Adobe released the beta version of Adobe Integrated Runtime (AIR), formerly code named Apollo and the public beta of Adobe Flex 3 software.

Adobe AIR along with Adobe Flex are cornerstones of Adobe’s comprehensive rich Internet applications (RIAs) platform, which enables developers and designers to create and deliver rich, dynamic, branded content and applications across all major operating systems.

Adobe AIR is a cross-operating system application runtime that allows developers to use HTML/CSS, Ajax, Adobe Flash and Adobe Flex to extend rich Internet applications (RIAs) to the desktop. New features in the Adobe AIR beta include an embedded local database, PDF support, enhanced capabilities for JavaScript developers, and deeper integration with Adobe Flex.

The new beta version of Adobe AIR allows developers to incorporate PDF by leveraging Adobe Reader 8.1 functionality. New capabilities such as support for transparent HTML windows, drag and drop support, and complete access to Adobe AIR and Flash APIs allow Ajax developers to create engaging desktop applications. Developers building Adobe AIR applications can use the Ajax frameworks of their choice, and the latest version of WebKit incorporated into Adobe AIR beta provides more components than were previously available in Apollo alpha. The embedded, cross-platform, open source SQLite local database was one of the most requested features from the Apollo alpha release. It requires no extra setup while providing large data capacity and full text search, enabling Web developers who traditionally rely on a database for storage to easily build desktop applications without changing existing techniques. Additionally, a tool is now available on Adobe Labs for Dreamweaver CS3 that enables Dreamweaver projects to be delivered as Adobe AIR applications.

The Adobe Flex 3 beta software adds new UI capabilities, enhanced developer productivity, desktop deployment and enterprise testing and performance tools. It also marks the first significant deliverable for the open source Flex project, beginning with the availability of nightly builds and a public bug database.

Using the new Flex Builder 3 and Adobe AIR software, now developers can create higher-performing applications that run both in the browser and on the desktop. Starting with Flex 3, developers will be able to download, extend, and contribute to the source code for the Flex compiler, components and application framework. The scripting language in Flex is the most advanced implementation of the JavaScript standard, ECMAScript 4, and runs on the Adobe Flash Player using the open source Tamarin virtual machine, recently contributed to the Mozilla Foundation. The Flex 3 public beta kicks off the project by providing a full roadmap for Flex 3, including detailed feature specifications, nightly builds, and a public bug database where developers can log and track issues and feature requests.

Flex 3 includes major advancements in the area of designer and developer workflow, including integration with Creative Suite 3 software design tools that allow for direct import of CS3 assets into Flex. Other design enhancements include support for visual skinning and styling, full language intelligence support for CSS, and the Flex Builder 3 Design View, which lets developers edit design and layout for complex applications.