ActionScript® 3.0 Reference for the Adobe® Flash® Platform
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flash.desktop 

NativeApplication  - AS3

Packageflash.desktop
Classpublic final class NativeApplication
InheritanceNativeApplication Inheritance EventDispatcher Inheritance Object

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

The NativeApplication class represents this AIR application.

The NativeApplication class provides application information, application-wide functions, and dispatches application-level events.

The NativeApplication object is a singleton object, created automatically at startup. Get the NativeApplication instance of an application with the static property NativeApplication.nativeApplication.



Public Properties
 PropertyDefined By
      activeWindow : NativeWindow
[read-only] The active application window.
NativeApplication
      applicationDescriptor : XML
[read-only] The contents of the application descriptor file for this AIR application.
NativeApplication
      applicationID : String
[read-only] The application ID of this application.
NativeApplication
      autoExit : Boolean
Specifies whether the application should automatically terminate when all windows have been closed.
NativeApplication
 Inheritedconstructor : Object
A reference to the class object or constructor function for a given object instance.
Object
      executeInBackground : Boolean
Specifies whether the application will run in background or not.
NativeApplication
      icon : InteractiveIcon
[read-only] The application icon.
NativeApplication
      idleThreshold : int
The number of seconds that must elapse without user input before a userIdle event is dispatched.
NativeApplication
      menu : NativeMenu
The application menu.
NativeApplication
      nativeApplication : NativeApplication
[static] [read-only] The singleton instance of the NativeApplication object.
NativeApplication
      openedWindows : Array
[read-only] An array containing all the open native windows of this application.
NativeApplication
      publisherID : String
[read-only] The publisher ID of this application.
NativeApplication
      runtimePatchLevel : uint
[read-only] The patch level of the runtime hosting this application.
NativeApplication
      runtimeVersion : String
[read-only] The version number of the runtime hosting this application.
NativeApplication
      startAtLogin : Boolean
Specifies whether this application is automatically launched whenever the current user logs in.
NativeApplication
      supportsDefaultApplication : Boolean
[static] [read-only] Indicates whether setAsDefaultApplication(), removeAsDefaultApplication(), and isSetAsDefaultApplication() are supported on the current platform.
NativeApplication
      supportsDockIcon : Boolean
[static] [read-only] Indicates whether AIR supports dock-style application icons on the current operating system.
NativeApplication
      supportsMenu : Boolean
[static] [read-only] Specifies whether the current operating system supports a global application menu bar.
NativeApplication
      supportsStartAtLogin : Boolean
[static] [read-only] Indicates whether startAtLogin is supported on the current platform.
NativeApplication
      supportsSystemTrayIcon : Boolean
[static] [read-only] Specifies whether AIR supports system tray icons on the current operating system.
NativeApplication
      systemIdleMode : String
Provides a way for applications to prevent the user interface from going into "idle" mode.
NativeApplication
      timeSinceLastUserInput : int
[read-only] The time, in seconds, since the last user input.
NativeApplication
Public Methods
 MethodDefined By
  
    activate(window:NativeWindow = null):void
Activates this application.
NativeApplication
  
    addEventListener(type:String, listener:Function, useCapture:Boolean = false, priority:int = 0, useWeakReference:Boolean = false):void
[override] Registers an event listener object with an EventDispatcher object so that the listener receives notification of an event.
NativeApplication
  
    clear():Boolean
Invokes an internal delete command on the focused display object.
NativeApplication
  
    copy():Boolean
Invokes an internal copy command on the focused display object.
NativeApplication
  
    cut():Boolean
Invokes an internal cut command on the focused display object.
NativeApplication
  
    dispatchEvent(event:Event):Boolean
[override] Dispatches an event into the event flow.
NativeApplication
  
    exit(errorCode:int = 0):void
Terminates this application.
NativeApplication
  
Gets the default application for opening files with the specified extension.
NativeApplication
 Inherited
Checks whether the EventDispatcher object has any listeners registered for a specific type of event.
EventDispatcher
 Inherited
Indicates whether an object has a specified property defined.
Object
 Inherited
Indicates whether an instance of the Object class is in the prototype chain of the object specified as the parameter.
Object
  
Specifies whether this application is currently the default application for opening files with the specified extension.
NativeApplication
  
    paste():Boolean
Invokes an internal paste command on the focused display object.
NativeApplication
 Inherited
Indicates whether the specified property exists and is enumerable.
Object
  
