ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition [Paperback]

Colin Moock (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 059600396X | ISBN-13: 978-0596003968 | Publication Date: December 19, 2002 | Edition: Second Edition

Updated to cover Flash MX, the newest version of Macromedia Flash, ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition is the one book no serious Flash developer should be without.

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 much more. And ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide is the most complete, up-to-date reference available for the latest version of this language.

Author Colin Moock, one of the most universally respected developers in the Flash community, 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 meticulously 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.

ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide is structured so non-programmers can learn how to use ActionScript and programmers can take their skills to new heights. If you are in the market to really learn about the hows and whys of ActionScript, then this is the book for you.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

is an independent web guru with a passion for networked creativity and expression. He has been researching, designing, and developing for the Web since 1995. Colin served as webmaster for SoftQuad, Inc. (makers of HoTMetaL PRO) until 1997, and then as web evangelist for ICE (one of Canada's leading interactive agencies) until 2001. He has created interactive content for Sony, Levi's, Nortel, Air Canada, Procter & Gamble, and Hewlett-Packard. Colin now divides his time between writing, speaking at conferences, and researching emerging web technology. His award-winning Flash work and his renowned support site for Flash developers (http://www.moock.org) have made him a well-known personality in the Flash developer community. He is a contributor to macromedia.com's Flash developer center, a tutorialist in the Flash MX Bible (2002, Wiley Publishing Inc.), and regularly appears in industry magazines such as cre@te! online. Colin's latest personal undertaking is Unity (http://www.moock.org/unity/), a Flash socket server for multi-user content.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1104 pages
• Publisher: O'Reilly Media; Second Edition edition (December 19, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 059600396X
• ISBN-13: 978-0596003968
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.1 x 1.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (52 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #911,232 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Colin Moock is an independent web guru with a passion for networked creativity and expression. He has been researching, designing, and developing for the Web since 1995. His award-winning Flash work and his renowned support site for Flash developers (http://www.Moock.org) have made him a well-known personality in Flash developer community.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Genius++, January 22, 2003

By 

BC (Antigua, Caribbean) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition (Paperback)

I bought Colin Moock's previous book (on flash 5) the day it was released because as an investor of many other sub-standard flash books, I knew the one from O'Reilly (the book's publisher) would be the most valuable. Without fail, "Actionscript: A Definitive Guide" blew me away. Not only was his book extremely informative, but his writing style was conversational, concise, and accessible. Though I had experience with actionscript, my background wasn't in programming, so it was nice to have an "in" to the advanced features of actionscript with Moock's example scripts and corresponding explanations. After a few months of employing the ideas and concepts found easily in Moock's first book...I felt like I finally had a firm grip on Flash 5...

Then Flash MX was released. Immediately I bought it and quickly transitioned myself into the new work enviornment (love it). Then I read up on all the new features...and thought to myself...I wish Colin would write a book for Flash MX's actionscript...it is way more powerful...and more complicated...

He did. It took longer than my patience would have liked...but the wait was well worth it...and the book explains its own delay...IT IS HUGE. Almost twice the size of the first edition...and that's because almost every chapter is edited, has new important explanations and the same easy-to-understand commentaries and examples. Indeed there are entirely NEW chapters...that specifically discuss new immensely more powerful Flash MX actionscript features. Also, all the appendices are new and updated (I frequently use them).

If you own Flash MX and you want to be a serious flash developer with serious marketable skills, BUY THIS BOOK above all--it is a REAL REFERENCE tool--something you will keep on your desk next to your mouse. Nothing is left out except some add-in features (like comm server and UI components) which you can get plenty of info on at macromedia's website. You can also frequent colin's website (moock.org) where he posts hundreds of additional tips, book errata info, and flash downloads.

I garentee "Actionscript for Flash MX" will become the best investment you made outside of the Flash MX application itself...at least until flash 7 is released! If you learn the concepts in this book, you will be able to create anything you or your client can imagine. In the end, that could mean lots of money or lots of fun...or both! Enjoy!

And by the way...buy it at Amazon...it's almost 20 bucks cheaper than the bookstores.

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An obvious purchase, March 19, 2003

By 

John Harpur (Trim, Meath, IRELAND) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition (Paperback)

This book is primarily an obvious purchase because of the extremely cretinous policy driving Macromedia's manual publications. Much of what is in this book belongs in Macromedia documentation.

Like all reference texts (really dictonaries for language learners) this book is not for beginners. Unless you have some experience with program design, you are unlikely to learn how to assemble even a reasonable suite of code from the text. That's not a criticsm of the text - it just isn't written for that market.

Almost every language construct gets a piece of exemplar code to illustrate calls and side effects. Even the OO side of things, such as it is in Actionscript, gets played out.

This is a fine book and the sheer labour involved in fiddling with every function is a credit to the author's resilience.

If you are actually programming in Actionscript rather than merely mooning over the nice Flash UI, then this book will be very useful.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars DEFINITIVE IN EVERY SENSE, January 30, 2003

By 

reviewer (Zurich, Switzerland.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition (Paperback)

This edition of "ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide" is truly definitive. Its language reference alone has almost doubled, when compared to what featured in the previous edition. A lot of new methods, classes, objects, and properties have been added. Also, there are hundreds of new code examples which simplified the latest techniques of Flash MX: thus making tasks like: how to create reusable components, draw circles, save data to disk, preload variables and convert arrays to onscreen tables, more understandable.
This book is really superb. Its beauty is that it analyzed every aspect of Flash MX tools, including all the undocumented and misdocumented features.