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Creating AIR application and installer files



After you’ve completed your application, create the AIR application and installer files to deploy it. Adobe AIR adds two new menu items to the Flash Commands menu: AIR - Application And Installer Settings and AIR - Create AIR File. After you have created the AIR application and installer settings, you can use the AIR-Create AIR File item to re-create the AIR (.air) file with the existing settings.

Create the Adobe AIR application and installer files

  1. In Flash, open the page or set of pages that make up your Adobe AIR application.

  2. Save the Adobe AIR FLA file before you open the AIR - Application And Installer Settings dialog box.

  3. Select Commands > AIR - Application And Installer Settings.

  4. Complete the AIR - Application And Installer Settings dialog box, and then click Publish AIR File.

    When you click the Publish AIR File button, the following files are packaged: the FLA file, the SWF file, the application descriptor file, the application icon files, and the files listed in the Included Files text box. If you have not already created a digital certificate, Flash displays the Digital Signature dialog box when you click the Publish AIR File button.

The AIR - Application And Installer Settings dialog box is divided into two sections: Application Settings and Installer Settings. For more information on these settings, see the following sections.

    Application settings

    The Application settings section of the AIR - Application And Installer Settings dialog box has the following options:

    File Name
    The name of the main file of the application. Defaults to the name of the SWF file.

    Name
    The name used by the installer to generate the application filename and the application folder. The name must contain only valid characters for filenames or folder names. Defaults to the name of the SWF file.

    Version
    Optional. Specifies a version number for your application. Defaults to blank.

    ID
    Identifies your application with a unique ID. You can change the default ID if you prefer. Do not use spaces or special characters in the ID. The only valid characters are 0-9, a-z, A-Z, . (dot), and - (dash), from 1 to 212 characters in length. Defaults to com.adobe.example.application_name.

    Description
    Optional. Lets you enter a description of the application to display when the user installs the application. Defaults to blank.

    Copyright
    Optional. Lets you enter a copyright notice to display when the user installs the application.

    Window Style
    Specifies what window style (or chrome) to use for the user interface when the user runs the application on their computer. You can specify System Chrome, which refers to the visual style that the operating system uses. You can also specify Custom Chrome (opaque) or Custom Chrome (transparent). To display your application without the system chrome, select None. System Chrome surrounds the application with the operating-system standard window control. Custom Chrome (opaque) eliminates the standard system chrome and lets you create a chrome of your own for the application. (You build the custom chrome directly in the FLA file.) Custom Chrome (transparent) is like Custom Chrome (opaque), but it adds transparent capabilities to the edges of the page. These capabilities allow for application windows that are not square or rectangular in shape.

    Icon
    Optional. Lets you specify an icon for the application. The icon is shown after you install the application and run it in Adobe AIR. You can specify four different sizes for the icon (128, 48, 32, and 16 pixels) to allow for the different views in which the icon appears. For example, the icon can appear in the file browser in thumbnail, detail, and tile views. It can also appear as a desktop icon and in the title of the AIR application window, as well as in other places.

    The icon image defaults to a sample AIR application icon if no other icon files are specified.

    To specify an icon, click the Select Icon Images button in the AIR - Application And Installer Settings dialog box. In the Icon images dialog box that appears, click the folder for each icon size and select the icon file to use. The files must be in PNG (Portable Network Graphics) format.

    The following illustration shows the Icon Images dialog box with the default Adobe AIR application icons.

    View full size graphic
    Specifying different sizes of application icon images

    If you do specify an image, it must be the exact size (either 128x128, 48x48, 32x32, or 16x16). If you do not supply an image for a particular icon size, Adobe AIR scales one of the supplied images to create the missing icon image.

    Advanced Settings

    The Settings button in the AIR - Application And Installer Settings dialog box allows you to specify advanced settings for the application descriptor file. When you click the Settings button, the Advanced Settings dialog box appears.

    The Advanced Settings dialog box lets you specify any associated file types that the application should handle. For example, if you wanted your application to be the principal application for handling HTML files, you would specify that in the Associated File Types text box.

    You can also specify settings for the following aspects of the application:

    • The size and placement of the initial window

    • The folder in which the application is installed

    • The Program menu folder in which to place the application.

    The dialog box has the following options:

    Associated file types
    Lets you specify associated file types that the AIR application will handle. Click the Plus (+) button to add a new file type to the text box. Clicking the Plus button displays the File Type Settings dialog box. Clicking the Minus (-) button removes an item that is selected in the text box. Clicking the Pencil button displays the File Type Settings dialog box and allows you to edit an item that you’ve selected in the text box. By default, the Minus (-) and Pencil buttons are dimmed. Selecting an item in the text box enables the Minus (-) and Pencil buttons, allowing you to remove or edit the item. The default value in the text box is None.

    For more information on the file type settings for associated file types, see File type settings.

    Initial window settings
    Lets you specify size and placement settings for the initial application window.

    • Width: Specifies the initial width of the window in pixels. The value is blank by default.