Removes this application as the default for opening files with the specified extension.
NativeApplication
  
    removeEventListener(type:String, listener:Function, useCapture:Boolean = false):void
[override] Removes a listener from the EventDispatcher object.
NativeApplication
  
    selectAll():Boolean
Invokes an internal selectAll command on the focused display object.
NativeApplication
  
Sets this application as the default application for opening files with the specified extension.
NativeApplication
 Inherited
Sets the availability of a dynamic property for loop operations.
Object
 Inherited
Returns the string representation of this object, formatted according to locale-specific conventions.
Object
 Inherited
Returns the string representation of the specified object.
Object
 Inherited
Returns the primitive value of the specified object.
Object
 Inherited
Checks whether an event listener is registered with this EventDispatcher object or any of its ancestors for the specified event type.
EventDispatcher
Events
 Event Summary Defined By
  
    activate
Dispatched when this application becomes the active desktop application.NativeApplication
  Dispatched when an application is invoked by a SWF file running in the user's browser.NativeApplication
  
    deactivate
Dispatched when the desktop focus is switched to a different application.NativeApplication
  
    exiting
Dispatched when the application exit sequence is started.NativeApplication
  
    invoke
Dispatched when an application is invoked.NativeApplication
  
    keyDown
Dispatched when the user presses a key.NativeApplication
  
    keyUp
Dispatched when the user releases a key.NativeApplication
  Dispatched when either a new network connection becomes available or an existing network connection is lost.NativeApplication
  
    suspend
Dispatched when the application is about to be suspended by the operating system.NativeApplication
  
    userIdle
Dispatched when the user has been idle.NativeApplication
  
    userPresent
Dispatched when the operating system detects mouse or keyboard activity after an idle period.NativeApplication
Property Detail
    

activeWindow

property
activeWindow:NativeWindow  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

The active application window.

If the active desktop window does not belong to this application, or there is no active window, activeWindow is null.

This property is not supported on platforms that do not support the NativeWindow class.



Implementation
    public function get activeWindow():NativeWindow
    

applicationDescriptor

property 
applicationDescriptor:XML  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

The contents of the application descriptor file for this AIR application.



Implementation
    public function get applicationDescriptor():XML

Example  ( How to use this example )
The following example reads the copyright and version elements from the application descriptor file. Note that you must use the default namespace defined in the application descriptor XML.
var appDescriptor:XML = NativeApplication.nativeApplication.applicationDescriptor;
var ns:Namespace = appDescriptor.namespace();
var appCopyright:String = appDescriptor.ns::copyright;
var appVersion:String = appDescriptor.ns::version;
trace("appId:", appCopyright);
trace("version:", appVersion);
    

applicationID

property 
applicationID:String  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

The application ID of this application.

The value of this ID is set in the application descriptor file.



Implementation
    public function get applicationID():String
    

autoExit

property 
autoExit:Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Specifies whether the application should automatically terminate when all windows have been closed.

When autoExit is true, which is the default, the application terminates when all windows are closed. Both exiting and exit events are dispatched. When autoExit is false, you must call NativeApplication.nativeApplication.exit() to terminate the application.

This property is not supported on platforms that do not support the NativeWindow class.



Implementation
    public function get autoExit():Boolean
    public function set autoExit(value:Boolean):void
    

executeInBackground

property 
executeInBackground:Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 3.3

Specifies whether the application will run in background or not.

When executeInBackground is false, which is the default, the application remains in suspended state when it goes to background. When executeInBackground is true, the application may execute in background.

Note: With swf-version 21 and its earlier versions, AIR does not support background execution on iOS and Android when render mode direct is set. Due to this restriction, Stage3D based apps cannot execute background tasks like audio playback, location updates, network upload or download, etc. iOS does not allow OpenGLES or rendering of calls in the background. Applications which attempt to make OpenGL calls in the background are terminated by iOS. Android does not restrict applications from either making OpenGLES calls in the background or performing other background tasks like audio playback. With swf-version 22 and later, AIR mobile applications can execute in the background when renderMode direct is set. The AIR iOS runtime results in an ActionScript error (3768 - The Stage3D API may not be used during background execution) if OpenGLES calls are made in the background. However, there are no errors on Android because its native applications are allowed to make OpenGLES calls in the background. For optimal utilization of mobile resource, do not make rendering calls while an application is executing in the background.

This property is supported only on AIR iOS.



