Workflow for developing an AIR for TV application

Using Flash Professional
Using Flash Builder

You can develop AIR for TV applications with the following Adobe Flash Platform development tools:

Adobe Flash Professional

Adobe Flash Professional CS5.5 supports AIR 2.5 for TV, the first version of AIR to support AIR for TV applications.
Adobe Flash® Builder®

Flash Builder 4.5 supports AIR 2.5 for TV.
The AIR SDK

Starting with AIR 2.5, you can develop your applications using the command-line tools provided with the AIR SDK. To download the AIR SDK, see http://www.adobe.com/products/air/sdk/.

Using Flash Professional

Using Flash Professional to develop, test, and publish AIR for TV applications is similar to using the tool for AIR desktop applications.

However, when writing your ActionScript 3.0 code, use only classes and methods that the tv and extendedTV AIR profiles support. For details, see Device profiles.

Project settings

Do the following to set up your project for an AIR for TV application:

In the Flash tab of the Publish Settings dialog box, set the Player value to at least AIR 2.5.
In the General tab of the Adobe AIR Settings dialog box (Application and Installer Settings), set the profile to TV or extended TV.

Debugging

You can run your application using the AIR Debug Launcher within Flash Professional. Do the following:

To run the application in debugging mode, select:

Debug > Debug Movie > In AIR Debug Launcher (Desktop)

Once you have made this selection, for subsequent debugging runs, you can select:

Debug > Debug Movie > Debug
To run the application without debugging mode capabilities, select:

Control > Test Movie > In AIR Debug Launcher (Desktop)

Once you have made this selection, you can select Control > Test Movie > Test for subsequent runs.

Because you set the AIR profile to TV or extended TV, the AIR Debug Launcher provides a menu called Remote Control Buttons. You can use this menu to simulate pressing keys on a remote control device.

For more information, see Remote debugging with Flash Professional.

Using native extensions

If your application uses a native extension, follow the instructions at Task list for using a native extension.

However, when an application uses native extensions:

You cannot publish the application using Flash Professional. To publish the application, use ADT. See Packaging with ADT.
You cannot run or debug the application using Flash Professional. To debug the application on the development machine, use ADL. See Device simulation using ADL.

Using Flash Builder

Starting with Flash Builder 4.5, Flash Builder supports AIR for TV development. Using Flash Builder to develop, test, and publish AIR for TV applications is similar to using the tool for AIR desktop applications.

Setting up the application

Make sure that your application:

Uses the Application element as the container class in the MXML file, if you are using an MXML file:
```
<s:Application xmlns:fx="http://ns.adobe.com/mxml/2009" 
    xmlns:s="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/spark" 
    xmlns:mx="library://ns.adobe.com/flex/mx"> 
 
     
 
</s:Application>.
```
Important: AIR for TV applications do not support the WindowedApplication element.

Note: You do not have to use an MXML file at all. You can instead create an ActionScript 3.0 project.
Uses only ActionScript 3.0 classes and methods that the tv and extendedTV AIR profiles support. For details, see Device profiles.

Furthermore, in your application’s XML file, make sure that:

The application element’s xmlns attribute is set to AIR 2.5:

<application xmlns="http://ns.adobe.com/air/application/2.5">

The supportedProfiles element includes tv or extendedTV:
```
<supportedProfiles>tv</supportedProfiles>
```

Debugging the application

You can run your application using the AIR Debug Launcher within Flash Builder. Do the following:

Select Run > Debug Configurations.
Make sure that the Profile field is set to Desktop.
Select Run > Debug to run in debugging mode or select Run > Run to run without debugging mode capabilities.

Because you set the supportedProfiles element to TV or extended TV, the AIR Debug Launcher provides a menu called Remote Control Buttons. You can use this menu to simulate pressing keys on a remote control device.

For more information, see Remote debugging with Flash Builder.

Using native extensions

If your application uses a native extension, follow the instructions at Task list for using a native extension.

However, when an application uses native extensions:

You cannot publish the application using Flash Builder. To publish the application, use ADT. See Packaging with ADT.
You cannot run or debug the application using Flash Builder. To debug the application on the development machine, use ADL. See Device simulation using ADL.