Adobe Systems Incorporated today released the beta version of Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR), formerly code named Apollo. Adobe AIR™ is a cross-operating system application runtime that allows developers to use HTML/CSS, Ajax, Adobe Flash® and Adobe Flex to extend rich Internet applications (RIAs) to the desktop. New features in the Adobe AIR beta include an embedded local database, PDF support, enhanced capabilities for JavaScript developers, and deeper integration with Adobe Flex.
Adobe AIR along with Adobe Flex are cornerstones of Adobe's comprehensive RIA platform, which enables developers and designers to create and deliver rich, dynamic, branded content and applications across all major operating systems. Key elements of Adobe AIR are open source, including the WebKit HTML engine, the ActionScript™ Virtual Machine (Tamarin project) and SQLite local database functionality. Additionally, Adobe recently announced its intention to release Adobe Flex as open source. By embracing open source technologies and offering pre-release versions of software, Adobe enables developers worldwide to participate in the growth of the industry's most advanced platform for building cross-operating system RIAs.
"Adobe AIR represents a new medium, as the best of the Web and the best of the desktop come together," said Kevin Lynch, senior vice president and chief software architect at Adobe. "Adobe AIR expands the universe of possibilities for Web developers who can now deliver a new generation of applications that work across operating systems and both inside and outside the browser, bridging the gap between the Web and the personal computer."
The new beta version of Adobe AIR allows developers to incorporate PDF by leveraging Adobe Reader® 8.1 functionality. Users will be able to view and interact with PDF documents within Adobe AIR applications similarly to how they interact with a PDF in the browser today. New capabilities such as support for transparent HTML windows, drag and drop support, and complete access to Adobe AIR and Flash APIs allow Ajax developers to create truly engaging desktop applications. Developers building Adobe AIR applications can use the Ajax frameworks of their choice, and the latest version of WebKit incorporated into Adobe AIR beta provides more components than were previously available in Apollo alpha
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