Using ActionScript 2.0 Components with Macromedia Flash 8 [Paperback]

Bob Berry (Author), Jen deHaan (Author), Peter deHaan (Author), David Jacowitz (Author), Wade Pickett (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0321395395 | ISBN-13: 978-0321395399 | Publication Date: October 22, 2005 | Edition: 1

Components are “packaged” pieces of the Flash user interface, data integration tools, and media player that form the building blocks for building rich internet applications. They encapsulate complex functionality to make Flash development easier and more efficient, by letting developers reuse, share, and customize code. This book describes how to work with components and their supporting classes.

In Using ActionScript Components with Macromedia Flash 8, learn how to:
•    Set component properties and parameters
•    Write functions to handle component “events,” such as clicking, loading, and rollovers
•    Customize component appearance
•    Create your own components and distribute them to other developers and designers
•    Use supporting classes for managing component depth and focus, or to customize data, styles, transition effects, and Web services

Includes the following books in the Macromedia online documentation:
•    Using Components
•    Components Language Reference

Powerful development and design tools require thorough and authoritative technical advice and documentation. When it comes to Macromedia Flash, no one is more authoritative than Macromedia Development and writing teams. Now their official documentation is available to you in printed book form. As you work, keep this guide by your side for ready access to valuable information on using Flash. We’ve designed it so that it’s easy to annotate as you progress.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Bob Berry, Jen deHaan, Peter deHaan, David Jacowitz, and Wade Pickett are members of the staff of the Instructional Media Development
team at Macromedia. The Macromedia Instructional Media Development (IMD) team is a group of technical writers, editors, and production engineers who create the technical documentation for all Macromedia products and technologies. Each product has a team of dedicated writers who document the help systems, feature descriptions, and learning paths that Macromedia customers use. Through their years of insider, hands-on product experience, the IMD team is uniquely qualified to bring you these official Macromedia-branded documentation reference guides.

Product Details

• Paperback: 1752 pages
• Publisher: Macromedia Press; 1 edition (October 22, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321395395
• ISBN-13: 978-0321395399
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7.4 x 2.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,121,249 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Huge Disappointment, February 6, 2006

By 

J. Boothe "One Gigabyte at a time" (Lakeland, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Using ActionScript 2.0 Components with Macromedia Flash 8 (Paperback)

The first 190 pages deal with how to customize components and how to create your own components - basically information found in the Flash Help section.

The last 1528 pages are a *replica* of the Flash Help - Components Language Reference section.

1908 pages of the Flash Help section without word search capabilities!

The only positive thing I can say is if these five authors are responsible for the Flash Help section, they did a great job. I just don't like paying for photo copies of something I already have.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, February 22, 2006

By 

Frank S. Kalich (Lawrence, KS United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Using ActionScript 2.0 Components with Macromedia Flash 8 (Paperback)

This book was put out by Macromedia itself. Based on the title, I expected an original book that would be well written and instructive, to complement the more dry technical online documention. I opened the book and found it largely an effort to make a quick buck, providing little that is not already freely available on-line. The first section of the book is not original as another reviewer has pointed out, however at least it organizes some help section material into a readable flow. The bulk of the book is just reprint filler. I feel I got "taken" on this purchase. As you may have seen, Macromedia was notorious for having complaints over its published books. Hopefully Adobe will operate this end of the business in a different fashion.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Book too advanced, no media included, waste of paper, 80% of the book is just printed help, May 29, 2006

By 

Arturo Cardenas "night book reader" (USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Using ActionScript 2.0 Components with Macromedia Flash 8 (Paperback)

if you are a beginner or intermediate, this book is not for you, it is for advanced programmers, in ActionScript 2.

Also, 80% of the book is a waste of paper, nothing more than printed help you can get from the help menu or online support.

the good thing, is that it covers 90% of the advanced topics, in my case, I spend about 2 years learning action script 2, it misses how to merge 2 or more components in 1 single distributable component, also it misses how to include custom graphic component inspector.

so, with that in mind, I give it 3 stars.