Streaming Media - December 2007/January 2008 - (Page 59) An FLV file is also required. The short sample video, cuepoints.flv, may be downloaded from www.helpexamples.com/flash/video, though any FLV file will do. Easily Delivering True Desktop Applications Before creating the two applications built on Adobe AIR, it is useful to understand why the ability to easily extend RIAs to the desktop is exciting to developers. To begin with, developers can use the same tools they currently use to create RIAs, and they can leverage that expertise to develop rich desktop applications—all with a few clicks. Plus, because Adobe AIR is a cross-platform runtime, developers can create one application that runs on Microsoft Windows-based PCs and Macs (support for Linux machines will come soon). Adobe AIR will eventually support mobile devices, too. This means no more headaches developing and maintaining numerous code sets for each operating system. Developers simply use AIR to package their applications that customers install and run on any platform. Because an application built on Adobe AIR is a desktop application—and not a web application in a browser—developers can provide users functionality and features unavailable or difficult to achieve in browserbased applications. For example, users can drag and drop files from other applications or local file storage systems into the application built on AIR and vice versa. Applications built on AIR also support system tray icons, system alerts, and notifications. They provide rich clipboard support so users can copy and paste images, rich text, and files in and out of applications. From the users’ points of view, they have a true desktop application. For example, when an .AIR file is clicked on, an installer launches, and users can put the familiar shortcut launch icon on their desktops. Applications built on Adobe AIR can even include transparent windows. Adobe AIR also ships with SQLite, an embedded database that supports local data storage. When users disconnect from the internet—either intentionally or accidentally—they can still interact fully with the applications built on AIR because data persists locally on their machines. Applications can be designed to automatically synch up changes made locally and stored in the SQLite database to the main database on the server as soon as a connection is re-established. Creating a Video-Enabled Application Using Adobe Flash and Adobe AIR Now that you understand more about Adobe AIR, let’s WWW.STREAMINGMEDIA.COM 59 http://www.helpexamples.com/flash/video http://www.helpexamples.com/flash/video http://www.focalpress.com http://www.focalpress.com http://WWW.STREAMINGMEDIA.COM
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