Implementation
    public function get executeInBackground():Boolean
    public function set executeInBackground(value:Boolean):void
    

icon

property 
icon:InteractiveIcon  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

The application icon.

Use NativeApplication.supportsDockIcon and NativeApplication.supportsSystemTrayIcon to determine the icon class. The type will be one of the subclasses of InteractiveIcon. On Mac® OS X, NativeApplication.icon is an object of type DockIcon. On Windows®, NativeApplication.icon is an object of type SystemTrayIcon. When an application icon is not supported, NativeApplication.supportsDockIcon and NativeApplication.supportsSystemTrayIcon are both false and the icon property is null.

The icon object is automatically created, but it is not initialized with image data. On some operating systems, such as Mac OS X, a default image is supplied. On others, such as Windows, the icon is not displayed unless image data is assigned to it. To assign an icon image, set the icon.bitmaps property with an array containing at least one BitmapData object. If more than one BitmapData object is included in the array, then the operating system chooses the image that is closest in size to the icon's display dimensions, scaling the image if necessary.



Implementation
    public function get icon():InteractiveIcon

Related API Elements

    

idleThreshold

property 
idleThreshold:int

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

The number of seconds that must elapse without user input before a userIdle event is dispatched.

By default, the idle threshold is 300 seconds (5 minutes). The acceptable range of values is from 5 (5 seconds) through 86,400 (1 day), inclusive.



Implementation
    public function get idleThreshold():int
    public function set idleThreshold(value:int):void

Throws
ArgumentError — If you attempt to set the property to an invalid value. The acceptable range of values is from 5 (5 seconds) through 86,400 (1 day), inclusive.

Related API Elements

    

menu

property 
menu:NativeMenu

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

The application menu.

Application menus are supported when NativeApplication.nativeApplication.supportsMenu is true. Not all operating systems support application menus. For example, application menus are supported on Mac OS X, but not on Windows or Linux. Assigning a NativeMenu object to this property when NativeApplication.nativeApplication.supportsMenu is false is allowed, but does nothing. Be sure to use the NativeApplication.nativeApplication.supportsMenu property to determine whether the operating system supports application menus. Using other means (such as Capabilities.os) to determine support can lead to programming errors (if some possible target operating systems are not considered).

AIR profile support: This feature is not supported on mobile devices or AIR for TV devices. See AIR Profile Support for more information regarding API support across multiple profiles.

Note: On Mac OS X, the menu property references the operating-system-supplied default application menu. You can modify the existing menu structure by adding and removing items and submenus, and by adding event listeners. You can also replace the default menus entirely by assigning a new NativeMenu object to this menu property.



Implementation
    public function get menu():NativeMenu
    public function set menu(value:NativeMenu):void

Related API Elements

    

nativeApplication

property 
nativeApplication:NativeApplication  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

The singleton instance of the NativeApplication object.



Implementation
    public static function get nativeApplication():NativeApplication

Throws
Error — If accessed by content outside the application security sandbox.
    

openedWindows

property 
openedWindows:Array  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

An array containing all the open native windows of this application.

This property is not supported on platforms that do not support the NativeWindow class.



Implementation
    public function get openedWindows():Array
    

publisherID

property 
publisherID:String  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

The publisher ID of this application.

The value of this ID is set in the application's publisherid file, which is generated at installation from the certificate chain used to sign the application.



Implementation
    public function get publisherID():String
    

runtimePatchLevel

property 
runtimePatchLevel:uint  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

The patch level of the runtime hosting this application.



Implementation
    public function get runtimePatchLevel():uint
    

runtimeVersion

property 
runtimeVersion:String  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

The version number of the runtime hosting this application.



Implementation
    public function get runtimeVersion():String
    

startAtLogin

property 
startAtLogin:Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Specifies whether this application is automatically launched whenever the current user logs in.

AIR profile support: This feature is supported on all desktop operating systems, but is not supported on mobile devices or AIR for TV devices. You can test for support at run time using the NativeApplication.supportsStartAtLogin property. See AIR Profile Support for more information regarding API support across multiple profiles.

The startAtLogin property reflects the status of the operating-system-defined mechanism for designating that an application should start automatically when a user logs in. The user can change the status manually by using the operating system user interface. This property reflects the current status, whether the status was last changed by the AIR application or by the operating system.



Implementation
    public function get startAtLogin():Boolean
    public function set startAtLogin(value:Boolean):void

Throws
IllegalOperationError — On Windows when another application with the same name (but with a different path to the executable) is already set to launch when this user logs in.
 
