Publishing for Adobe AIR



Adobe® AIR™, a new cross-operating system runtime allows you to leverage local desktop resources and data to deliver even more personal, engaging experiences. Using the same skills you use to deliver to the Adobe Flash Player, your content can now reach even more audiences across more devices – web, mobile, and now the desktop.

    About Adobe AIR

    Adobe® AIR™ is a cross-operating system runtime that allows you to leverage your existing web development skills (Adobe® Flash® CS3 Professional, Adobe® Flex™, HTML, JavaScript®, Ajax) to build and deploy Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) to the desktop. AIR enables you to work in familiar environments, to leverage the tools and approaches you find most comfortable, and by supporting Flash, Flex, HTML, JavaScript, and Ajax, to build the best possible experience that meets your needs.

    Users interact with AIR applications in the same way that they interact with native desktop applications. The runtime is installed once on the user's computer, and then AIR applications are installed and run just like any other desktop application.The runtime provides a consistent cross-operating system platform and framework for deploying applications and therefore eliminates cross-browser testing by ensuring consistent functionality and interactions across desktops. Instead of developing for a specific operating system, you target the runtime.

    AIR dramatically changes how applications can be created, deployed, and experienced. You gain more creative control and can extend your Flash, Flex, HTML, and Ajax-based applications to the desktop, without learning traditional desktop development technologies.

    For more information on developing Adobe AIR™ applications, see Developing Adobe AIR 1.5 Applications with Adobe Flash CS4 Professional.

    The following video tutorials describe how to create AIR™ applications in Flash:

    Create an Adobe AIR file

    You can create Flash File (Adobe AIR) documents using the Flash Welcome screen, or the File > New command, or you can create a Flash File (ActionScript® 3.0) and convert it to an Adobe AIR file through the Publish Settings dialog box.

    To create an Adobe AIR file, do one of the following:

    • Start Flash. The Welcome screen appears. If you have already started Flash, close any open documents to return to the Welcome screen. In the Welcome screen, select Flash File (Adobe AIR).

      Note: If you’ve disabled the Flash Welcome screen, you can display it again by selecting Edit > Preferences and selecting Welcome Screen from the On Launch pop-up menu in the General category.

    • Choose File > New and select Flash File (Adobe AIR) and click OK.

    • Open an existing Flash file and convert it to an AIR file by selecting Adobe AIR from the Player menu in the Flash tab of the Publish Settings dialog box (File > Publish Settings).

    By default, AIR files are set to use ActionScript 3.0. You can create an AIR file from an ActionScript 2.0 FLA file, but the file will not be able to use any of the AIR-specific APIs, which are all ActionScript 3.0. This can be useful for converting older Flash content into AIR applications.

    Note: If you save a Flash CS4 AIR file in Flash CS3 format, set the Player version to AIR 1.0 manually in the Publish Settings dialog box when opening the file in Flash CS3. Flash CS3 only supports publishing to AIR 1.0.

    Preview or publish an Adobe AIR application

    You can preview a Flash AIR SWF file as it would appear in the AIR application window. Previewing is useful when you want to see what the visible aspects of the application look like without packaging and installing the application.

    1. Make sure you’ve set the Player setting in the Flash tab of the Publish Settings dialog box to Adobe AIR.

    2. Select Control > Test Movie or press Control+Enter.

    If you have not set application settings through the AIR - Application And Installer Settings dialog box, Flash generates a default application descriptor file (swfname-app.xml) for you in the same folder where the SWF file is written. If you have set application settings using the AIR - Application And Installer Settings dialog box, the application descriptor file reflects those settings.

    To publish an AIR file, do one of the following:

    • Click the Publish button in the Publish Settings dialog box.

    • Click the Publish AIR File button in the AIR - Application & Installer Settings dialog box.

    • Choose File > Publish.

    • Choose File >Publish Preview.

    When you Publish an AIR file, Flash creates a SWF file and XML application descriptor file and packages copies of both, along with any other files you have added to your application, into an AIR installer file (swfname.air).

    Creating AIR application and installer files

    After you’ve finished developing your application, specify the settings for the AIR application descriptor and installer files required to deploy it. Flash creates the descriptor and installer files along with the SWF file when you publish an AIR file.

    You specify the settings for these files in the AIR - Application & Installer Settings dialog box. Once you have created an AIR file, this dialog box can be opened from either the document Property inspector or the Player menu Settings button in the Flash tab of the Publish Settings dialog box.

    Create the Adobe AIR application and installer files

    1. In Flash, open the FLA file or set of files that make up your Adobe AIR application.

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

    3. Select File > AIR Settings.

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

      When you click the Publish AIR File button, the following files are packaged: 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 contains the following options:

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

    Name
    The name used by the AIR application 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 1.0.

    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.applicationName.

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

    Copyright
    Optional. Lets you enter a copyright notice. Defaults to blank.

    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 (the default), which refers to the standard window 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 the Adobe AIR runtime. 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.

    View full size graphic
    The Icon Images dialog box with the default Adobe AIR application icons

    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 Advanced Settings button in the AIR - Application And Installer Settings dialog box opens a separate dialog box that allows you to specify additional settings for the application descriptor file.

    The Advanced Settings dialog box lets you specify any associated file types that your AIR 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.

    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 (Windows only): Specifies the name of the program menu folder for the application.

