Adobe AIR for JavaScript Developers Pocket Guide

Chapter 3. Working with JavaScript and HTML Within Adobe AIR

This chapter provides an overview of the HTML and JavaScript environments within Adobe AIR. It discusses:

• The use of the open source WebKit HTML-rendering engine within Adobe AIR

• JavaScript functionality within Adobe AIR

• Security Model

• Working with Adobe AIR, Flash Player and ActionScript APIs from JavaScript

• Troubleshooting AIR Applications written with HTML and JavaScript

Once you have completed this chapter, you should have a solid understanding of the HTML and JavaScript environments within Adobe AIR. You should also understand how to work with AIR and ActionScript APIs within HTML and JavaScript- based applications.

WebKit Within Adobe AIR

Adobe AIR leverages the open source WebKit-rendering engine to add support for rendering HTML content to the runtime.

In addition to HTML rendering, WebKit also provides support for associated web technologies, such as (but not limited to):

• JavaScript

• XMLHttpRequest

• CSS

• XHTML

• W3C DOM Level 2 support

Essentially, Adobe AIR has a full HTML rendering engine, and includes support for all of the same technologies that can be used when developing web applications and content targeting the web browser. Developers can build full-featured AIR applications that leverage these technologies.

Note

You can find more information on the WebKit project at: http://www.webkit.org.

Why WebKit?

Adobe spent a considerable amount of time researching which HTML engine to use within Adobe AIR and used a number of criteria ...