IllegalOperationError — If this application is not installed, which may be the case when launched by the AIR Debug Launcher (ADL).

Related API Elements

    

supportsDefaultApplication

property 
supportsDefaultApplication:Boolean  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 2

Indicates whether setAsDefaultApplication(), removeAsDefaultApplication(), and isSetAsDefaultApplication() are supported on the current platform.

If true, then the above methods will work as documented. If false, then setAsDefaultApplication() and removeDefaultApplication() do nothing and isSetAsDefaultApplication() returns false.



Implementation
    public static function get supportsDefaultApplication():Boolean

Related API Elements

    

supportsDockIcon

property 
supportsDockIcon:Boolean  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Indicates whether AIR supports dock-style application icons on the current operating system.

If true, the NativeApplication.icon property is of type DockIcon.

The Mac OS X user interface provides an application "dock" containing icons for applications that are running or are frequently used.

Be sure to use the NativeApplication.supportsDockIcon property to determine whether the operating system supports application dock icons. Using other means (such as Capabilities.os) to determine support can lead to programming errors (if some possible target operating systems are not considered).



Implementation
    public static function get supportsDockIcon():Boolean

Related API Elements

    

supportsMenu

property 
supportsMenu:Boolean  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Specifies whether the current operating system supports a global application menu bar.

When true, the NativeApplication.menu property can be used to define (or access) a native application menu.

Be sure to use the NativeApplication.supportsMenu property to determine whether the operating system supports the application menu bar. Using other means (such as Capabilities.os) to determine support can lead to programming errors (if some possible target operating systems are not considered).



Implementation
    public static function get supportsMenu():Boolean

Related API Elements

    

supportsStartAtLogin

property 
supportsStartAtLogin:Boolean  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 2

Indicates whether startAtLogin is supported on the current platform.

If true, then startAtLogin works as documented. If false, then startAtLogin has no effect.



Implementation
    public static function get supportsStartAtLogin():Boolean

Related API Elements

    

supportsSystemTrayIcon

property 
supportsSystemTrayIcon:Boolean  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Specifies whether AIR supports system tray icons on the current operating system.

If true, the NativeApplication.icon property is of type SystemTrayIcon.

The Windows user interface provides the "system tray" region of the task bar, officially called the Notification Area, in which application icons can be displayed. No default icon is shown. You must set the bitmaps array of the icon object to display an icon.

Be sure to use the NativeApplication.supportsSystemTrayIcon property to determine whether the operating system supports system tray icons. Using other means (such as Capabilities.os) to determine support can lead to programming errors (if some possible target operating systems are not considered).



Implementation
    public static function get supportsSystemTrayIcon():Boolean

Related API Elements

    

systemIdleMode

property 
systemIdleMode:String

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 2

Provides a way for applications to prevent the user interface from going into "idle" mode.

A value from the SystemIdleMode class to influence the host system's idle mode behavior. This property is only effective for the application with input focus and can only be accessed from content running in the application sandbox.

AIR profile support: This feature is supported on mobile devices, but it is not supported on desktop operating systems or AIR for TV devices. See AIR Profile Support for more information regarding API support across multiple profiles.



Implementation
    public function get systemIdleMode():String
    public function set systemIdleMode(value:String):void

Related API Elements

    

timeSinceLastUserInput

property 
timeSinceLastUserInput:int  [read-only]

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

The time, in seconds, since the last user input.



Implementation
    public function get timeSinceLastUserInput():int

Related API Elements

Method Detail

    activate

()method
public function activate(window:NativeWindow = null):void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Activates this application.

This method is not supported on platforms that do not support the NativeWindow class.

Under some circumstances determined by the operating system, this method does not activate an application. Most operating systems restrict the ability of an application to activate itself to prevent it from accidentally or maliciously making it impossible for a user to use other applications.

If the operating system allows activation, then the specified window is activated and brought to the desktop foreground; that is, in front of the windows of other applications. (If the window parameter is null, then any visible window of this application is activated.)

The activate() method has no effect if the application has no visible windows.

The activate operation is synchronous.

Parameters

window:NativeWindow (default = null) — The NativeWindow object of the window to activate along with the application.

Events
activate:Event — Dispatched if the activation state changes.

    addEventListener

()method 
override public function addEventListener(type:String, listener:Function, useCapture:Boolean = false, priority:int = 0, useWeakReference:Boolean = false):void

Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Registers an event listener object with an EventDispatcher object so that the listener receives notification of an event. You can register event listeners on all nodes in the display list for a specific type of event, phase, and priority.

