Packaging and Deploying the AIR Application | 39Packaging and Deploying the AIR
Application
Now that we understand how to build, test and debug an
AIR application, we are ready to create an AIR file which will
allow us to deploy and distribute our application.
What Is an AIR File?
An AIR file is a zip-based application distribution package
that is used to distribute AIR applications. It contains all of
the files necessary to install and run an AIR application, and
is used by the Adobe Integrated Runtime to create and install
an AIR application onto the user’s system.
The AIR file is created by the ADT command line tool
included in the AIR SDK and is used to distribute the appli-
cation to other users.
TIP
AIR files require that Adobe AIR already be installed on
the user’s system.
ADL will be able to also create OS-specific native install-
ers that will be able to first install Adobe AIR and then in-
stall the AIR application for systems where Adobe AIR is
not already installed.
This functionality is not yet implemented in the public
Beta.An AIR file requires a minimum of two files, the application
descriptor file, and a root application file. However, you can
also include other files, icons, directories, and assets that will
be bundled with the AIR file, and installed alongside your
application. These files will then be available to the applica-
tion at runtime.