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« Announcing FotoBooth 2 Pixel Bender Edition | Main | AIR Bootcamp »

Using Encrypted SQLite database in AIR 1.5 (from the cookbook)

By Rich Tretola | November 18, 2008Print This Post Print This Post
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The following example is covered within the new Adobe AIR 1.5 Cookbook Adobe AIR 1.5 now includes the ability to encrypt your SQLite database. The example below is a complete application. Be sure to use a compile with a minimum of the Flex 3.2.0.3266 SDK (or the latest stable build), set the application namespace to http://ns.adobe.com/air/application/1.5.

AIR 1.0 included SQLite as an embedded database within the runtime. To open a database when working with AIR 1.0 you would call the open() or openAsync() methods on the flash.data.SQLConnection whose signatures are as follows:

  1. open(reference:Object = null,
  2.     openMode:String = "create",
  3.     responder:Responder = null,
  4.     autoCompact:Boolean = false,
  5.     pageSize:int = 1024):void
  6.  
  7. openAsync(reference:Object = null,
  8.         openMode:String = "create",
  9.         responder:Responder = null,
  10.         autoCompact:Boolean = false,
  11.         pageSize:int = 1024):void

AIR 1.5 adds an optional additional argument of type ByteArray. Here are the new signatures:

  1. open(reference:Object = null,
  2.     openMode:String = "create",
  3.     responder:Responder = null,
  4.     autoCompact:Boolean = false,
  5.     pageSize:int = 1024,
  6.     key:ByteArray = null):void
  7.  
  8. openAsync(reference:Object = null,
  9.         openMode:String = "create",
  10.         responder:Responder = null,
  11.         autoCompact:Boolean = false,
  12.         pageSize:int = 1024,
  13.         key:ByteArray = null):void

OK, now lets talk about the example below. The only real difference is that we are going to supply a key when we open/create the database. The way the key is being created is through the use of a third party library called as3crypto. The key is then stored within the encrypted local store (ex: the keychain on Mac OS X).

Here is the chain of events:

  • On creationComplete of the application, the openDatabase() function is called.
  • The storedKey (dbKey) is retrieved from the encrypted local store.
  • If the storedKey does not exist, one is assigned by calling the crateRandomKey() function.
  • A new SQLConnection (conn) is created.
  • The database file (dbFile) is resolved.
  • The connection is opened and the storedKey is passed in which creates the database on first run or opens the database on future runs.
    1. <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
    2. <mx:WindowedApplication
    3.     xmlns:mx="http://www.adobe.com/2006/mxml"
    4.     layout="absolute"
    5.     creationComplete="openDatabase()"
    6.     height="150">
    7.    
    8.     <mx:Script>
    9.         <![CDATA[
    10.         import com.hurlant.crypto.prng.Random;
    11.        
    12.         private var storedKey:ByteArray;
    13.         private var conn:SQLConnection;
    14.         [Bindable]
    15.         private var dbFile:File
    16.        
    17.         private function createRandomKey():ByteArray {
    18.             var encryptionKey:ByteArray = new ByteArray();
    19.             var random:Random = new Random();
    20.             random.nextBytes(encryptionKey, 16);
    21.             return encryptionKey;
    22.         }
    23.  
    24.      
    25.         private function openDatabase():void{
    26.             storedKey = EncryptedLocalStore.getItem("dbKey");
    27.             if(!storedKey) {
    28.                 storedKey = createRandomKey();
    29.                 EncryptedLocalStore.setItem("dbKey", storedKey, false);
    30.             }
    31.  
    32.             conn = new SQLConnection();
    33.             dbFile = File.applicationStorageDirectory.resolvePath("EncryptedDB.db");
    34.             conn.addEventListener(SQLEvent.OPEN, openHandler);
    35.             conn.openAsync(dbFile,SQLMode.CREATE,null,false,1024,storedKey);
    36.         }
    37.          
    38.         private function openHandler(event:SQLEvent):void {
    39.             traceTxt.text += "The database was opened successfully \n\n";
    40.             traceTxt.text += dbFile.nativePath + "\n\n";
    41.         }
    42.         ]]>
    43.     </mx:Script>
    44.    
    45.     <mx:TextArea width="100%" height="100%" id="traceTxt"/>
    46. </mx:WindowedApplication>

    Here is the result:

    Hope this helps. Be sure to check out the rest of the recipes in the new Adobe AIR 1.5 Cookbook

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    Topics: Adobe AIR |

    3 Responses to “Using Encrypted SQLite database in AIR 1.5 (from the cookbook)”

    1. Steve Alter Says:
      November 20th, 2008 at 2:36 am

      For about eight years we have been helping clients to market their properties via the internet. About seven years we’ve been building our clients from scrath a custom flash presentation. Now more and more clients are more web savvy so that they’re wanting a more do it yourself type solution that would let them just log onto our site and then maybe pick from a number of templates that we could pre-define for them but then they could use those templates to build their own flash presentation. Do you have a suitable application to make this happen or any recommendation maybe?
      Thanks,
      Steve Alter

      [Reply to this comment]
    2. motorlu panjur Says:
      December 2nd, 2008 at 1:53 pm

      thanks..

      [Reply to this comment]
    3. Rich Apps Consulting Says:
      December 26th, 2008 at 11:51 am

      Thanks for the valuable insight.

      [Reply to this comment]

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