    • Height: Specifies the initial height of the window in pixels. The value is blank by default.

    • X: Specifies the initial horizontal position of the window in pixels. The value is blank by default.

    • Y: Specifies the initial vertical position of the window in pixels. The value is blank by default.

    • Maximum Width and Maximum Height: Specify the maximum size of the window in pixels. These values are blank by default.

    • Minimum Width and Minimum Height: Specify the minimum size of the window in pixels. These values are blank by default.

    • Maximizable: Lets you specify whether the user can maximize the window. This option is selected (or true) by default.

    • Minimizable: Lets you specify whether the user can minimize the window. This option is selected (or true) by default.

    • Resizable: Lets you specify whether the user can resize the window. If this option is not selected, Maximum Width, Maximum Height, Minimum Width, and Minimum Height are dimmed. This option is selected (or true) by default.

    • Visible: Lets you specify whether the application window is visible initially. The option is selected (or true) by default.

    Other Settings
    Lets you specify the following additional information regarding the installation:

    • Install Folder: Specifies the folder in which the application is installed.

    • Program Menu Folder: Specifies the name of the program menu folder for the application.

    • Custom Update UI: Specifies what happens when a user opens an AIR file for an application that’s already installed. By default, AIR displays a dialog box that allows the user to update the installed version with the version in the AIR file. If you don’t want the user to make that decision and you want the application to have complete control over its updates, select this option. Selecting this option overrides the default behavior and gives the application control over its own updates.

    For information on updating an AIR application programmatically, see Updating AIR applications.

    File type settings

    Flash displays the File Type Settings dialog box if you click the Plus (+) button or the Pencil button in the Advanced Settings dialog box to add or edit associated file types for the application.

    The only two required fields in this dialog box are Name and Extension. If you click OK and either of those fields is blank, Flash displays an error dialog box.

    You can specify the following settings for an associated file type:

    Name
    The name of the file type (for example, Hypertext Markup Language, Text File, or Example).

    Extension
    The filename extension (for example, html, txt, or xmpl), up to 39 basic alphanumeric characters, (A-Za-z0-9), and without a leading period.

    Description
    Optional. A description of the file type (for example, Adobe Video File).

    Content type
    Optional. Specifies the MIME type for the file.

    File Type Icon Settings
    Optional. Lets you specify an icon that’s associated with the file type. You can specify four different sizes for the icon (128x128, 48x48, 32x32, and 16x16 pixels) to allow for the different views in which the icon appears. For example, the icon can appear in the file browser in thumbnail, detail, and tile views.

    If you specify an image, it must be of the size that you specify. If you do not specify a file for a particular size, AIR uses the image of the closest size and scales it to fit for the given occurrence.

    To specify an icon, either click the folder for the icon size and select an icon file to use or enter the path and filename for the icon file in the text box next to the prompt. The icon file must be in PNG format.

    After a new file type is created, it is shown in the File Type list box in the Advanced Settings dialog box.

    Application descriptor file settings

    The application settings that you specify are saved to the application_name-app.xml file. You have the option, however, of indicating to Flash that you want to use a custom application descriptor file.

    Use Custom Application Descriptor File
    Lets you browse to a custom application descriptor file. If you select Use Custom Application Descriptor File, the Application Settings section of the dialog box is dimmed. To specify the location of the custom application descriptor file, either enter it in the text field below Use Custom Application Descriptor File or click the folder icon and browse to the location. For more information on the application descriptor file, see Creating a custom application descriptor file.

    Installer settings

    The second section of the AIR - Application And Installer Settings dialog box contains settings that pertain to installing the application.

    Digital Signature
    All Adobe AIR applications must be signed to be installed on another system. For information about assigning a digital signature to a Flash Adobe AIR application, see Signing your application.

    Destination
    Specifies where to save the AIR file. The default location is the directory where you saved the FLA file. Click the folder icon to select a different location. The default package name is the application name with the .air file extension.

    Included Files/Folders
    Specifies which additional files and folders to include in your application. Click the Plus (+) button to add files, and the folder button to add folders. To delete a file or folder from your list, select the file or folder and click the Minus (-) button.

    By default, the application descriptor file and the main SWF file are automatically added to the package list. The package list shows these files even if you have not yet published the Adobe AIR FLA file. The package list displays the files and folders in a flat structure. Files in a folder are not listed, and full path names to files are shown but are truncated if necessary.

    Icon files are not included in the list. When Flash packages the files, it copies the icon files to a temporary folder that is relative to the location of the SWF file. Flash deletes the folder after packaging is complete.

    Failure to create application and installer files

    The application and installer files fail to be created in the following instances:

    • The application ID string has an incorrect length or contains invalid characters. The application ID string can be from 1 to 212 characters and can include the following characters: 0-9, a-z, A-Z, . (dot), - (hyphen).

    • Files in the installer list do not exist.

    • The sizes of custom icon files are incorrect.

    • The AIR destination folder does not have write access.

    • You have not signed the application or have not specified that it is an Adobe AIRI application that will be signed later.