ActionScripting in Flash

✍ Scribed by Phillip Kerman

• Publisher: Sams
• Year: 2001
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 637
• Edition: 1st
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Building a linear animation or moderately interactive Flash movie is relatively simple. With the upgrade from Flash 4 to Flash 5, ActionScripting has become an even more crucial and powerful part of the product. Tapping the vast programming capabilities of Flash, however, requires more than brute programming skill--it requires a keen understanding of how to apply scripting to specific tasks. This book concentrates on practical applications for Flash programming. The book is structured into three parts: Foundation knowledge (general programming theory applied to Flash with short tasks to demonstrate specific concepts); Applied workshop (more involved tasks broken into three parts each--design discussion, the building steps, and analysis with suggestions of variation); and, Reference (which provides a concise listing of some of the more useful elements in ActionScript).

✦ Table of Contents

{ ActionScripting in FLASH™ }......Page 2
Copyright © 2001 by Phillip Kerman......Page 3
Overview......Page 4
Contents......Page 6
Foreword......Page 13
About the Author......Page 15
Tell Us What You Think!......Page 18
{Part I } Foundation......Page 20
{ Foundation } Introduction......Page 22
{ Chapter 1 } Flash Basics......Page 26
Timeline Hierarchy......Page 27
Script Locations......Page 33
Always Movie Clips......Page 36
Coordinate System......Page 37
Tricks of the Trade......Page 39
Summary......Page 43
Advanced Features Making Programming Easy......Page 44
Previous Knowledge Worth Forgetting......Page 50
Summary......Page 55
Specification......Page 56
Prototyping......Page 57
Good Style......Page 60
Code Data Separation......Page 64
Summary......Page 65
Terminology, Special Characters, and Formatting......Page 66
Data Types and Variables......Page 77
Using Variables......Page 84
Dot Syntax......Page 89
Summary......Page 90
Statements, Expressions, and Operators......Page 92
Simple Objects in Statements......Page 108
Conditional and Loop Statements......Page 115
Applied Expression Writing......Page 128
Summary......Page 131
{ Chapter 6 } Debugging......Page 132
General Approaches to a Bug-Free Life......Page 133
Using the Debugger......Page 141
Summary......Page 157
{ Chapter 7 } The Movie Clip Object......Page 160
Properties of Clips......Page 161
Variables in Clips (or “Homemade Properties”)......Page 164
Methods of Clips......Page 166
Referencing Clips and Targeting......Page 170
Summary......Page 177
{ Chapter 8 } Functions......Page 180
How to Use Functions......Page 181
Creating Homemade Functions......Page 185
Applying Functions to Previous Knowledge......Page 198
Summary......Page 203
{ Chapter 9 } Selecting Text, Trapping Keys, and
Manipulating Strings......Page 204
String Object Form......Page 205
Methods of the String Object Explored......Page 208
Using HTML Text......Page 215
Selection Object......Page 217
Key Object......Page 221
Summary......Page 229
{ Chapter 10 } Arrays......Page 230
Array Overview......Page 231
Array Creation and Manipulation......Page 234
Associative Arrays......Page 251
Summary......Page 254
{ Chapter 11 } Objects......Page 256
Formal Rules of Objects......Page 257
Attach Sound......Page 258
Color......Page 264
Date......Page 269
Attach Movie Clip......Page 276
Summary......Page 278
{ Chapter 12 } Homemade Objects......Page 280
Basic Objects......Page 281
Practical Example of Homemade Objects......Page 292
Summary......Page 300
{ Chapter 13 } Smart Clips......Page 302
Standard Smart Clips......Page 303
Replacing the Clip Parameters Panel with Custom UIs......Page 313
Summary......Page 319
{ Chapter 14 } Interfacing with External Data......Page 322
External Scripts......Page 323
External Data Files......Page 325
Server Scripts......Page 333
XML......Page 337
JavaScript......Page 346
Director and Authorware......Page 357
Summary......Page 368
{Part II } Workshop......Page 370
{Workshop} Introduction......Page 372
{Part IIA } Beginning Workshops......Page 376
{ Chapter 1 Workshop } Ensuring That Users Have the
Flash 5 Player......Page 378
{ Chapter 2 Workshop } Faking Video......Page 386
{Chapter 3 Workshop } Creating Custom Cursors......Page 394
Creating a Quick and Dirty Slider......Page 408
Converting the Slider into a Smart Clip......Page 413
Summary......Page 420
{Chapter 5 Workshop } Building a Slide Show......Page 422
{Chapter 6 Workshop } Mapping......Page 432
{Chapter 7 Workshop } Working with Odd-Shaped
Clickable Areas......Page 442
{Chapter 8 Workshop } Adapting Built-in Smart Clips......Page 450
{Part IIB } Intermediate Workshops......Page 458
{Chapter 9 Workshop } Creating a Currency-Exchange
Calculator......Page 460
{Chapter 10 Workshop } Creating a ToolTip Smart Clip......Page 480
{Chapter 11 Workshop } Creating a Digital Timer......Page 492
{Chapter 12 Workshop } Creating an Analog Timer......Page 500
{Chapter 13 Workshop } Creating a Countdown Timer......Page 508
{Chapter 14 Workshop } Using Math to Create a Circular
Slider......Page 516
{Chapter 15 Workshop } Developing Time-Based
Animations......Page 524
{Chapter 16 Workshop } Creating a Multistate Button......Page 530
{Part IIC } {Part IIC }......Page 540
{Chapter 17 Workshop } Offline Production......Page 542
{Chapter 18 Workshop } Creating a Dynamic Slide
Presentation......Page 548
{Chapter 19 Workshop } Creating JavaScript Cookies......Page 562
{Chapter 20 Workshop } Writing JavaScript Inter-Movie
Communications......Page 570
{Chapter 21 Workshop } Fixing Broken Scripts......Page 578
Card Flip......Page 579
Card Snap......Page 580
Circle Move......Page 581
Multiple Choice......Page 582
Rotating Box......Page 583
Word Float......Page 584
Yellow Box......Page 585
Click and Hold......Page 586
Objects......Page 588
Move Multiple......Page 589
Summary......Page 590
{Part III } Appendices......Page 592
Alternatives to Deprecated Code......Page 594
No More Funkiness......Page 597
The Oldest Ones in the Book......Page 599
How It Works......Page 602
The MXI File Format......Page 604
{ Index }......Page 608