AIR for Flex Developers

AIR for Flex Developers is David Gassner's follow-up to his AIR Essential Training course, and takes a deeper look at how Flex Builder 3 and the Flex 3 framework can be used to build cross-system desktop applications with Adobe AIR. David examines every point of integration with the host operating system, including working with the local file system, creating and maintaining local databases, and managing native windows and menus. He also shares tips for how to configure the development environment, and how to publish and update finished AIR applications. Example files accompany the course.

Table of contents

Introduction

• Welcome 0:46 0.3 MB
• Prerequisites 2:50 2.5 MB
• Installing WAMP on Windows 4:46 4.3 MB
• Installing MAMP on Mac OS X 4:30 4.6 MB
• Installing the sample database on MySQL 2:49 2.3 MB
• Using the example files 0:42 0.5 MB
• Setting up the example files on Mac OS X 5:17 4.8 MB
• Setting up the example files on Windows 5:17 5.3 MB

1. AIR and Flex: A Quick Review

• Creating a Flex project for AIR 3:30 3.1 MB
• Exporting an AIR installation package 5:14 4.0 MB
• Using the descriptor file 7:16 7.1 MB

2. Using the Clipboard

• Understanding the Clipboard architecture 4:39 4.0 MB
• Copying data to the system Clipboard 5:15 6.6 MB
• Retrieving data from the system Clipboard 3:07 3.0 MB
• Transferring complex objects with the Clipboard 6:00 6.0 MB
• Transferring data collections with the Clipboard 7:51 8.7 MB
• Transferring images in the Clipboard 4:20 3.9 MB
• Deferred rendering 3:29 3.2 MB

3. Creating Drag-and-Drop Interfaces

• Understanding drag-and-drop interfaces 3:44 4.1 MB
• Accepting native dropped data 5:38 5.2 MB
• Dragging and dropping file references 8:25 7.7 MB
• Initiating native drag-and-drop 7:15 6.3 MB

4. Using the File System

• Understanding file system access in AIR 4:13 3.8 MB
• Using directory aliases and the File class 9:30 8.1 MB
• Comparing synchronous and asynchronous file operations 5:41 5.7 MB
• Browsing for files and directories 5:42 5.4 MB
• Working with Flex's file access visual controls 9:18 8.9 MB
• Creating and deleting directories 8:03 6.8 MB
• Creating and manipulating files 11:01 10.6 MB
• Reading data from a text file 7:13 6.4 MB
• Writing data to a text file 5:01 5.0 MB
• Using temporary directories 9:07 10.0 MB

5. Working with HTML Content

• Using the Flex HTML component to create a browser 7:42 7.2 MB
• Using script bridging with ActionScript and JavaScript 6:24 5.6 MB
• Understanding AIR security in JavaScript 5:46 5.1 MB

6. Using Native Windows

• Defining and instantiating native windows 8:03 7.3 MB
• Controlling native window appearance 7:08 7.1 MB
• Using transparent windows 4:10 3.7 MB
• Working in Full Screen mode 3:03 3.8 MB
• Changing the order of multiple windows 4:41 6.7 MB
• Handling window events 4:34 4.7 MB
• Preventing default window behaviors 3:37 3.0 MB

7. Using Native Menus

• Creating native menus 6:21 7.4 MB
• Adding native menus to windows and applications 2:58 2.5 MB
• Using submenus and keyboard shortcuts 5:53 5.8 MB
• Using the FlexNativeMenu control 5:39 5.3 MB
• Using context menus 4:32 4.3 MB
• Displaying menus in the system tray or Dock 2:58 2.8 MB

8. Monitoring Network Connections

• Understanding network monitoring 3:11 2.8 MB
• Using the URLMonitor 6:51 6.7 MB
• Setting the pollInterval property 2:54 2.4 MB
• Using the SocketMonitor 3:55 3.2 MB

9. Using the Local Database

• Understanding the integrated SQLite database 3:30 3.3 MB
• Creating and connecting to a database 5:15 4.6 MB
• Using asynchronous database operations 3:57 3.9 MB
• Creating database tables 7:15 6.3 MB
• Inserting data 5:46 5.5 MB
• Retrieving and handling data 5:56 7.2 MB
• Using SQL statement parameters 7:08 7.3 MB
• Using transactions 4:59 5.3 MB
• Creating an occasionally connected application 8:55 8.6 MB

10. Encrypting Local Data

• Understanding the EncryptedLocalStore class 2:48 3.2 MB
• Inserting data into the encrypted local store 2:40 2.7 MB
• Retrieving data from the encrypted local store 2:34 2.2 MB

11. Invoking an AIR Application

• Using command-line arguments with AIR 9:42 8.0 MB
• Opening files with AIR 7:09 6.0 MB
• Using custom file types 4:58 6.4 MB

12. Updating an AIR Application

• Setting application version numbers 6:02 6.6 MB
• Retrieving an installation package from a website 8:42 8.5 MB
• Comparing application version numbers 4:15 4.6 MB
• Performing an application update 5:40 6.1 MB

13. Advanced Techniques

• Closing an application gracefully 4:45 4.9 MB
• Communicating between AIR applications 8:40 8.8 MB

Conclusion

• Goodbye