AIR: Building Desktop Applications with Flex 3

Duration: 2 days
Time: 10am - 6pm. Breaks are scheduled throughout the day and lunch is typically scheduled between 12-1pm
Course Materials: Vendor Authorized Courseware provided
Locations: Reston, VA / On-Site
Related Courses: Flash - ActionScript - Photoshop - InDesign - Illustrator - Fireworks
Instructor:
Cost: $1495
Registration: Click Here to Register

Description

The Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) is a cross-operating system runtime which allows Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) to run as desktop applications. AIR helps you leverage your existing web development skills to build software for the desktop. This two day class is designed to introduce you to the fundamentals of working with Adobe Flex 3 and AIR for application development.

Audience

This course is designed for application developers who would like to use the powerful combination of Adobe Flex and AIR for desktop and web development. Please see the following prerequisites before registering for this class.

Prerequisites

To gain the most from this course, you should have:

• Attended the Adobe Flex: Rich Client Applications course, or
• Have equivalent experience using MXML and ActionScript 3 to develop Adobe Flex applications which include the following features: data binding, user interface, container, and navigation components, custom components, in-line and scripted event handling, view states, and custom classes.

Introducing the course

* Introducing Mastery Learning
* Understanding the course format
* Reviewing the course prerequisites
* Reviewing the course outline

Introducing Adobe AIR

* Exploring the Adobe AIR development toolset
* Understanding the runtime application
* Understanding the Adobe AIR SDK
* Looking at Adobe Flex Builder™ 3
* Reviewing the Adobe AIR tools for Flex Builder 3
* Creating Adobe AIR projects
* Exporting Adobe AIR applications
* Walkthrough: Review the course application

Getting started with Adobe AIR

* Creating your first Adobe AIR application
* Creating an Adobe AIR project
* Creating a main application
* Compiling an Adobe AIR application
* Running an Adobe AIR application
* Walkthrough: Create an Adobe AIR application
* Packaging and deploying applications
* Exporting an application
* Code-signing an application
* Selecting application content
* Installing an application
* Walkthrough: Export and install application
* Learning Adobe AIR fundamentals
* Understanding the application container
* Exploring the Adobe AIR file format
* Understanding the application descriptor
* Understanding the application display attributes
* Walkthrough: Examine the Adobe AIR package and change its descriptor
* Getting help and other resources

Creating native windows

* Creating a window
* Using the Window class
* Adding content to a window
* Walkthrough: Create, open, and close a native window
* Modifying the window display
* Changing the window type
* Changing the window chrome
* Setting window transparency
* Going full screen
* Walkthrough: Control chrome, transparency, and full screen
* Manipulating windows
* Getting an instance of the window
* Resizing a window
* Moving a window
* Walkthrough: Maximize, minimize, restore, and move a window
* Using window events
* Identifying the window events
* Walkthrough: Control window behavior through event listeners

Using the file system

* Using the File class
* Using the File class
* Creating directories
* Walkthrough: Creating directories and files
* Moving and copying file system objects
* Deleting file system objects
* Walkthrough: Copy, move, and delete file objects
* Using the Flex 3 Adobe AIR components
* Reviewing the component types
* Walkthrough: Use file browsing and display components
* Using file streams
* Creating directories
* Reading and writing files
* Walkthrough: Read and write to a text file
* Working with file formats
* Using binary and encoded characters
* Walkthrough: Read, modify, and write a binary file to the desktop

Connecting applications

* Communicating between applications
* Using LocalConnection
* Walkthrough: Connect to another Adobe AIR application
* Communicating with the browser
* Using the URLRequest class
* Walkthrough: Interact with a remote service via URL
* Using HTML content
* Loading HTML content
* Walkthrough: Load HTML into an Adobe AIR application
* Getting occasionally connected
* Monitoring services
* Detecting HTTP connectivity
* Detecting Socket connectivity
* Walkthrough: Add network detection

LAB Day 1 (optional): Building an AIR application, part one

Using the clipboard

* Moving data with copy and paste
* Using the clipboard
* Getting data from the clipboard
* Writing data to the clipboard
* Walkthrough: Moving data with copy and paste
* Using drag and drop
* Exploring the drag-and-drop stages
* Dragging with the clipboard
* Walkthrough: Drag an image into the application

Persisting application data

* Using embedded SQL databases
* Understanding the database file
* Opening a database
* Creating a database
* Walkthrough: Create a new database
* Using SQL statements
* Managing the database
* Managing the data
* Using best practices with embedded databases
* Walkthrough: Update database and records
* Working with data types
* Using Date data
* Using XML data
* Using BLOB data
* Walkthrough: Use date/time and BLOB data

Understanding Adobe AIR security

* Considering Adobe AIR security
* Learning about security sandboxes
* Understanding the domain considerations
* Detecting Adobe AIR capabilities
* Understanding the security best practices
* Walkthrough: Add capability detection
* Using Encrypted Local Storage
* Walkthrough: Using encrypted local storage
* Understanding AIR application updating
* Using the Updater class
* Determining current version at runtime
* Walkthrough: Preventing downgrade attacks while updating an AIR application