After you successfully register an event listener, you cannot change its priority through additional calls to addEventListener(). To change a listener's priority, you must first call removeListener(). Then you can register the listener again with the new priority level.

Keep in mind that after the listener is registered, subsequent calls to addEventListener() with a different type or useCapture value result in the creation of a separate listener registration. For example, if you first register a listener with useCapture set to true, it listens only during the capture phase. If you call addEventListener() again using the same listener object, but with useCapture set to false, you have two separate listeners: one that listens during the capture phase and another that listens during the target and bubbling phases.

You cannot register an event listener for only the target phase or the bubbling phase. Those phases are coupled during registration because bubbling applies only to the ancestors of the target node.

If you no longer need an event listener, remove it by calling removeEventListener(), or memory problems could result. Event listeners are not automatically removed from memory because the garbage collector does not remove the listener as long as the dispatching object exists (unless the useWeakReference parameter is set to true).

Copying an EventDispatcher instance does not copy the event listeners attached to it. (If your newly created node needs an event listener, you must attach the listener after creating the node.) However, if you move an EventDispatcher instance, the event listeners attached to it move along with it.

If the event listener is being registered on a node while an event is being processed on this node, the event listener is not triggered during the current phase but can be triggered during a later phase in the event flow, such as the bubbling phase.

If an event listener is removed from a node while an event is being processed on the node, it is still triggered by the current actions. After it is removed, the event listener is never invoked again (unless registered again for future processing).

Parameters

type:String — The type of event.
 
listener:Function — The listener function that processes the event. This function must accept an Event object as its only parameter and must return nothing, as this example shows:
function(evt:Event):void

The function can have any name.

 
useCapture:Boolean (default = false)Determines whether the listener works in the capture phase or the target and bubbling phases. If useCapture is set to true, the listener processes the event only during the capture phase and not in the target or bubbling phase. If useCapture is false, the listener processes the event only during the target or bubbling phase. To listen for the event in all three phases, call addEventListener twice, once with useCapture set to true, then again with useCapture set to false.
 
priority:int (default = 0) — The priority level of the event listener. The priority is designated by a signed 32-bit integer. The higher the number, the higher the priority. All listeners with priority n are processed before listeners of priority n-1. If two or more listeners share the same priority, they are processed in the order in which they were added. The default priority is 0.
 
useWeakReference:Boolean (default = false) — Determines whether the reference to the listener is strong or weak. A strong reference (the default) prevents your listener from being garbage-collected. A weak reference does not.

Class-level member functions are not subject to garbage collection, so you can set useWeakReference to true for class-level member functions without subjecting them to garbage collection. If you set useWeakReference to true for a listener that is a nested inner function, the function will be garbage-collected and no longer persistent. If you create references to the inner function (save it in another variable) then it is not garbage-collected and stays persistent.

    clear

()method 
public function clear():Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Invokes an internal delete command on the focused display object.

This function call is ignored if the focused object does not implement the command. Only display objects descending from the TextField or HTMLLoader classes currently implement this command.

Note: The clear() command deletes selected text. If nothing is selected, it does not clear all text.

Returns
Booleantrue.

    copy

()method 
public function copy():Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Invokes an internal copy command on the focused display object.

This function call is ignored if the component does not implement the command. Only display objects descending from the TextField or HTMLLoader classes currently implement this command.

Returns
Boolean

    cut

()method 
public function cut():Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Invokes an internal cut command on the focused display object.

This function call is ignored if the component does not implement the command. Only display objects descending from the TextField or HTMLLoader classes currently implement this commands.

Returns
Booleantrue.

    dispatchEvent

()method 
override public function dispatchEvent(event:Event):Boolean

Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Dispatches an event into the event flow. The event target is the EventDispatcher object upon which the dispatchEvent() method is called.

Parameters

event:Event — The Event object that is dispatched into the event flow. If the event is being redispatched, a clone of the event is created automatically. After an event is dispatched, its target property cannot be changed, so you must create a new copy of the event for redispatching to work.

Returns
Boolean — A value of true if the event was successfully dispatched. A value of false indicates failure or that preventDefault() was called on the event.

    exit

()method 
public function exit(errorCode:int = 0):void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Terminates this application.

The call to the exit() method will return; the shutdown sequence does not begin until the currently executing code (such as a current event handler) has completed. Pending asynchronous operations are canceled and may or may not complete.

