Product Description

ActionScript is Macromedia's programming language for Flash MX, the popular authoring tool for creating rich Internet applications and animations for the Web. With Macromedia's new focus on application development, ActionScript now includes a direct drawing API, loading of external MP3 and JPG files, improved sound control, an extensive set of text formatting tools, complete support for component development using movie clip subclasses, local data storage, accessibility features, and more. Thoroughly updated to cover the new version of Macromedia Flash - Flash MX - this second edition builds on the strengths of the original book while incorporating changes from this major revision of the software. Author Colin Moock, has added hundreds of new code examples to show new Flash MX techniques in the real world: how to draw circles, save data to disk, convert arrays to onscreen tables, create reusable components, and preload variables, XML, and sounds. The book's language reference alone has nearly doubled from the first edition, with more than 250 new classes, objects, methods, and properties. You'll find exhaustive coverage of dozens of undocumented, under-documented, and mis-documented features. Along with the new material, Colin Moock has revised the entire text to conform to Flash MX best-coding practices. In particular, objected-oriented programming and the new event model get special attention in light of changes to Flash MX ActionScript. From sending data between two movies to creating getter/setter properties, the new edition of this book demystifies the often-confusing new features of Flash MX, giving developers easy access to its powerful new capabilities. The book is structured so non-programmers can learn how to use ActionScript and programmers can enhance their skills.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #274792 in Books
• Published on: 2002-12-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 1104 pages

Gary Grossman, Creator of ActionScript
Unquestionably the essential book for ActionScript programming in Flash MX.

Branden J. Hall, Senior Developer, Fig Leaf Software
Colin has an incredible mastery of ActionScript and is able to convey his knowledge in a clear, concise, and often witty manner.

Joshua Davis, Artist and Technologist (http://www.praystation.com)
Colin's book provides a definitive holy grail of new concepts for Flash professionals around the world, and helps us keep our syntax correct!

Customer Reviews

All you need
This book has it all. Moock starts from the simplest possible introduction, and finishes by covering almost the whole of ActionScript in great detail. His approach is excellent. As he says in the preface, this is not a recipe book, it's a lesson in cooking from first principles. What a refreshing change from all the other ActionScript books that basically just say "do this, do that"!

One small criticism is that, at over 1000 pages long, it can only sensibly be used while sitting at a table. Sometimes I like to read manuals in the evening (sad geek that I am) but it is too heavy to read in a comfy chair. Since the book divides neatly into two halves (a tutorial and a language reference) it would have been nicer if they were bound separately.

I'm still a newbie in Flash and ActionScripting, so I can't give an authoritative appraisal of the book. But having struggled with a number of other tutorials I feel I have at last found the one book that explains what's going on, that speaks my language without patronising, and that has all the information I'm ever likely to need.

The best Actionscript book ever !
I have personally being trying to learn actionscript fairly unsuccessfully for a year or so. I have no previous programming experience and have been buying several flash Actionscript books and doing many online tutorials to try and learn the script.
However I didn't really get anywhere, I just couldn't seem to absorb or understand the script as well as was needed.

This book is what helped, as long as you read the entire book, possibly including the language reference at the back you should be able to doing nearly anything you want. It explains everything in great detail which means that if you don't understand it you haven't read it enough. The only suggestion is that as you read the book it would be a great idea to follow some kind of project to back-up the learning from the book so the script is properly absorbed.

So therefore if you want a complete reference to actionscript I really recommend this book.

David

If you use Flash buy it now!
Oh yes the DADDY of Flash and Actionscript books. Serious Flashers use actionscript to get stuff done and this books tells you everything you need to know and more. Every command, keyword, property, method and event is covered in meticulous detail. Helped me out of a few scrapes I tell you. Can't recommend it highly enough.