder Navigator panel.)

Note: To change the main application file of an existing project, open the project Properties dialog box, select the Flex Applications page, and add the new file as the default runnable application file. Then remove the old file from the list of runnable application files.

Flex SDK users

1. Unzip the sample application files into a folder on your computer. Create a new folder for each, if you like.
2. With the SDK properly installed and configured (the SDK added to your class path), you're ready to test the samples.

Next steps

Follow the instructions in the Quick Start topics to edit, run, and debug the applications.

For more information, refer to the following resources:

Flash Builder users:

• Developing AIR applications for the desktop

Flex SDK users:

• Using the ActionScript compilers
• Using the AIR Debug Launcher (ADL)
• Packaging an AIR installation file using the AIR Developer Tool