Note that an exiting event is not dispatched. If an exiting event is required by application logic, call NativeApplication.nativeApplication.dispatchEvent(), passing in an Event object of type exiting. For any open windows, NativeWindow objects do dispatch closing and close events. Calling the preventDefault() method of closing event object prevents the application from exiting.

Note: This method is not supported on the iOS operating system.

Parameters

errorCode:int (default = 0) — The exit code reported to the operating system when this application exits.

    getDefaultApplication

()method 
public function getDefaultApplication(extension:String):String

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Gets the default application for opening files with the specified extension.

Note: This method can only be used with file types declared in the fileTypes statement of the application descriptor.

This method is not applicable for AIR for TV devices. If you call it with a file type declared in the application descriptor, it returns null.

Parameters

extension:String — A String containing the extension of the file type of interest (without the ".").

Returns
String — The path of the default application.

Throws
Error — If the extension parameter does not contain one of the file extensions declared in the application descriptor.

Related API Elements

    isSetAsDefaultApplication

()method 
public function isSetAsDefaultApplication(extension:String):Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Specifies whether this application is currently the default application for opening files with the specified extension.

AIR profile support: This feature is supported on all desktop operating systems, but is not supported on mobile devices or AIR for TV devices. You can test for support at run time using the NativeApplication.supportsDefaultApplication property. See AIR Profile Support for more information regarding API support across multiple profiles.

Parameters

extension:String — A String containing the extension of the file type of interest (without the ".").

Returns
Booleantrue if this application is the default.

Throws
Error — If the extension parameter does not contain one of the file extensions declared in the application descriptor.

Related API Elements

    paste

()method 
public function paste():Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Invokes an internal paste command on the focused display object.

This function call is ignored if the component does not implement the command. Only display objects descending from the TextField or HTMLLoader classes currently implement this command.

Returns
Booleantrue.

    removeAsDefaultApplication

()method 
public function removeAsDefaultApplication(extension:String):void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Removes this application as the default for opening files with the specified extension.

Note: This method can only be used with file types listed in the fileTypes statement in the application descriptor.

Parameters

extension:String — A String containing the extension of the file type of interest (without the ".").

Throws
Error — If the extension parameter does not contain one of the file extensions declared in the application descriptor.

Related API Elements

    removeEventListener

()method 
override public function removeEventListener(type:String, listener:Function, useCapture:Boolean = false):void

Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Removes a listener from the EventDispatcher object. If there is no matching listener registered with the EventDispatcher object, a call to this method has no effect.

Parameters

type:String — The type of event.
 
listener:Function — The listener object to remove.
 
useCapture:Boolean (default = false)Specifies whether the listener was registered for the capture phase or the target and bubbling phases. If the listener was registered for both the capture phase and the target and bubbling phases, two calls to removeEventListener() are required to remove both, one call with useCapture() set to true, and another call with useCapture() set to false.

    selectAll

()method 
public function selectAll():Boolean

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Invokes an internal selectAll command on the focused display object.

This function call is ignored if the component does not implement the command. Only display objects descending from the TextField or HTMLLoader classes currently implement this command.

Returns
Booleantrue.

    setAsDefaultApplication

()method 
public function setAsDefaultApplication(extension:String):void

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Sets this application as the default application for opening files with the specified extension.

Note: This method can only be used with file types declared in the fileTypes statement in the application descriptor.

Parameters

extension:String — A String containing the extension of the file type of interest (without the ".").

Throws
Error — If the extension parameter does not contain one of the file extensions declared in the application descriptor.

Related API Elements

Event Detail
    

activate

Event
Event Object Type: flash.events.Event
property Event.type = flash.events.Event.ACTIVATE

Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Dispatched when this application becomes the active desktop application.

The ACTIVATE constant defines the value of the type property of an activate event object.

Note: This event has neither a "capture phase" nor a "bubble phase", which means that event listeners must be added directly to any potential targets, whether the target is on the display list or not.

AIR for TV devices never automatically dispatch this event. You can, however, dispatch it manually.

This event has the following properties:

PropertyValue
bubblesfalse
cancelablefalse; there is no default behavior to cancel.
currentTargetThe object that is actively processing the Event object with an event listener.
targetAny DisplayObject instance with a listener registered for the activate event.
    

browserInvoke

Event  
Event Object Type: flash.events.BrowserInvokeEvent
property BrowserInvokeEvent.type = flash.events.BrowserInvokeEvent.Browser_INVOKE

Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Dispatched when an application is invoked by a SWF file running in the user's browser.

