Debugging AIR for TV applications

    Device simulation using ADL

    The fastest, easiest way to test and debug most application features is to run your application on your development computer using the Adobe Debug Launcher (ADL) utility.

    ADL uses the supportedProfiles element in the application descriptor to choose which profile to use. Specifically:

    • If more than one profile is listed, ADL uses the first one in the list.

    • You can use the -profile parameter of ADL to select one of the other profiles in the supportedProfiles list.

    • If you do not include a supportedProfiles element in the application descriptor, then any profile can be specified for the -profile argument.

    For example, use the following command to launch an application to simulate the tv profile:
    adl -profile tv myApp-app.xml

    When simulating the tv or extendedTV profile on the desktop with ADL, the application runs in an environment that more closely matches a target device. For example:

    • ActionScript APIs that are not part of the profile in the -profile argument are not available.

    • ADL allows the input of device input controls, such as remote controls, through menu commands.

    • Specifying tv or extendedTV in the -profile argument allows ADL to simulate the StageVideo class on the desktop.

    • Specifying extendedTV in the -profile argument allows the application to use native extension stubs or simulators packaged with the application AIRN file.

    However, because ADL runs the application on the desktop, testing AIR for TV applications using ADL has limitations:

    • It does not reflect application performance on the device. Run performance tests on the target device.

    • It does not simulate the limitations of the StageVideo object. Typically, you use the StageVideo class, not the Video class, to play a video when targeting AIR for TV devices. The StageVideo class takes advantage of performance benefits of the device’s hardware, but has display limitations. ADL plays the video on the desktop without these limitations. Therefore, test playing video on the target device.

    • It cannot simulate the native code of a native extension. You can, however, specify the extendedTV profile, which supports native extensions, in the ADL -profile argument. ADL allows you to test with the ActionScript-only stub or simulator version of the extension included in the ANE package. However, typically the corresponding extension that is installed on the device also includes native code. To test using the extension with its native code, run the application on the target device.

    For more information, see AIR Debug Launcher (ADL).

    Using native Extensions

    If your application uses native extensions, the ADL command looks like the following example:

    adl -profile extendedTV -extdir C:\extensionDirs myApp-app.xml

    The example assumes that:

    • The path to the ADL tool is on your command-line shell’s path definition. (See Path environment variables.)

    • The current directory contains the application files. These files include the SWF files and the application descriptor file, which is myApp-app.xml in this example.

    • The parameter -extdir names a directory that contains a directory for each native extension that the application uses. Each of these directories contains the unpackaged ANE file of a native extension. For example:

      C:\extensionDirs 
    extension1.ane 
        META-INF 
            ANE 
                default 
                    library.swf 
                extension.xml 
            signatures.xml 
        catalog.xml 
        library.swf 
        mimetype 
    extension2.ane 
        META-INF 
            ANE 
                default 
                    library.swf 
                extension.xml 
            signatures.xml 
        catalog.xml 
        library.swf 
        mimetype

      These unpackaged ANE files contain an ActionScript-only stub or simulator version of the extension. The version of the extension that contains the native code is installed on the AIR for TV device.

    For more information, see Developing Native Extensions for Adobe AIR.

    Control input

    ADL simulates the remote control buttons on a TV device. You can send these button inputs to the simulated device using the menu displayed when ADL is launched using one of the TV profiles.

    Screen size

    You can test your application on different size screens by setting the ADL -screensize parameter. You can specify a string containing the four values representing the widths and heights of the normal and maximized screens.

    Always specify the pixel dimensions for portrait layout, meaning specify the width as a value smaller than the value for height. For example:

    adl -screensize 728x1024:768x1024 myApp-app.xml

    Trace statements

    When you run your TV application on the desktop, trace output is printed to either the debugger or the terminal window used to launch ADL.

    Remote debugging with Flash Professional

    You can use Flash Professional to remotely debug your AIR for TV application while it runs on the target device. However, the steps to set up remote debugging depend on the device. For example, the Adobe® AIR® for TV MAX 2010 Hardware Development Kit contains documentation for detailed steps for that device.

