Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0 (Paperback)

by Todd Yard (Author), Peter Elst (Author), Sas Jacobs (Author)
Key Phrases: script assist, flash file, motion base, Flex Builder, Flash Player, Test Movie (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

• Learn object-oriented programming in ActionScript 3.0
• Covers both the Flash and Flex environments
• Includes design patterns, custom frameworks, data binding, and other crucial techniques

Object-oriented programming (OOP) is something that is usually considered a black art for hardcore programmers, not a topic of conversation for Flash developers. However, when adobe introduced ActionScript 3.0 to the mix, it changed everything. ActionScript 3.0 is much more powerful than previous versions, allowing Flash developers to produce robust object-oriented applications. but with that power comes great responsibility—OOP is now a requirement, rather than optional, and there are new things to learn.

But never fear—this book, based on the ever-popular Object-Oriented ActionScript for Flash 8, provides you all you need to delve into the world of OOP with confidence, whether you are using the Flash IDE, Flex builder, or even command-line tools for your development work.

First, you are taken gently through all the principles of OOP that you need to know, and then given a guide to designing and implementing applications in ActionScript 3.0. Next, we step up a gear, showing you the Flex builder development environment and teaching about creating reusable, extensible component frameworks—manager classes, animation and effects classes, UI widgets, and more. lastly, we look at some more advanced topics such as communication between Flash and the browser and Web services. case studies are included that apply the knowledge presented, giving you real-world projects to learn from and adapt for use in your own work.

Mastering object-oriented programming is essential for modern Flash development, and Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0 is the only guide you'll need.

In this book you'll learn:

• the essential principles of object-oriented programming, including inheritance, encapsulation, polymorphism, and more
• Valuable lessons on ActionScript 3.0 project planning and programming, including design patterns and source control
• How to create your own extensible, reusable application framework using OOP best practices
• Advanced data integration techniques such as Web services and communication between Flash and the browser

Summary of Contents

• PART ONE: OOP AND ACTIONSCRIPT
  • Chapter 1: Introduction to OOP
  • Chapter 2: Programming Concepts
  • Chapter 3: ActionScript 3.0 Programming
• PART TWO: FLASH OOP GUIDELINES
  • Chapter 4: Planning
  • Chapter 5: Project Workflow
  • Chapter 6: Best Practices
  • Chapter 7: Working with Flex 2
• PART THREE: CORE OOP CONCEPTS
  • Chapter 8: Encapsulation
  • Chapter 9: Classes
  • Chapter 10: Inheritance
  • Chapter 11: Polymorphism
  • Chapter 12: Interfaces
  • Chapter 13: Design Patterns
  • Chapter 14: Case Study: An OOP Media Player
• PART FOUR: BUILDING AND EXTENDING DYNAMIC FRAMEWORKS
  • Chapter 15: Manager Classes
  • Chapter 16: UI Widgets
  • Chapter 17: OOP Animation and Effects
• PART FIVE: DATA INTEGRATION
  • Chapter 18: Exchanging Data Between Components
  • Chapter 19: Communication Between Flash and the Browser
  • Chapter 20: Server Communication (XML and Web Services)
  • Chapter 21: Case Study: Slideshow Engine

About the Author
After studying theatre in London, then working for several years as an actor in the US, Todd was introduced to Flash in 2000 and was quickly taken by how it allowed for both stunning creativity and programmatic logic application&emdash;a truly left-brain, right brain approach to production&emdash;and has not looked back. He now freelances as a Flash developer in New York City, creating both silly animations and utilitarian applications. His personal work and experimentation can be found at his website, www.27Bobs.com.

Peter is a certified Flash MX 2004 developer, Team Macromedia volunteer for Flash and runs his own business named MindStudio, which mainly does multimedia development and consultancy.

Introduced to Macromedia Flash in late 1996, he started of doing interactive advertisement campaigns for one of Europe's largest online advertisement agencies. When Macromedia released its Generator software his interest moved more towards the backend side of things, fascinated by Flash and database integration &emdash; what many considered some very innovative technology at that time.

After attending the FlashForward 2001 conference in Amsterdam, Peter was so inspired that he decided to make the switch from HTML to full-fledged multimedia development, a decision he hasn't regretted since.


Sas is a Web developer who loves working with Flash. She set up her business Anything Is Possible in 1994, working in the areas of web development, IT training and technical writing. The business works with large and small clients building web applications with ASP.NET, Flash, XML and databases.
Sas has also spoken at conferences such as Flash Forward, MXDU and FlashKit on topics relating to XML and dynamic content in Flash. In her spare time, Sas is passionate about travelling, photography and enjoying life. One of her most fervent wishes is that Flash will take over the Web!

Product Details

• Paperback: 640 pages
• Publisher: friends of ED (July 23, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1590598458
• ISBN-13: 978-1590598450
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.5 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #204,155 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Helpful Transition from AS 2.0, October 13, 2007

By	Brandon Aaskov - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I've been eagerly reading as much as I can to dive into AS 3.0. I know AS 2.0 sufficiently well, but never got into the OOP side of things. After reading some design patterns books, and Essential Actionscript 3.0 (must have) I definitely understood the concepts of OOP, which was great. But then I'd sit down and try to code some kind of small app, and I felt like I knew nothing.

