Open exe file from Flex3 Air

Question

Hi, I have .exe file, which is done in VB. i need to open or hit that exe file from Flex3 air application on Button Click event.

i need to simple hit that exe file to run, no need to open inside the air applcation.

How to hit the exe file in Air app...?

Thanks in Advance

Answer 1

Air itself does not provide the ability to launch external applications (I see this as a significant problem with AIR).

Some people have created a hack that would allow you to do this and provided it as a library, though I'm not sure how reliable it is (it does some weird things with the way Windows loads DLLs that I'm not sure I completely trust).

Aperture framework: http://aperture.fluorinefx.com/
Blog discussing the implementation: http://blog.fluorinefx.com/?tag=native

Answer 2

As Herms said, AIR doesn't allow you to do that. However, Java does and you can connect your AIR app with Java using merapi.

Answer 3

For now, the best and easiest way to do this is, as Amarhosh said, to use Merapi. Or you can wait to AIR 2.0 (the end of 2009) which will bring native access support.