Macromedia Flash MX ActionScripting: Advanced Training from the Source: Amazon.ca: Derek Franklin, Jobe Makar: Books

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Flash MX ActionScripting: Advanced Training from the Source shows how to create compelling, interactive Flash movies through scripting. Despite the subtitle, you don’t have to be an advanced programmer to use this book, just someone who can use Flash and is ready to take it to the next level. ActionScript itself is taught from scratch. The course is structured as a series of 17 lessons, with each lesson containing one or more projects. A CD comes with it, and includes all the project files plus completed examples. There is a high standard of design and artwork so the projects look good. Each lesson begins with an overview and time estimate, and then gives step-by-step instructions along with plenty of tips, notes and illustrations. A spacious page layout makes it clear and easy to follow.

The early lessons focus on language basics along with essential Flash objects and events. A key lesson shows how to target multiple movies and timelines to enable sophisticated applications. Other topics include creating custom objects, using variables and arrays, and getting data in and out of Flash. There is a lesson on the Flash XML object, another on using ActionScript to do dynamic drawing, and a look at how to control sound from script code. The projects themselves are fun and include a chat application, a virtual aquarium, and a child’s painting program. Expert programmers may be sniffy about the more basic lessons, but overall this is a great tutorial, nicely presented and packed with Flash MX expertise.--Tim Anderson

Book Description

Macromedia Flash MX ActionScripting: Advanced Training From the Source teaches readers ActionScript using a hands-on, project-based approach. This book will be different in several ways. Instead of just explaining how scripting works, explains scripting by translating real-life activities into scripts, so that users can begin to see the association of how programming and scripting is something they instinctively already know how to do. Readers will be shown many methodologies and techniques for building nearly thirty real-life Flash ActionScript projects, including sample games, wireless applications, Web sites, and more, enabling them to work faster and more efficiently. The companion CD-ROM contains all project files and images necessary for each project in the book.

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71 Reviews

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4.4 out of 5 stars (71 customer reviews)

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5.0 out of 5 stars Simplicity and Power, Jun 9 2002

By

Mark Hosny (San Antonio, TX United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Macromedia Flash MX ActionScripting: Advanced Training from the Source (Paperback)

I f you want to be proficient at Flash, it's imperative that you learn Action Script. With several references on the market, how do you choose one that will give you not only confidence to learn how to script , but also will give you a plethora of pertinent examples that most web designers use? Look no further, Flash MX Actionscripting is a top choice! There are three reasons that make this book excellent :
1. Simplicity-Flash enables one to achieve the same results in several ways, and part of learning how to script is developing your own style. What I love about this book and Derek's teachings is one can achieve awesome interactive results writing in a straight forward and simplistic way. You'll learn to write expressions using dot syntax that create powerful actions. You'll learn a logical and orderly way of writing that will reduce needless lines of code, avoid possible mistakes or errors, and will give you a foundation that you can build on as you progress through the book.

2. Hands-on-taking Macromedia's Training from the Source method to the next step, this book allows you to quickly learn the scripting process (brackets, event handlers) by giving you projects, but it's power is in the explanations: lots of Flash books give you examples and an overview of the code, but seldom do they provide as much in-depth as this book does. You'll start to understand the "why's and how's" that will help you create some masterful projects of your own.

3. Writing-this is one of the forte's of this book. Have you ever had to read something redundantly until it made sense? Or after you read it you were more confused and defeated than before? Derek is a true teacher in his writings. Instead of giving you some geek foreign language, he uses every day examples that help you to immediately learn this new "foreign language" and gain confidence with each lesson.

Since Flash gives you only a reference guide to Action Script, one must find a more detailed reference to take advantage of this power language-Flash MX Advanced Actionscripting by Derek Franklin and Jobe Makar is the answer!

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5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Book to Learn Actionscript!, Jun 10 2004

By

Tristan Erojo (Cebu, Philippines) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Macromedia Flash MX ActionScripting: Advanced Training from the Source (Paperback)

Before I bought this book, I only know a little about programming and knew only the basic stuff in Flash: tweening, point a to b animation, etc. Wanting to go to the next level, I bought this book. I never look back since. What makes this book perfect to learn actionscript, in my opinion, is that every line of code is always explained clearly and thoroughly in lay man's term. This book is written in such a way that as if the author's are there with you. By the time you finish reading this book, you'll be more than ready to make your own applications.

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5.0 out of 5 stars Finally a Developer who can teach!, Mar 23 2004

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Aaron O. Terrazas (Lake Charles, LA - USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)

This review is from: Macromedia Flash MX ActionScripting: Advanced Training from the Source (Paperback)

I do a lot of advanced ActionScripting and development, but I have had a lot of holes missing and things that I did not quite understand. This book fills in the gaps that are left out with other Flash books. This book explains the process and programming in a complete and easy to understand fashion. This books shows and explains the how and the why.

This is a great book, even if you are more advanced with ActionScript, you'll find yourself understanding more about it and new ways to develop and program your Flash development projects.

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Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars A very useful book
I found this book to be very helpful. It breaks Actionscripting down into easily digestible chunks and leads you through the learning process step by step. Read more

Published on Feb 20 2004 by Steven Toth

5.0 out of 5 stars Learning Action Script? - Buy this book, it is the best.
If you're looking for a straightforward way to learn Action Script, you must get this book. It includes excellent examples in a hands-on, project-based learning environment. Read more

Published on Jan 27 2004 by J.Pritchard