Customizing application deployment

* Setting the application's desktop icon
* Using application icons
* Walkthrough: Add icon to application
* Setting system tray notifications
* Using the shell
* Walkthrough: Add a system tray icon
* Customizing application chrome
* Understanding application chrome
* Walkthrough: Change application chrome

LAB Day 2 (optional): Building an AIR application, part two

 

 

 

AIR: Building Desktop Applications with AJAX

Duration: 2 days
Time: 10am - 6pm. Breaks are scheduled throughout the day and lunch is typically scheduled between 12-1pm
Course Materials: Vendor Authorized Courseware provided
Locations: Reston, VA / On-Site
Related Courses: Flash - ActionScript - Photoshop - InDesign - Illustrator - Fireworks
Instructor:
Cost: $1495
Registration: Click Here to Register

Course Synopsis

AIRJ is a two day course designed to equip web developers who have experience with AJAX technologies with the skills needed to develop robust desktop applications using the Adobe Integrated Runtime. This course focuses on the toolset available to HTML and Javascript developers.

Prerequisites

Experience building HTML web applications with CSS and custom-written Javascript. Familiarity with AJAX (asynchronous Javascript and XML) techniques will enhance your learning the class.

Introducing the course

* Introducing Mastery Learning
* Understanding the course format
* Reviewing the course prerequisites
* Reviewing the course outline

Introducing the Adobe Integrated Runtime

* Exploring the AIR development Toolset
* Understanding the AIR SDK
* Looking at Dreamweaver
* Reviewing the AIR tools for Dreamweaver
* Creating AIR Sites
* Exporting AIR Applications
* Walkthrough: Review the course application

Getting started with AIR

* Creating your first AIR application
* Creating an AIR project
* Walkthrough: Create your first AIR application
* Creating an AIR application in Dreamweaver
* Creating a Site
* Creating a new AIR application in Dreamweaver
* Launching Your AIR application in Dreamweaver
* Walkthrough: Create an AIR application with Dreamweaver
* Packaging and deploying applications
* Using the Air Application Settings Wizard
* Selecting application content
* Code-signing an application
* Exporting an application
* Installing an application
* Walkthrough: Export and install application
* Understanding the contents of the .air file
* Exploring the AIR file format
* Understanding the application descriptor
* Understanding the application display attributes
* Walkthrough: Examine the AIR package
* Learning AIR Fundamentals
* Understanding the application container
* Functionality of AIR
* Accessing AIR Features from Javascript
* Getting Debugging Information
* Extending the Runtime with ActionScript
* Walkthrough: Create an AIR application with Javascript
* Getting help and other resources

Using the File System

* Using the File class
* Introducing the file class
* Accessing common directories
* Allowing user to specify files or directories
* Walkthrough: Browsing the file system with the File class
* Interacting with the file system
* Referencing a file or directory
* Creating directories
* Moving and copying file system objects
* Removing file system objects
* Walkthrough: Copy, move and delete file objects
* Using file streams
* Reading and Writing Files
* Walkthrough: Read and write a file
* Working with files asynchronously
* Compare synchronous and asynchronous methods
* Walkthrough: Read a file asynchronously

Creating Native Windows

* Exploring the types of windows
* Customizing properties of the window
* Walkthrough using window.open()
* Using the NativeWindow class
* Adding content to a window
* Walkthrough: Create a native window
* Manipulating windows
* Resizing a window
* Moving a window
* Walkthrough: Resize and move a window
* Using window events
* Using addEventListener()
* Identifying the window events
* Walkthrough: Listen for window event

Lab 1

Persisting Application Data

* Using an embedded SQL databases
* Understanding the database file
* Opening a database
* Creating a database
* Walkthrough: Create a new database
* Using SQL statements
* Managing the database
* Managing the data
* Using best practices with embedded databases
* Walkthrough: Update database and records
* Working with data types
* Using Date data type
* Using XML data type
* Using BLOB data type
* Walkthrough: Use date/time data

Using the clipboard

* Moving data with copy and paste
* Understanding the Clipboard
* Using the generalClipboard
* Getting data from the clipboard
* Writing data to the clipboard
* Walkthrough: Moving data with copy and paste
* Using drag-and-drop
* Exploring the drag and drop stages
* Dragging with the clipboard
* Walkthrough: Drag an image into the application

Connecting Applications

* Communicating between applications
* Using LocalConnection
* Walkthrough: Connect to another AIR application
* Detecing network availability
* Monitoring network state changes
* Detecting HTTP connectivity
* Detecting Socket connectivity
* Walkthrough: Using network detection
* Connecting to web applications using URLRequest
* Requesting a URL via HTTP
* Using the URLRequest class
* Using the URLVariables class
* Using the URLoader class
* Walkthrough: Using the URLRequest Object

Understanding AIR Security

* Considering AIR security
* Learning about security sandboxes
* Understanding the domain considerations
* Understanding the need for Security Sandboxes
* Implementing Security Sandboxes
* Implementing the sandbox bridge
* Walkthrough: Create a security sandbox
* Understanding application updates
* Walkthrough: Update an application

Customizing Application Deployment

* Setting the application's desktop icon
* Using application icons
* Walkthrough: Add icon to application
* Using system tray icons
* Walkthrough: Adding a system tray icon

Summary and Review
Lab 2