The ActionScript 3.0 Quick Reference Guide

Foreword

Branden Hall

CTO, Automatic Studios Ltd.

The battle, as it stood, had clearly defined lines. The artists liked ActionScript 1.0 and the programmers, let’s just say they weren’t happy (if they used Flash at all!).

Then ActionScript 2.0 appeared and many artists started getting nervous until they realized that they could basically ignore it. Programmers were a bit more happy until they realized that the changes were mostly superficial. But in many cases, it was enough to bring new programmers to Flash—which made the artists even more nervous.

Fast forward to just a couple of years ago and ActionScript 3.0 rears its head. The programmers embrace it like a brother, like the saviour of the Flash platform. The artists, for the most part, ran and hid. As they dashed away from terms like “classes” and “interfaces” they bemoaned the loss of what, for many of them, was their first programming language.

This was real programming, they said. ActionScript 3.0 had wandered into the land populated by frightening giants like Java and C++. It wasn’t fun anymore, it was just scary.

Enter this book and its talented authors.

For the developers reading this, I have a confession to make that will probably ring true with you as well. At first, ActionScript 3.0 intimidated the heck out of me. Everything that I knew how to do was different. It felt like the ground had been ripped out from under me. It was all sort of familiar, but so many little things were different, I often felt like it would have been easier for me if I hadn’t ever learned ActionScript 1.0 and 2.0. It took me quite a long time to get a good sense of the language and to get back to that level of comfort I had with earlier versions.

The good news for you, dear coder, is that if you haven’t yet made that transition and gained that level of comfort, your road is going to be a lot easier thanks to this book. Honestly, I’m a bit jealous.

For the artists reading this, the authors of this book are here to explain that no, it’s not hard, it’s just different. Different in a way that is more powerful, that lets your ideas go further. You have been doing “real” programming all along and this is just the next logical step.

ActionScript 3.0 is a giant of a programming language. There is a lot to learn, and conquering will take time and patience. But at the end of day (and the end of this book) you will find that by learning ActionScript 3.0 not only are you a better Flash developer, but also a better developer period. You’ll have under your belt a good understanding of many core object-oriented concepts and can take them to any other language you want to tackle—whether that be Python, Java, C++, or just about anything else.

No matter what your background, the pages that follow will provide you with some excellent knowledge, insight, and even a little bit of wisdom in the realm of Flash and ActionScript. I’m lucky enough to personally know some of the authors of this book so I can honestly tell you that you’re about to learn from some of the best developers and teachers I know.

Happy learning!