Meeting Recap: Flex3/AIR

Here's a recap and some resources from the Flex/AIR launch meeting.

RIA (Rich Internet Application)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rich_Internet_application
Rich Internet applications (RIA) are web applications that have the features and functionality of traditional desktop applications. RIAs typically transfer the processing necessary for the user interface to the web client but keep the bulk of the data (i.e., maintaining the state of the program, the data etc) back on the application server.

Flex
Adobe® Flex™ is a cross-platform development framework for creating rich Internet applications (RIAs). Flex enables you to create expressive, high-performance applications that run identically on all major browsers and operating systems and devices. Free, open source framework. Less time to develop apps, cross platform development.

Framework (via Wiki)= A software framework is a re-usable design for a software system (or subsystem). A software framework may include support programs, code libraries, a scripting language, or other software to help develop and glue together the different components of a software project. Various parts of the framework may be exposed through an API (application programming interface)

AIR (Adobe Integrated Runtime)

Adobe® AIR™ is a cross-operating system runtime that allows web application developers to use their existing web development skills (HTML, Javascript, Adobe Flash®, Adobe Flex™, Ajax) to build and deploy rich Internet applications to the desktop. .Experience Adobe AIR yourself by downloading Adobe AIR applications from industry leaders using Adobe AIR. It's a collection of Flash, SQL, and Webkit HTML engine (proven technologies). Cross platform. Not a browser replacement. It extends and builds upon it..It can be used to replace desktop applications (example: Buzzword instead of desktop word processors).
How is it different then Flash Player? AIR is not a browser plug in, it's a desktop client runtime. AIR inherits the capabilities of the Flash Player and ads HTML and JS support, fully branded "chrome" applications, convenient desktop integration and local DB access.
Visit the Adobe AIR Showcase

A runtime environment is a virtual machine state which provides software services for processes or programs while a computer is running. It may pertain to the operating system itself, or the software that runs beneath it. The primary purpose is to accomplish the objective of "platform independent" programming.

Eclipse
Eclipse is an open source community whose projects are focused on building an open development platform comprised of extensible frameworks, tools and runtimes for building, deploying and managing software across the lifecycle. A large and vibrant ecosystem of major technology vendors, innovative start-ups, universities, research institutions and individuals extend, complement and support the Eclipse platform

BlazeDS release candidate release on Adobe Labs. BlazeDS is the server-based Java remoting and web messaging technology that enables developers to easily connect to back-end distributed data and push data in real-time to Adobe® Flex™ and Adobe AIR™ applications for more responsive rich Internet application (RIA) experiences.

AIR Samples
http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/air/samples/

Flex Showcase
http://flex.org/showcase/

BBC Report on the Flex/AIR launch
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7254436.stm

Webkit - is an open source web browser engine. Allows you to develop an application that can render webpages.
http://webkit.org/

RIA Resources
Adobe.com (of course)
http://www.insideria.com/
www.flex.org

AIR Security
http://labs.adobe.com/wiki/index.php/AIR:HTML_Security_FAQ