(18 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5) 
Loading ...Welcome to the companion website for Learning ActionScript 3.0 (O’Reilly). Ideally, you have found your way here after acquiring a copy of the book, and you are looking for further information about material referenced therein. If you’re new to this site, please continue reading. If you are a veteran to these pages, thanks for coming back, and have fun exploring.
In addition to including examples specifically cited in the book, we plan to continue to supplement the material with additional examples, new topics of discussion, added resources, and, coming soon, a reader forum. We’re still adding information as we go, so bear with us as we get up to speed.
in the meantime, please check out what’s already here, including the digital forward by Richard Galvan (Flash Product Manager), book source code downloads, and chapter-based quizzes, all found in pages accessible via the sidebar. Also keep an eye out for new and coming posts that expand on chapter content, and more.
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Thank you for getting the site up, I have been reading the book - which is one of the best flash books I’ve read and have been wanting to try a lot of the exercises without much luck. Im looking forward to what comes of this site!
@Jake:
Thanks very much. We hope you enjoy the book and site. There’s a lot more to come, and the site will continue to improve over time. Notably, there will soon be a forum in which you may find answers from me, Zevan, or other readers. We welcome your suggestions.
Hi Rich,
Just wanted to say thank you for writing the book that I think every designer in the world will want to get there hands on. (I hope there is sequeal to this book, perhaps flash remoting….as there seems to be alot of confusion out there about the future of remoting/AMFPHP etc. Also perhaps a beginners book on how to set up an Ecommerce flash website and what is the best back end program for the job? Is it PHP? etc……Just an idea.
I’ve read alot of actionscript books, and have found it difficult understanding them.(Sometimes I would read the same paragraph four times, until it made sense.)
I’ve been waiting for this book all my life!
I really do believe that this book and Colin Moocks Essential Actionscript 3 is all you really need to do the job.
Thanks again,
from Sydney,Australia
Bought the book today and began reading it. Really looking forward to using. However, I’m a designer and new to actionscript and programming. You wrote twice that this book assumes “a very basic understanding of general scripting concepts.” Don’t have that per se so do you have a recommendation for where I can pick this up either a book or on the web? I determined to learn this but I don’t want to hinder my ability right from the start.
Thanks for any suggestions and this site,
Stephen
@Vlado: Thanks very much for your kind words. They really mean a lot to us! We really tried to write the book you described, and I’m thrilled to hear we struck a chord with you.
@Stephen: Welcome. You ask a very good question. Because you already have this book, I would try jumping right in. I know what you mean about hindering your start but, if things begin to slow down, you can look for additional support at any time. Also, you’ll be back to this book soon, so it will feel familiar when you return. I think you’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll get up to speed.
We included the disclaimer you mentioned because our page count limit prevented us from starting at the very, very beginning. To be honest, however, it was really in response to the resounding chorus of students who felt let down in the past by more advanced books claiming to be right for every beginner. You may find that our caveat is not even necessary.
I would start with the second chapter to see how that content reads. You don’t have to skip Chapter 1, of course, as it is a big-picture look atw ActionScript 3, but don’t concern yourself with classes right away. Chapter 2 doesn’t exactly start from the very first idea of writing a script, or discuss the Flash interface at length, but it’s a short overview of basic programming building blocks. If you’re comfortable with that, I would then move on to looking at as much of the source code as you can, beginning with Chapter 3, getting you used to properties, methods, and events. There’s no substitute for trial and error.
If you find you want additional support, there are two places to start. The first approach is to use a Flash application text or video training title that only touches lightly on ActionScript. The idea is that those kinds of resources are trying to introduce ActionScript from the standpoint of the Flash interface, rather than trying to cover a wide range of AS topics. If this is appealing, I’ve recorded an intro title for Lynda.com called Flash CS3 Professional Essential Training.
The second approach pushes you to focus on programming from the beginning. Of two common schools of thought, one advocates a simple universal language. Since ActionScript is based on the ECMAScript standard, you can pick up a beginner’s book on JavaScript, for example. I’ve added one to the Buy page if you’re interested. Much will translate to ActionScript, and you will end up with a fundamental understanding of browser scripting as well. However, you’ll be learning syntax specific to a web browser as you go, forcing yourself to keep one foot in the browser and one foot in Flash. Because AS basics are the same as JS basics, I’d suggest staying with AS if you can. Stick with this book, perhaps combined with basic tutorials that are scattered throughout the web. I don’t know of one perfect repository of such tutorials (a good idea for a post for this site, no?), but Kirupa.com is a good place to start.
