Book description
Visual learners can get up and running quickly on ActionScript programming skills for Flash CS4
If you're a programmer who learns best when you see how something is done, this book will have you up and running with ActionScipt in no time. Step-by-step, two-page lessons show you the core programming foundations you must master to create rich Internet content using the preferred language for work with Flash. The visual approach breaks big topics into bite-sized modules, with high-resolution screen shots to illustrate each task.
You'll learn such skills as how to add interactivity, animate in code, and work with external content to create Flash projects with pizzazz.
Designed for visual learners, with two-page lessons and step-by-step, fully illustrated instructions
Covers foundation ActionScript, animating, interactivity, and working with external content
Demonstrates using the Actions panel, syntax rules, and essential language foundations Shows how to use variables and arrays; write functions, classes, if/else statements, and loops; and work with static classes such as Math
Explores essential techniques such as loading visual aspects at runtime, text from delimited text files and XML, and server-based assets using Flash Remoting
Companion Web site features all the code that appears in the text, ready to plug into your Web pages
ActionScript: Your visual blueprint to creating interactive projects in Flash CS4 Professional is the visual learner's way to master ActionScript quickly and easily.
Table of contents
- Copyright
- Praise For Visual Books...
- Credits
- About the Author
- Author's Acknowledgments
- HOW TO USE THIS VISUAL BLUEPRINT BOOK
- 1. Introducing ActionScript
-
2. Introducing the Basic Syntax of ActionScript
- 2.1. Understanding Object-Oriented Programming
- 2.2. Understanding Objects and Classes
- 2.3. Understanding Properties and Methods
- 2.4. Static Classes
- 2.5. Understanding ActionScript Syntax Rules
- 2.6. Using Semicolons
- 2.7. Using Curly Braces and Parentheses
- 2.8. Whitespace
- 2.9. Case Sensitivity
- 2.10. Dot Syntax
- 2.11. Create a Variable
- 2.12. Understanding Data Types
- 2.13. Types of Data
- 2.14. Data Types in ActionScript 3.0
- 2.15. Declaring Data Types
- 2.16. Untyped Values
- 2.17. Casting Values
- 2.18. Test Your Flash Movie
- 2.19. Concatenate Strings
- 2.20. Trace Variables
- 2.21. Create an Array
- 2.22. Add and Remove Elements from an Array
- 2.23. Create an Array in an Array
- 2.24. Create a Generic Object
- 2.25. Add Constants
- 2.26. Add Comments to Your Code
- 2.27. Understanding Coding Best Practices
- 2.28. Plan and Organize Your Code
- 2.29. Be Consistent
- 2.30. Immediately Add Closing Parentheses and Curly Braces
- 2.31. Add Whitespace
- 2.32. Document the Code with Comments
- 2.33. Use Descriptive Names
- 3. Controlling Objects on the Stage
- 4. Working with Nonvisual Classes
- 5. Writing Functions
-
6. Creating Custom Classes
- 6.1. Create a Package
- 6.2. Create a New ActionScript File
- 6.3. Create a Custom Class Skeleton
- 6.4. Define Properties of the Class
- 6.5. Create a Constructor
- 6.6. Define a Method
- 6.7. Extend a Class
- 6.8. Using a Custom Class
- 6.9. Define a Document Class
- 6.10. Get and Set Class Properties
- 6.11. Add a Static Property to a Class
- 7. Create an Event Handler
-
8. Controlling the Timeline in Code
- 8.1. Stop a Movie
- 8.2. Go to a Specific Frame in a Movie
- 8.3. Add Code to a MovieClip's Timeline
- 8.4. Control a MovieClip from the Main Timeline
- 8.5. Work with the Stage in Code
- 8.6. Add MovieClips to the Stage through Code
- 8.7. Add MovieClips to the Stage through Code (continued)
- 8.8. Remove Elements from the Stage
-
9. Working with Text
- 9.1. Create a Dynamic Text Field Visually
- 9.2. Create a Dynamic Text Field in Code
- 9.3. Create an Input Text Field Visually
- 9.4. Create an Input Text Field in Code
- 9.5. Work with TextField Events
- 9.6. Find Characters within Strings
- 9.7. Manipulate Strings
- 9.8. Get Pieces of Strings
- 9.9. Convert Data Types
- 10. Formatting Text
- 11. Making Decisions in Code
- 12. Looping over Code
- 13. Animating in Code
- 14. Adding Keyboard Controls
-
15. Working with Sound
- 15.1. Understanding Sound in Flash
- 15.2. Understanding Digital Sounds
- 15.3. Sounds on the Timeline
- 15.4. Sound File Formats
- 15.5. Adding Sounds in Flash
- 15.6. Controlling Sounds
- 15.7. Using Sound Judiciously
- 15.8. Add a Sound to the Library and Play It
- 15.9. Load and Play an External Sound
- 15.10. Avoid Errors Due to Loading Delays
- 15.11. Pause and Resume Sounds
- 15.12. Control Sound Volume
- 15.13. Display Information about Sound Files
- 16. Working with Video
- 17. Working with Data
-
18. Exchanging Data with a Server
- 18.1. Download the Apache Web Server
- 18.2. Install the Apache Server
- 18.3. Download Adobe ColdFusion
- 18.4. Install ColdFusion
- 18.5. Download PHP
- 18.6. Install PHP
- 18.7. Send Data to the Server
- 18.8. Create XML with ColdFusion
- 18.9. Create XML with PHP
- 18.10. Read Data from the Server
- 18.11. Read Data from the Server (continued)
- 19. Drawing Vectors in Code
-
20. Working with AIR
- 20.1. Understanding AIR
- 20.2. The Adobe Integrated Runtime
- 20.3. AIR Development Environments
- 20.4. AIR Components
- 20.5. AIR Capabilities
- 20.6. ActionScript and AIR
- 20.7. AIR and Web Applications
- 20.8. Connected and Disconnected Applications
- 20.9. Custom Logos
- 20.10. Testing AIR Applications
- 20.11. Create a New AIR Application
- 20.12. Digitally Sign Your Application
- 20.13. Detect User Inactivity
- 20.14. Allow Users to Save Data
- A. ActionScript Class Reference
- B. ActionScript Operators Reference
- C. Supported HTML Tags
Product information
- Title: ActionScript®: Your visual blueprint™ for creating interactive projects in Flash® CS4 Professional
- Author(s):
- Release date: July 2009
- Publisher(s): Visual
- ISBN: 9780470481943
You might also like
video
Learning Anime Studio Pro 11
In this Learning Anime Studio Pro 11 training course, expert author Mark Bremmer teaches you everything …
book
Flash 8: Projects for Learning Animation and Interactivity
Macromedia Flash is fast becoming the Web's most widely used platform for creating rich media with …
book
Flash Builder @ Work: Customizing the User interface
Personalize user interface components of your projects. Example projects are grouped together in an AIR application …
book
HTML5: Your visual blueprint™ for designing rich web pages and applications
Use the latest version of HTML to create dynamic Web pages HTML5 is the latest iteration …