    • Use Custom UI for Updates: Specifies what happens when a user opens an AIR installer 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.

    File type settings

    Flash displays the File Type Settings dialog box if you click the Plus (+) button or the Pencil button in the Associated File Types section of 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 in the AIR - Application & Installer Settings dialog box are saved in the application_name-app.xml file when you publish your AIR application. 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 understanding and editing the application descriptor file, see Creating a custom application descriptor file in the Developing AIR Applications guide.

    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 package. 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 Included Files 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.

    Creating a custom application descriptor file

    The application descriptor file is an XML file that you can edit with a text editor. Flash creates the descriptor file based on the settings you choose in the AIR - Application & Installer Settings dialog box. You can also choose to create your own descriptor file or edit the one that Flash creates.

    To create a custom application descriptor file, edit the values to specify the settings you want. The default values are shown here:

    • id = com.adobe.example.swfname

    • version = 1.0

    • filename = swfname

    • description = blank

    • name = swfname

    • copyright = blank

    • initialWindow

      • content = swfname.swf

      • systemChrome = standard, type = normal

      • transparent = false

      • visible = true

    • icon

      • image128x128 = icons/AIRApp_128.png

      • image48x48 = icons/AIRApp_48.png

      • image32x32 = icons/AIRApp_32.png

      • image16x16 = icons/AIRApp_16.png

    • customUpdateUI = false

    • allowBrowserInvocation = false

    You can customize the description and name properties to include languages other than English.

    To provide a name or description for additional languages:

    1. Delete the default name or description element.

    2. Replace it with the example name or description element provided in the default descriptor file.

      The example name element looks like this:

      <!-- To localize the name, use the following format for the name element.

      <name>

      <text xml:lang="en">English App name goes here</text>

      <text xml:lang="fr">French App name goes here</text>

      <text xml:lang="ja">Japanese App name goes here</text>

      </name>

      -->

      The xml:lang attribute for each text element specifies a language code, as defined in RFC4646 (http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc4646.txt).

    3. When you are finished adding or removing text elements, remove the comment indicators (<!-- and -->) from around the name element.

    For more information on the application descriptor file and its properties, see Setting AIR application properties in the Developing AIR Applications guide at www.adobe.com/go/go/learn_air_en.

    Signing your application

    All Adobe AIR applications must be signed to be installed on another system. Flash provides the ability, however, to create unsigned Adobe AIR installer files so that the application can be signed later. These unsigned Adobe AIR installer files are called an AIRI (AIR Intermediate) package. This capability provides for cases in which the certificate is on a different machine or signing is handled separately from application development.

    Sign an Adobe AIR application with a pre-purchased digital certificate from a root certificate authority

    1. Click the Digital Signature Set button in the AIR - Application And Installer Settings dialog box. The Digital Signature dialog box opens.

      This dialog box has two radio buttons that allow you to either sign your Adobe AIR application with a digital certificate or prepare an AIRI package. If you sign your AIR application, you can either use a digital certificate granted by a root certificate authority or create a self-signed certificate. A self-signed certificate is easy to create but is not as trustworthy as a certificate granted by a root certificate authority.

      View full size graphic
      Digital Signature dialog box for signing an AIR application

    2. Select a certificate file from the pop-up menu or click the Browse button to locate a certificate file.

    3. Select the certificate.

    4. Enter a password.

    5. Click OK.

    For more information on signing your AIR application, see Digitally signing an AIR file in the Developing AIR Applications guide.

    Create a self-signed digital certificate

    1. Click the Create button. The Self-Signed Digital Certificate dialog box opens.

    2. Complete the entries for Publisher Name, Organization Unit, Organization Name, Country, Password, and Confirm Password. For Country, you can select from the menu or enter a 2-letter country code that does not appear in the menu. For a list of valid country codes, see http://www.iso.org/iso/country_codes.

    3. Specify the type of certificate.

      The Type option refers to the level of security that the certificate carries: 1024-RSA uses a 1024-bit key (less secure), and 2048-RSA uses a 2048-bit key (more secure).

    4. Save the information in a certificate file by completing the Save As entry or clicking the Browse button to browse to a folder location.

    5. Click OK.

    6. In the Digital Signature dialog box, enter the password you assigned in the second step of this procedure and click OK.

    After you have set a digital certificate, the Set button changes to a Change button.

    To have Flash remember the password you used for this session, click Remember Password For This Session.

    If the Timestamp option is unselected when you click OK, a dialog box warns that the application will fail to install when the digital certificate expires. If you click Yes in response to the warning, time stamping is disabled. If you click No, the Timestamp option is automatically selected and time stamping is enabled.

    For more information on creating a self-signed digital certificate, see Digitally signing an AIR file in the Developing AIR Applications guide.

    You can also create an AIR Intermediate (AIRI) application without a digital signature. A user cannot install the application on a desktop, however, until you add a digital signature.

    Prepare an AIRI package that will be signed later

     In the Digital Signature dialog box, select Prepare An AIRI Package That Will Be Signed Later, and click OK.

    The digital signature status changes to indicate that you have chosen to prepare an AIRI package that will be signed later, and the Set button changes to a Change button.

    If you choose to sign the application later, you will need to use the command-line AIR Developer Tool included with Flash and with the AIR SDK. For more information, see Developing Adobe AIR 1.1 Applications with Adobe Flash CS4 Professional.