Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) for JavaScript Developers Pocket Guide (Adobe Developer Library) [Paperback]

Mike Chambers (Author), Daniel Dura (Author), Kevin Hoyt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 10, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0596515197 | ISBN-13: 978-0596515195 | Edition: 1st Ed.

Written by members of the Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) product team, this is the official guide to the beta release of Adobe's new cross-platform desktop runtime, previously known by its code name Apollo.

This book explains how you can use AIR to build and deploy HTML and JavaScript-based web applications to the desktop, using all of the tools and technologies with which you are already familiar. Everything you need to know about this platform is right here, so you can start building applications with AIR right away.

Topics include:

• What AIR is, and the problems this runtime aims to solve
• How to set up your development environment
• How to create your first app using HTML and JavaScript
• The HTML and JavaScript environments within AIR
• How to do common tasks, presented in the easy-to-use O'Reilly Cookbook format

Also included is a guide to AIR packages, classes and command line tools. Once you understand the basics of building an HTML- and JavaScript-based AIR applications, this pocket guide makes an ideal reference for tackling specific problems. Welcome to the revolution!

Adobe Developer Library is a co-publishing partnership between O'Reilly Media and Adobe Systems, Inc. and is designed to produce the number one information resources for developers who use Adobe technologies. Created in 2006, the Adobe Developer Library is the official source for comprehensive learning solutions to help developers create expressive and interactive web applications that can reach virtually anyone on any platform. With top-notch books and innovative online resources covering the latest in rich Internet application development, the Adobe Developer Library offers expert training and in-depth resources, straight from the source.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Mike Chambers has spent the last 8 years building applications that target the Flash runtime. During that time, he has worked with numerous technologies including Flash, Generator, .NET, Central, Flex, and Ajax. He is currently the senior product manager for developer relations for Apollo.

Daniel Dura is a Platform Evangelist at Adobe focusing on Apollo and Flash. He is currently based in San Francisco, California.

Before joining Macromedia (which merged with Adobe in 2005) Daniel and his brother Josh founded Dura Media LLC, a Rich Internet Application development company based in Dallas, Texas. While at Adobe, he was a member of the Central and Flex teams, as well as a Product Manager for Developer Relations.

Daniel has have given presentations on Flash, Apollo, and Flex all over the world at user group meetings, conferences, and pretty much anywhere someone is willing to listen. Outside of his day job he enjoys general aviation and is well on his way to earning his Private Pilot license.

Kevin Hoyt is a Platform Evangelist with Adobe Systems, Inc. who likes moving, breaking, blurring and jumping over the lines of conventional technology. He seeks out every opportunity to congregate with other like-minded developers, and exploring how to escape any lines that form a box. Pushing the envelope of what technology can do, and how people perceive and interact with it, is his passion.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Adobe Developer Library; 1st Ed. edition (July 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0596515197
• ISBN-13: 978-0596515195
• Product Dimensions: 6.9 x 4.2 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,392,021 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #21 in Books > Computers & Technology > Programming > Cross-platform Development

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Best book for the beginner's, May 6, 2008

By 

Balaji Loganathan D "Balaji D Loganathan" (Chennai, India) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) for JavaScript Developers Pocket Guide (Adobe Developer Library) (Paperback)

I was trying to learn Adobe AIR and was looking for some good set of learning resources. I found the book "Adobe AIR for Javascript Developers" from Oreilly by and started reading it online. A cool book, the authors have done great job on presenting the topics as an easilit readable pocket guide. Soon after reading this book, i felt i got the right resource i want for now.

* I found this book a bit more than a usual pocket guide.
* If you are a beginner and don't know anything about AIR, then this book is the best bet.
* The chapters were well organized to take you from novice stage to advanced stage in AIR.
* Covers ADOBE AIR 1.0
* Chapter I and II of this book teaches you many information and technical details about the AIR which might lots of time if you have to get it from Internet.
* The authors have given lots of code snippets while explaining a topic instead of lots of theoretical text. Some thing that programmers always look for.
* This book also gives an insight about Webkit engine, architecture of AIR and the security model of AIR
The most interesting part in this book is the "Mini cookbook".
* The mini cookbook chapter contains worked out samples with complete code explanation. It includes samples that can help you understand (from AIR perspective) Application Chrome, Windowing, File API, File Pickers, Service and Server Monitoring, Online/Offline, Drag-and-Drop, Embedded Database, Command-Line Arguments, Networking, Sound.
* This book is worth buying for its content coverage and its also very cheap.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars fAIR Guide, April 2, 2008

By 

Daniel McKinnon "Dan" (Tewksbury, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) for JavaScript Developers Pocket Guide (Adobe Developer Library) (Paperback)

'Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) for JavaScript Developers Pocket Guide' is your typical pocket book with ~150 pages of content discussing AIR with a Javascript focus. Usually pocket guides are alright at being a quick reference for a technology. Something quick that enables the user to be able to get a small bit of information without having to open a books hundreds of pages long. In this case I feel that the pocket guide is not the way to go. AIR is a unique technology that requires a book full of color and content and going the short route I feel isn't worth the time or effort for the reader. Topics about setting up AIR and how to use it simply don't belong in a mini-reference and I feel that the publication of this book wasn't the best decision made.

Content is fine but lackluster and not worth the time, find a bigger AIR reference instead.

***

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Desktop JavaScript vs Browser AJAX, July 14, 2008

By 

John Farrar (Stevensville, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR) for JavaScript Developers Pocket Guide (Adobe Developer Library) (Paperback)

What makes a JavaScript desktop AIR application different from a Browser AJAX application? That is what this book is about. It doesn't waste all the pages in chatter or prolonged examples but has a nice mini-cookbook to show things off also.

I would have liked just a tip or two on doing this in Aptana or Flex Builder, but to be fair... it's a pocket guide not a larger 'everything you want to know'. It covers the core concepts of what I wanted to know and gives good references where to get more information on each topic. OH... don't forget it does have a browser capability built in. The discussion abut the security themes is great.
(FYI... I am the author of ColdFusion 8 Developer Tutorial )