Browser invocation is permitted only if an application specifies the following in the application descriptor file:

<allowBrowserInvocation>true</allowBrowserInvocation>
    

deactivate

Event  
Event Object Type: flash.events.Event
property Event.type = flash.events.Event.DEACTIVATE

Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Dispatched when the desktop focus is switched to a different application.

The Event.DEACTIVATE constant defines the value of the type property of a deactivate event object.

Note: This event has neither a "capture phase" nor a "bubble phase", which means that event listeners must be added directly to any potential targets, whether the target is on the display list or not.

AIR for TV devices never automatically dispatch this event. You can, however, dispatch it manually.

This event has the following properties:

PropertyValue
bubblesfalse
cancelablefalse; there is no default behavior to cancel.
currentTargetThe object that is actively processing the Event object with an event listener.
targetAny DisplayObject instance with a listener registered for the deactivate event.
    

exiting

Event  
Event Object Type: flash.events.Event
property Event.type = flash.events.Event.EXITING

Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Dispatched when the application exit sequence is started.

The exiting event is dispatched when application exit is initiated by the operating system; for example, when a user issues the Cmd-Q key sequence on Mac OS X, or when the autoExit property of the NativeApplication object is true and the last application window is closed. Canceling this event prevents the application from exiting.

AIR for TV devices never dispatch the exiting event.

Note: Calling the NativeApplication exit() method does not cause an exiting event to be dispatched. To warn components of an impending exit, dispatch the exiting event before calling exit().

The Event.EXITING constant defines the value of the type property of an exiting event object.

This event has the following properties:

PropertyValue
bubblesfalse
cancelabletrue; canceling this event object stops the exit operation.
currentTargetThe NativeApplication object.
targetThe NativeApplication object.
    

invoke

Event  
Event Object Type: flash.events.InvokeEvent
property InvokeEvent.type = flash.events.InvokeEvent.INVOKE

Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Dispatched when an application is invoked.

When an application is invoked a second time, another instance of the application is not started. Instead, the first instance receives an additional invoke event. It is the responsibility of the application to handle subsequent invoke events appropriately.

Note: All invoke events are queued. When a listener for this event is registered, it receives all events in the queue as well as any new events. Queued events may be delivered before or after any new invoke events.

The InvokeEvent.INVOKE constant defines the value of the type property of an InvokeEvent object.

The InvokeEvent object has the following properties:

PropertiesValues
argumentsThe array of string arguments passed during this invocation.
currentDirectorya File object representing the directory that should be used to resolve any relative paths in the arguments array.
reasona code indicating whether the invoke event was dispatched because the application started automatically at login (InvokeEventReason.LOGIN), started as a response to a remote notification (InvokeEventReason.NOTIFICATION - iOS only), because the application was invoked by another application (InvokeEventReason.OPEN_URL), or for another reason (InvokeEventReason.STANDARD). Available as of AIR version 1.5.1.
bubblesfalse.
cancelablefalse; there is no default behavior to cancel.
currentTargetIndicates the object that is actively processing this InvokeEvent object with an event listener.
targetAlways the NativeApplication object.
    

keyDown

Event  
Event Object Type: flash.events.KeyboardEvent
property KeyboardEvent.type = flash.events.KeyboardEvent.KEY_DOWN

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Dispatched when the user presses a key. The NativeApplication instance provides this event to support keyboard accelerators. This keyboard event is dispatched first to the NativeApplication. Canceling this event also cancels NativeWindow menu accelerators. This event occurs before the keyUp event.

The KeyboardEvent.KEY_DOWN constant defines the value of the type property of a keyDown event object.

This event has the following properties:

PropertyValue
bubblestrue
cancelabletrue in AIR, false in Flash Player; in AIR, canceling this event prevents the character from being entered into a text field.
charCodeThe character code value of the key pressed or released.
commandKeytrue on Mac if the Command key is active. Otherwise, false
controlKeytrue on Windows and Linux if the Ctrl key is active. true on Mac if either the Control key is active. Otherwise, false
ctrlKeytrue on Windows and Linux if the Ctrl key is active. true on Mac if either the Ctrl key or the Command key is active. Otherwise, false.
currentTargetThe object that is actively processing the Event object with an event listener.
keyCodeThe key code value of the key pressed or released.
keyLocationThe location of the key on the keyboard.
shiftKeytrue if the Shift key is active; false if it is inactive.
targetThe InteractiveObject instance with focus. The target is not always the object in the display list that registered the event listener. Use the currentTarget property to access the object in the display list that is currently processing the event.

