Adobe AIR Developer Center

In the Adobe AIR community

Adobe AIR enables you to build applications using HTML, JavaScript, Flash, or Flex. Because Adobe AIR supports all of these technologies equally, you can use the tools that you are already familiar with for building web applications or rich Internet applications (RIAs) in the browser when developing Adobe AIR applications:

• Get started with Adobe AIR for HTML/Ajax
• Get started with Adobe AIR for Flash
• Get started with Adobe AIR with Flex

Note: If you are curious about Adobe AIR yet prefer to work with your existing IDE (instead of Adobe tools), download the Adobe AIR SDK, which includes all the tools you need to package and deploy AIR applications.

If you are new to building RIAs, here's some basic information about your technology options for building desktop applications on Adobe AIR.

Develop on Adobe AIR with HTML and Ajax

HTML applications are built using a standards-based markup language, delivered as text, and interpreted at runtime. Most complex HTML applications incorporate JavaScript and an open source Ajax framework.

Typical applications that the HTML/Ajax developer community has built on AIR include network clients, desktop versions of productivity applications built for the browser, offline management of information.

Start developing on Adobe AIR with HTML and Ajax

Develop on Adobe AIR with Flash

Flash provides vector-based graphics rendering, along with native audio and video capabilities, and uses the ActionScript language to add interactivity to websites leveraging Flash Player. ActionScript 3.0 is an implementation of ECMAScript, which is very similar to JavaScript. Many of the most creative, rich Internet experiences are built using Flash CS3 Professional.

Typical applications that the Flash developer community has built on AIR include everything from small widgets and games to desktop extensions of online marketing campaigns.

Start developing on Adobe AIR with Flash

Develop on Adobe AIR with Flex

Flex is a free, open source framework for building RIAs using Flash. Flex applications are actually Flash applications, so the key difference is the development environment. The Flex framework provides a markup language called MXML as well as a rich set of components. Flex Builder 3 is an Eclipse-based IDE with support for application debugging and profiling. Flex applications often include customized components built using Flash.

Typical applications that the Flex developer community has built on AIR include new productivity applications that connect to the web, creative tools, e-commerce applications, and much more.

Start developing on Adobe AIR with Flex

Refer to these sample applications for ideas and demonstrations of what you can build on Adobe AIR.

Featured HTML/Ajax sample application built on Adobe AIR

See more HTML/Ajax sample apps built on Adobe AIR

Featured Flash sample application built on Adobe AIR

See more Flash sample apps built on Adobe AIR

Featured Flex sample application built on Adobe AIR

See more Flex sample apps built on Adobe AIR

Download the software, software development kits (SDKs), extensions, and frameworks you need to build, package, and deploy Adobe AIR applications in your preferred development environment.

Software

Tools to develop on Adobe AIR

Community tools and frameworks

Share your development knowledge, see what other developers are creating, and ask the Adobe AIR developer community for help with your coding questions.

• Learn from on-demand presentations
• Engage with community resources
• Connect with Adobe resources
• Find an Adobe AIR event or like-minded developers

On-demand presentations

Adobe Developer Week 2008
Catch up with the latest trends in building RIAs with these 20 sessions covering AIR, Flex, Flash, Mobile, ColdFusion and Dreamweaver.

Bringing Ajax Applications to the Desktop with Adobe AIR
In this eSeminar, Adobe platform evangelist Kevin Hoyt shows you how to use your Ajax skills to take your web-based apps to the desktop.

RIA Developer Camp presentations

Watch the following demos to learn how developer community leaders use Adobe Flex and Adobe AIR to improve their business applications:

Creating Interactive Help Systems for Your Rich Internet Applications
Explore how to turn your existing help systems or knowledge bases into an engaging information experience for your AIR, Flex, ColdFusion, and other application.

Find more on-demand presentations

Engage with community resources

Note: If you maintain a site that helps Adobe AIR developers better communicate or find the technical resources they need to remain productive, submit it. If we agree, we'll post your site's logo along with a brief description to this page.

Connect with Adobe resources

Get involved

Share your knowledge. We're looking for new and original solutions and work-arounds to common coding problems related to building Flex, Flash, or HTML/Ajax-based apps on Adobe AIR.

If you have a solution related to the following or any other topic related to building on AIR:

• Bridging content from different security sandboxes
• Using transactions with queries
• Including a database in an AIR application
• Consuming eBay Web Services
• Reading and writing data from a file
• Making creative use of the Service Monitor Framework

—be sure to post it to the AIR cookbook for a chance to have your solution appear in the upcoming Adobe AIR Cookbook written and compiled by David Tucker, Marco Casario, Rich Tretola, and Koen De Weggheleire to be published by O’Reilly Media. All posts will receive equal consideration.

• Read David Tucker's announcement
• Start posting