I like this book because it has tons and tons of code samples that I can easily read through and understand as I go, plus case studies to work on. That helps me get over that conceptual hump and actually get things done.

I really like Friends of Ed books. Anytime I feel stuck with learning a topic, it seems like I can turn to one of their books and cruise through it. I read this on the train every day - for some reason, you can just read these as you would a novel (well, sort of).

If you want to get a good grasp on OOP (and you really should if you're looking to learn AS 3.0) I would definitely pick this up as well as Essential Actionscript 3.0. You'll be good to go.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Object-Oriented Actionscript 3.0, March 5, 2008

By	Jeffrey M. Smith "{ [Jeff] }" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Title: Object-Oriented Actionscript 3.0
Authors: Peter Elst, Sas Jacobs, and Todd Yard
Publisher: Friends of ED (July 23rd, 2007)
ISBN: 1590598458
[...]
I figured this book would be next logical step in learning actionscript. I will state this book is not for those who are just beginning actionscript as the depth will make your head spin. If you are just beginning AS I suggest you pick up the Foundation Actionscript for Flash 8 by Friend of Ed or head over LearnFlash to check out their Introduction to Actionscript 3.0 videos. The thing that I looked forward to most about this book is the OOP discussions. As a developer, I am always looking for a better explanation of a very important aspect of development.
The book is divided into five sections. The first section deals with OOP and Actionscript. It throws in a basic programming concepts and an introduction to Actionscript. Part two deals Flash OOP guidelines. It contains chapters dealing with best practices, planning, and project workflow. They decided to stick a Flex chapter in this section which seemed odd to me. Part three deals with the core OOP concepts such as encapsulation, classes, inheritance, Polymorphism, interfaces, and a section on design patterns. Part four deals with building and extending dynamic frameworks. They talk about manager classes, UI widgets, and OOP animation/effects. The final part deals with data integration. The authors provide details on exchanging data between components, communication with the browser, and various forms of server communication (XML and web Services. The book concludes with an example of a slideshow engine.
The layout is very reminiscent of other books in this series. I wish they would have found a better way to make the code examples stand out from the other text a little better. It would have broken up the monotony. I think the book could have used more color.
What I liked about the book
I thought the authors did a great job of covering OOP concepts. Part three really provides a terrific explanation of the foundation and core fundamentals. I recommend reading part three if you need a refresher on the topic. If you don't get lost in the rhetoric then the case studies are excellent. The Slideshow engine in the final part really brings together the concepts discussed throughout the whole book. I enjoyed the coverage of Flex 2 and its capabilities.
What I didn't like about the book
I did not care for the way the code examples were presented at all. In most cases, it made the book hard to follow and many times I would have to reread the paragraph before the code just to make sense of what they were trying to relay to the reader. I think some of the chapters were very confusing and fuzzy on the topic at hand. I am sure the manager classes discussed in part four are integral part of AS 3.0, but I felt like I was running up hill in quicksand. There are several topics in the book that would have been clearer if they had their own chapter. This being said it would have helped me master the codes examples a bit better if the explanation was a bit clearer. The examples would be easier to follow if they built upon each other as well. I enjoyed the Flex coverage, but it would have been great to have more material relating to Flash.
Conclusion
I don't think this is a horrible book by any means and if were organized clearly it would be a must read. I am hoping they come out with a foundation book on AS 3.0 which will benefit beginners and intermediates as well. If you are well schooled in AS than I imagine you will find this book helpful if you are not then you will be left scratching your head. Personally, I think it time back track and pick up on some things that I must have missed.

{[Jeff Smith]}

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0 Review, October 24, 2007

By	Jeremy R. Heckathorn (Pittsburgh, PA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had read the Object-Oriented ActionScript for Flash 8 which was the predecessor to Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0 and it was one of the best books I ever read. So, I cracked open this new book with high expectations and I am happy to report that I was not disappointed in the least. Both books are outstanding. If you're still working in ActionScript 2 get the first book. If you are ready to, or already have taken on ActionScript 3.0 this new book is a must have. Not that this will comes as a surprise, friendsofEd have always put out great teaching books.

The greatest values of Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0 are not only in how well explained the principles of OOP are, but also in learning some great code techniques as well. Take your time with this book and really come to understand each line of code. You will find that you will learn many different code tricks that will serve to make you a far more efficient and effective coder. One of the other great things about this book is that because it focuses on ActionScript 3.0 and not specifically Flash, it also covers developing in Flex and other IDEs making the book even more versatile.

Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0 also does a wonderful job of walking you through real world examples that will have actual use in future development. Many of the examples build on each other to give you a greater understanding of how each of the techniques and/or principles of OOP can work together to form a successful application.

It should be said that this is not a book for the faint of heart so if you are new to Flash, I would suggest you start with something geared toward beginners. However, at the same time, don't think you need to be an expert either. Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0 does a great job of explaining things from a pretty basic level and then working you up to some pretty advanced stuff. By the time you finish this book you just may find yourself amongst the ranks of expert ActionScript developers.

Review by Jeremy Heckathorn