I've run into some minor annoyances in publishing AIR applications from Flash CS3 that I really hope Adobe fixes with an update.

Annoyance #1: Not all files being published with the AIR file

hen you install the AIR update for Flash CS3 it adds 2 commands to the Commands (duh) menu: AIR - Application and Installer Settings, and AIR - Create AIR File. The first menu item has all the settings in addition to a publish button. The latter just pumps out the AIR file.

The problem I've found is that when I have added directories and files to the "Included files" area, they are only being included when I publish from the AIR - Application form and NOT from the AIR - Create AIR File command option.

Annoyance #2: Digital Signatures files are not application specific 

I have multiple AIR projects going and each has a different certificate to sign the application. Unfortunately, the certificate used for an application is not stored with the settings for that application. So, if I build application A with a development junk signature, and then immediate build application B with a Thawte digital signature, I must reconfigure that setting alone (and dig up my ridiculously secure password that I cannot remember). 

Annoyance #3: No option to publish AND create an AIR file all at once

I kept wondering why my AIR files weren't showing my most recent changes. Turns out, the commands mentioned above will only use the most recently published SWF to build the AIR file. Fine, I understand, whatever. But I'd at least like the option to tell Flash CS3 to build the SWF and then the AIR file all in one motion, or the option to use the latest build. 

After a a few hours of grinding out the last bits of functionality, I went to build my AIR file and was greeted with a very unhelpful message:

Error creating AIR file
Usage error (incorrect arguments)

Eh? Debugging showed no errors, and I'm running strict. I turned up NOTHING on this error in documentation or searching. But I remember that I've been hand editing the app.xml (aka application descriptor) file for the project and figured I mucked something up in TextMate. 

I removed the old file, recreated the settings in Flash > Commands >  AIR - Application & Installer Settings, and then built the file. Viola! No errors.

So, I decided to compare files. Remember, the error says "incorrect arguments". Um, no. Far as I can tell there's an encoding or white space issue going on. 

Modifying settings in Flash and resaving does NOT fix any formatting issues. It's saves fine, but you'll still get errors. 

I copied over my size settings, and saved the file. This time I get a nice new error:

Error creating AIR file
Unexpected or unknown element or attribute in the application descriptor file.

At least this time Flash points me to the write file. In short, if you start getting errors building your AIR file like this, look to your "application descriptor file" and be careful...it's fragile.

If I didn't think someone else already had the motto, I'd coin "I break it so you don't have to". 

I spelled something wrong. Oops. It's a pharmaceutical brand name, so get off my back. I fixed it in my filename, and code, and Flash library, and linkage, and....everywhere. The AIR program compiled and ran, done. Right? Wrong.

It was running and displaying an old version. I kept getting this error on my URLLoader when testing offline:

Error #2044: Unhandled ioError:. text=Error #2032: Stream Error 

Duh, I know. I'm offline and trapping for that error so I can move on. I knew I shouldn't be getting that error. But what was strange is that the filepath and code lines in the error DIDN'T EXIST ANYMORE.

So, I checked my Flash properties for the FLA to make sure the SWF filename had updated properly. Yup, it had.

Then I checked my AIR Application & Installer Settings. I had to do all this by hand, and this is where my problem was. The "Included Files" portion at the bottom of the form includes a reference to the SWF and the filename was pointing to the previous file. As a result, debugging showed the old file and code.

Can I wrap myself in a try{}catch{}? 

I stumbled upon some very useful Firefox plugins tonight. While I have LiveDocs in my linkbar anyway, I love being able to search Actionscript 3 and Flex documentation directly from the search engine field in Firefox. Check it out: 

http://en.flash-ripper.com/firefox-search-plugins-flash-flex-air-actionscript-adobe-labs/