Related API Elements

    

keyUp

Event  
Event Object Type: flash.events.KeyboardEvent
property KeyboardEvent.type = flash.events.KeyboardEvent.KEY_UP

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Dispatched when the user releases a key. The NativeApplication instance provides this event to support keyboard accelerators. This keyboard event is dispatched first to the NativeApplication. Canceling this event has no effects on other objects (such as NativeWindow menu accelerators). This event occurs after a keyDown event.

The KeyboardEvent.KEY_UP constant defines the value of the type property of a keyUp event object.

This event has the following properties:

PropertyValue
bubblestrue
cancelablefalse; there is no default behavior to cancel.
charCodeContains the character code value of the key pressed or released.
commandKeytrue on Mac if the Command key is active. Otherwise, false
controlKeytrue on Windows and Linux if the Ctrl key is active. true on Mac if either the Control key is active. Otherwise, false
ctrlKeytrue on Windows if the Ctrl key is active. true on Mac if either the Ctrl key or the Command key is active. Otherwise, false.
currentTargetThe object that is actively processing the Event object with an event listener.
keyCodeThe key code value of the key pressed or released.
keyLocationThe location of the key on the keyboard.
shiftKeytrue if the Shift key is active; false if it is inactive.
targetThe InteractiveObject instance with focus. The target is not always the object in the display list that registered the event listener. Use the currentTarget property to access the object in the display list that is currently processing the event.

Related API Elements

    

networkChange

Event  
Event Object Type: flash.events.Event
property Event.type = flash.events.Event.NETWORK_CHANGE

Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Dispatched when either a new network connection becomes available or an existing network connection is lost.

A networkChange event does not necessarily mean that the host computer has gone online or offline; it may just be transitioning from one type of connection to another. Applications can use this event to help optimize the task of monitoring remote resource availability. The dispatch of a networkChange event is often a good time to verify the availability of any remote resources.

Notes:

  • There may be a short delay between a network change and the delivery of this event.
  • On Android, the NativeApplication object may dispatch more than one networkChange event for each change in a network connection.
The Event.NETWORK_CHANGE constant defines the value of the type property of a networkChange event object.

This event has the following properties:

PropertyValue
bubblesfalse
cancelablefalse; there is no default behavior to cancel.
currentTargetThe object that is actively processing the Event object with an event listener.
targetThe NativeApplication object.
    

suspend

Event  
Event Object Type: flash.events.Event
property Event.type = flash.events.Event.SUSPEND

Language Version: ActionScript 3.0
Runtime Versions: AIR 3.3

Dispatched when the application is about to be suspended by the operating system.

The Event.SUSPEND constant defines the value of the type property of an suspend event object. This event is dispatched only on AIR iOS.

This event has the following properties:

PropertyValue
bubblesfalse
cancelablefalse; there is no default behavior to cancel.
currentTargetThe NativeApplication object.
targetThe NativeApplication object.
    

userIdle

Event  
Event Object Type: flash.events.Event
property Event.type = flash.events.Event.USER_IDLE

Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Dispatched when the user has been idle.

Specify the period of time for which a user must be idle before this event is dispatched using the idleThreshold property. The amount of time that the user has been idle can be determined from the timeSinceLastUserInput property.

Note: This event is not dispatched on mobile devices or AIR for TV devices.

The Event.USER_IDLE constant defines the value of the type property of a userIdle event object.

This event has the following properties:

PropertyValue
bubblesfalse
cancelablefalse; there is no default behavior to cancel.
targetThe NativeApplication object.

Related API Elements

    

userPresent

Event  
Event Object Type: flash.events.Event
property Event.type = flash.events.Event.USER_PRESENT

Runtime Versions: AIR 1.0

Dispatched when the operating system detects mouse or keyboard activity after an idle period.

Note: This event is not dispatched on mobile devices or AIR for TV devices.

The period of time that is considered idle is configurable with the idleThreshold property. The amount of time that the user has been idle can be determined from the timeSinceLastUserInput property.

The Event.USER_PRESENT constant defines the value of the type property of a userPresent event object.

This event has the following properties:

PropertyValue
bubblesfalse
cancelablefalse; there is no default behavior to cancel.
targetThe NativeApplication object.

Related API Elements