    Regardless of the target device, however, do the following steps to prepare for remote debugging:

    1. In the Publish Settings dialog box, in the Flash tab, select Permit Debugging.

      This option causes Flash Professional to include debugging information in all the SWF files it creates from your FLA file.

    2. In the Signature tab of the Adobe AIR Settings dialog box (Application and Installer Settings), select the option to prepare an AIR Intermediate (AIRI) file.

      When you are still developing your application, using an AIRI file, which requires no digital signature, is sufficient.

    3. Publish your application, creating the AIRI file.

    The last steps are installing and running the application on the target device. However, these steps are dependent on the device.

    Remote debugging with Flash Builder

    You can also use Flash Builder to remotely debug your AIR for TV application while it runs on the target device. However, the steps to do remote debugging depend on the device.

    Regardless of the target device, however, do the following steps to prepare for remote debugging:

    1. Select Project > Export Release Build. Select the option to prepare an AIR Intermediate (AIRI) file.

      When you are still developing your application, using an AIRI file, which requires no digital signature, is sufficient.

    2. Publish your application, creating the AIRI file.

    3. Change the application’s AIRI package to contain SWF files that contain debug information.

      The SWF files that contain debug information are located in the Flash Builder project directory for the application in a directory called bin-debug. Replace the SWF files in the AIRI package with the SWF files in the bin-debug directory.

    On a Windows development machine, you can make this replacement by doing the following:

    1. Rename the AIRI package file to have the filename extension .zip instead of .airi.

    2. Extract the ZIP file contents.

    3. Replace the SWF files in the extracted directory structure with the ones from bin-debug.

    4. Re-zip the files in the extracted directory.

    5. Change the zipped file to once again have the .airi filename extension.

    If you are using a Mac development machine, the steps for this replacement are device-dependent. However, they generally involve the following:

    1. Install the AIRI package on the target device.

    2. Replace the SWF files in the application’s installation directory on the target device with the SWF files from the bin-debug directory.

      For example, consider the device included with the Adobe AIR for TV MAX 2010 Hardware Development Kit. Install the AIRI package as described in the kit documentation. Then, use telnet on the command line of your Mac development machine to access your target device. Replace the SWF files in the application installation directory at /opt/adobe/stagecraft/apps/<application name>/ with the SWF files from the bin-debug directory.

    The following steps are for remote debugging with Flash Builder and the device included with the Adobe AIR for TV MAX 2010 Hardware Development Kit.

    1. On the computer running Flash Builder, your development computer, run the AIR for TV Device Connector that comes with the MAX 2010 Hardware Development Kit. It shows the IP address of your development computer.

    2. On the hardware kit device, launch the DevMaster application, which also comes with the development kit.

    3. In the DevMaster application, enter the IP address of your development computer as shown in the AIR for TV Device Connector.

    4. In the DevMaster application, make sure that Enable Remote Debugging is selected.

    5. Exit the DevMaster application.

    6. On the development computer, select Start in the AIR for TV Connector.

    7. On the hardware kit device, start another application. Verify that trace information displays in the AIR for TV Device Connector.

      If trace information does not display, the development computer and the hardware kit device are not connected. Make sure the port on the development computer that is used for trace information is available. You can choose a different port in the AIR for TV Device Connector. Also, make sure that your firewall allows access to the chosen port.

    Next, start the debugger in Flash Builder. Do the following:

    1. In Flash Builder, select Run > Debug Configurations.

    2. From the existing debug configuration, which is for local debugging, copy the name of the project.

    3. In the Debug Configurations dialog box, select Web Application. Then select the New Launch Configuration icon.

    4. Paste the project name into the Project field.

    5. In the URL Or Path To Launch section, remove the check from Use Default. Also, enter about:blank in the text field.

    6. Select Apply to save your changes.

    7. Select Debug to start the Flash Builder debugger.

    8. Start your application on the hardware kit device.

    You can now use the Flash Builder debugger to, for example, set breakpoints and examine variables.

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