What are the differences in developing for AIR versus flash? why should i choose one over the other in a given situation?
+2
A:
If you're developing a desktop application AND can distribute off of the web, go with AIR. With AIR you get a bunch of features that regular web-based Flash does not have including:
- More local file access options
- Ability to spawn native windows
- Ability to create native menus
- Local encrypted store
And quite a few others.
The big rub, as I mentioned, is that the easiest way to get people to install an AIR app is through a web page. You create what is known as an install badge (it's just a specially constructed SWF) and when the user clicks on it they will get both AIR and your application installed. If you need distribute on say, CD-ROM, they you'd have to get users to first install AIR and then install your application. Right now there is no way they can just click and run an AIR application like you can say, an executable projector. For those needs I would look at one of the various 3rd party tools out there like MDM Zinc, SWF Studio or mProjector.
Branden Hall
2009-09-16 11:04:45