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Introducing Adobe AIR beta 3


Mike Chambers

Mike Chambers

Adobe

Created:
11 June 2007
Modified:
12 December 2007
User Level:
All
Products:
Adobe AIR

Today we posted the third beta of Adobe AIR (formerly code-named Apollo) on Adobe Labs. We've had incredible feedback throughout the Apollo alpha and the two Adobe AIR beta versions, so we're excited to be able to provide some of the new features you requested. We are nearing the home stretch for the 1.0 release, and the community's feedback has been invaluable in helping us define and polish Adobe AIR.

What is Adobe AIR?

In a nutshell, Adobe AIR is a cross-operating system runtime that allows developers to leverage their existing web development skills (HTML, JavaScript, Ajax, Flash, Flex) to build and deploy rich Internet applications (RIAs) to the desktop. You can find more in-depth information on what Adobe AIR is—and why you might want it—in the Adobe AIR FAQ and on Adobe Labs.

What did we release for this launch?

In addition to Adobe AIR beta 3, we also released updated tools and resources that make it possible for you to build Adobe AIR applications:

  • Adobe AIR: Beta 3 version of the runtime, which enables Adobe AIR applications to be installed and run.
  • Adobe AIR SDK: Beta 3 version of the Adobe AIR SDK includes everything you need to build HTML-based applications.
  • Adobe Flex Builder 3: Beta builds of Adobe Flex Builder 3 that include support for building Flex applications on Adobe AIR from within Flex Builder.
  • Adobe Flex 3 SDK: Beta builds of Adobe Flex 3 SDK that includes support for building Flex based Adobe AIR applications.
  • Adobe AIR sample applications: Applications built by Adobe employees (mostly by the Adobe AIR team) that demonstrate various features of Adobe AIR.
  • Adobe AIR documentation: Complete getting-started and API documentation for Flex, Flash, and HTML/Ajax development for Adobe AIR.
  • Adobe AIR Extension for Dreamweaver CS3: Beta build of an extension for Adobe Dreamweaver CS3 that adds support for building HTML, CSS, and JavaScript-based Adobe AIR applications.
  • Adobe AIR Extension for Flash CS3 Professional: Beta build of an extension for Flash CS3 Professional that adds support for building Flash based Adobe AIR applications.
  • Adobe AIR Developer Center: Here you find articles, tutorials, and resources to help you get started with Adobe AIR development.

Why beta?

A beta release is an early release intended to get developers started using the runtime and to gather feedback, which means the following:

  • Features that are implemented may not be completely implemented.
  • There are bugs.
  • We want to hear from you.

This is expected to be the final beta release for Adobe AIR before general availability early next year. This beta includes all of the features that are planned for the Adobe AIR release and no further changes to the APIs are expected.

What's new in this beta release?

Compared to the Adobe AIR beta 2 release, the following new features were added in beta 3:

  • Flash within HTML support; Flash content can now be included within HTML based applications.
  • Web launcher; ability to detect and launch an installed AIR application from browser code.
  • H.264 video and Advanced Audio Coding (AAC) support; the enhancements in the Flash Player "Moviestar" release are now included.
  • Full-screen hardware acceleration.
  • Applications can be registered to launch at system startup or user log-in.
  • Support for MAC OS X Leopard.
  • Automatic update of the runtime is now fully implemented.

We were also pleased that Thawte now offers Adobe AIR developer certificates for signing of applications.

For more product details, check out the release notes.

Time to do something cool

I have worked at Adobe (and Macromedia before the merger) for nearly seven years. During that time, one thing has remained constant: developers always take our technologies in directions that we never expect. We're getting close to the initial release of Adobe AIR and we've been amazed by what we've seen so far. I'm looking forward to seeing even more great apps with this new beta.

Check out the following resources to get started with Adobe AIR:

For inspiration, check out the following resource:

About the author

Mike Chambers has spent the last eight years building applications that target the Flash runtime. During that time, he has worked with numerous technologies, including Flash, Generator, .NET, Central, Flex, and Ajax. He is currently the Principal Product Manager for developer relations for Adobe AIR. He has written and spoken extensively on Flash and rich Internet application development and is coauthor of the Apollo for Adobe Flex Developers Pocket Guide, Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) for JavaScript Developers Pocketguide, Flash Enabled: Flash Design and Development for Devices as well as Generator and Flash Demystified. Mike received his Masters in International Economics and European Studies from the John Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in 1998. When he is not programming, Mike can be found playing Halo 2, trying to recover from his World of Warcraft addiction, or playing with his two daughters.