The other programming school of thought is that you should jump into the deep end right away and focus on computer science best practices, using classes from the beginning, so you don’t have to transition from procedural to object-oriented programming later on. I think this approach is fine for someone that is already oriented in that direction but the overwhelming majority of students that I’ve taught–especially designers–do not typically fair well with this method. That’s actually why we wrote this book. The other down side of this method is that, unless you start with ActionScript (bringing you back to this book), you’ll have to adjust to differences between the language you choose (such as Java) and ActionScript when you’re ready to return to Flash.
I realize I haven’t given you a clear path to follow, but I hope this gives you enough to evaluate a choice or two. I think, as a designer, you’re best option will be to start with this book to see if you already have what you need, or perhaps augment the book with a video training series or generic (as in not AS-specific) Flash text. You can also suggest topics for future posts in this blog and we’ll try to help.
Good luck!
Rich
This just what I needed. The two other topics for addition to the site you mentioned, sources found on the web 1) repositories of introductory programming tutorials and 2) computer science best practices, would be a very helpful supplement to beginners since the book has space limitations.
So I’m going for plan A, dive right in. Your comment of taking a passing “concern” with the classes is helpful. I’m thorough but I’m also too eager to learn AS to spend time learning JS, however beneficial in the long run.
I already like the writing style and organization of the book. It seems redundant in the best way, meaning you introduce a subject with a general explanation and the promise that you will return to it in depth in future chapters. I learn best with repetition and I suspect many others do as well.
Thanks
S
Rich and Zevan,
Thank you for writing this book! I’m going to attend Colin Moocks AS3 tour training, and was looking for a way to be well prepared. I’d bought Colin Moocks book and I can see how this book in the future would became as valuable to me as my Javascript The definitive guide. But for now, it’s was a bit overwhelming to me, especially since I’m not an expert Flash user. So I picked up your book and and it picked up my spirit! I do a chapter a day and it’s going very well, I definitely be well prepared for the training day.
By the way: like Vlado, I’d love a book about Flash remoting, especially if it’s written in understandable language like this book. You struck the right tone too: I’m not a dummy, but not a genius either so I don’t want to be spoken to as if I am either one! Thanks again.
Thanks very much for the book. I got it after reading Lee Brimelow’s recommendation and I’ve not been disappointed.
Thanks guys!
Your book is wonderful! All I can say is…
WOW and then WOW again backwards!
This is what I’ve been looking for. I’m new to flash (I’m 4 weeks into my flash education) I’ve been just learning via video training from lynda.com and learnflash.com as well as several other web resources… but up until this point no books…
Until to day!
Well now I’m off to poke around your site a bit and see what I can discover.
Thanks again mates,
Jay
@Steven, @Marion, @IsmetM, @Jay
(All these comment references make me hear The Night Before Christmas: “Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!” Heh.)
Welcome, all. We really appreciate the words of encouragement and we hope you get a lot from the book and this companion site.
Hey Guys,
I am enjoying the book so far and am about to begin the exercises with the downloads. I have never been a programmer, so I am hoping you know of a basic glossary that can define and explain the origin of programming nomenclature (arguments, etc.) in very simple terms. I must say that I have been able to follow the book so far anyway. Thanks.
-Tom
The best book I’ve seen on ActionScript 3.0, (and I’ve seen a lot), well written and in a way that someone with a design background (like myself) is likely to find easier to understand…
Cheers - Dom
Group IT Director
MediTech Media Ltd
London
i am enjoying book so for. this book helps exiting people.
Yes,
I’ve read quite a few Action Script books, including Colin Moock’s and also the documentation of Flash CS3 itself and this is perhaps the best. It explains concepts in an easy to understand way and gives new insights. e.g. I’d never before seen a sprite described as a movie clip without a timeline, yet the description helps understanding enormously.Again, I’ve never really seen the void data type adequately explained anywhere else - it tends to be assumed you will know it.
This book is the book I’ve been looking for. It’s the only one I’ve come across which actually makes the learning process enjoyable and understandable at the same time.
Best Flashbook I have seen around …
thanx for that Folks
cheers
Mark
Thanks for writing such an easy and enjoyable book to read. You have demystify a lot about AS and make it easy to follow through. I have just bought the book to learn about AS. I like the hands-on exercises which helps me a lot to understand what i read.
I will be back to continue my quizzes exercise and see what is going on here.
Kiitos!(Finnish: Thanks)
Alfa