ActionScript 3.0 for Adobe Flash CS3 Professional Hands-On Training [Paperback]

Todd Perkins (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0321293908 | ISBN-13: 978-0321293909 | Publication Date: October 5, 2007

When Flash Player 9 released in June 2006, it introduced the new scripting language, ActionScript 3, which has already taken hold in the Adobe Flex application development community. In its latest release, Flash CS3 incorporates this new and much improved upon language into its development environment, giving Flash authors more flexibility than ever before. Now, they just need to learn how to use it and get started quickly. For the first time, the Flash experts at Lynda.com have poured their training expertise into this exciting book release. ActionScript 3 in Adobe Flash CS3 Professional Hands-On Training teaches readers all they need to know to get up and running with ActionScript 3 in Flash. It covers all the essentials and new features, including the brand new ActionScript debugger that allows users to step through a wide variety of properties in their code at runtime, with greater flexibility and feedback. Readers will also learn modern Web design and workflow techniques for developing their projects successfully with Flash using ActionScript 3. Accompanied by a CD-ROM loaded with classroom-proven exercises and QuickTime training videos, this book ensures readers will master the key features of ActionScript 3 in no time. Now that Flash is an integral part of the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium, Web Standard, and Design Premium packages, there is an even greater need for the clear, step-by-step approach this book offers.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

When Flash Player 9 released in June 2006, it introduced the new scripting language, ActionScript 3, which has already taken hold in the Adobe Flex application development community. In its latest release, Flash CS3 incorporates this new and much improved upon language into its development environment, giving Flash authors more flexibility than ever before. Now, they just need to learn how to use it and get started quickly. For the first time, the Flash experts at Lynda.com have poured their training expertise into this exciting book release. ActionScript 3 in Adobe Flash CS3 Professional Hands-On Training teaches readers all they need to know to get up and running with ActionScript 3 in Flash. It covers all the essentials and new features, including the brand new ActionScript debugger that allows users to step through a wide variety of properties in their code at runtime, with greater flexibility and feedback. Readers will also learn modern Web design and workflow techniques for developing their projects successfully with Flash using ActionScript 3. Accompanied by a CD-ROM loaded with classroom-proven exercises and QuickTime training videos, this book ensures readers will master the key features of ActionScript 3 in no time. Now that Flash is an integral part of the Adobe Creative Suite 3 Web Premium, Web Standard, and Design Premium packages, there is an even greater need for the clear, step-by-step approach this book offers.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Lynda.com,Inc specializes in training books and video instruction for creative professionals.

Product Details

• Paperback: 376 pages
• Publisher: Peachpit Press (October 5, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321293908
• ISBN-13: 978-0321293909
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #186,199 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #37 in Books > Computers & Technology > Graphic Design > Web Design > Flash

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars This will get your feet wet, but it's not rigorous., January 11, 2008

By 

artlmntl (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ActionScript 3.0 for Adobe Flash CS3 Professional Hands-On Training (Paperback)

Knowing nothing about Actionscript and having pitifully little programming experience, I turned to this book as a first step in learning Actionscript. It is very much part of the "Type this, click that" teaching method, which is great for getting your feet wet. You read through and do the exercises and stuff happens on the screen. The author includes some detail about Actionscript, but he doesn't discuss anything in depth. I found myself wanting more information in just about every exercise.

For example, the book includes an exercise for making a sort of word game. The program has arrays of names, verbs, and nouns. The interface also has inputs for adding words to the arrays. When the player presses the "generate" button, the program is supposed to fill in the blanks with words from the lists. Unfortunately, I found that the program frequently fails to generate a word, leaving a hole in the sentence. I know that can be fixed; but if I want to fix it, I have to do research and fix it myself. The book goes no further.

Along the same line, most of the exercises are empty exercises. The author frequently ends sections with instructions to close the exercise windows without saving the work. Larger projects are not followed from start to finish, either. Everything is broken into bite-sized pieces and pre-digested.

I've never used Lynda products before. While I did get something out of the book, I wouldn't really recommend it because it's not rigorous enough to truly learn Actionscript programming. It's just an introduction. I suppose that's the idea. To get the full education, you have to buy more products and do more exercises. I will look elsewhere for more information and give this book three stars.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The Twisted Review, March 12, 2008

By 

T. Brumwell "TS Brumwell" (Iowa - United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ActionScript 3.0 for Adobe Flash CS3 Professional Hands-On Training (Paperback)

I purchased this book expecting to get a good grasp on Actionscript 3.0 by the time I was finished. After going through 3/4 of the book, and exercises, I finally stopped.

Let me first mention what I have found/do find nice in this book.
1. On pages 4-5 there is a nice comparison between AS2 & AS3. Top-notch. I have not encountered another example as clear as this. Since then I have purchased 5 more major references to AS3 and none of them are as clear to me as this.
2. The operator & function list (p.55-56) is the best quick reference I have found yet.
3. The same goes for the accepted sound formats (p.297).
4. Having found an easier book to learn AS from scratch "Learning ActionScript 3.0 - A beginner's Guide". Now I value this book for my ability to find sample code quickly.

That being said...I had a very rough time learning with this book. The supposedly helpful explanations (on pages 29, 41, 49, 65, 133) are more confusing than helpful. Some better analogy would have served his purpose better. I hope this is changed in future revisions.

Another difficulty was that for each section, the book repeatedly uses the same illustration. This makes it difficult to learn.

This is not a beginner's book. But, after you get some AS under your belt, this book sure makes a decent reference.

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Leaves something to be desired, January 2, 2008

By 

Robert Dennis (Mission Viejo, CA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: ActionScript 3.0 for Adobe Flash CS3 Professional Hands-On Training (Paperback)

ActionScript 3.0 for Adobe Flash CS3 Professional Hands-On Training

I can't understand the glowing reviews that were given by 2 people who were not users. Like all lynda.com training, the book is overly simplistic having you type in code that they give you. I can't for the life of me understand how one can learn action script by this method (especially a beginner). The graphics included on the CD are also very simplistic and after 11 chapters of the same images boring.