Essential ActionScript 2.0: Object-Oriented Development with ActionScript 2.0

by Colin Moock

Overview

In September 2003, Macromedia released Flash MX 2004, and with it, ActionScript 2.0, a dramatically improved version of Flash's programming language. ActionScript 2.0 introduces a formal object-oriented programming syntax and methodology for creating Flash applications. From a developer's perspective, the new OOP-based techniques in ActionScript 2.0 make applications more natural to plan and conceptualize, more stable, more reusable across projects, easier to maintain, change, and expand upon, and much more. In short, they enhance the entire development process. In Essential ActionScript 2.0, bestselling author Colin Moock—one of the most universally respected developers in the Flash community—covers everything you'll need to know about the new ActionScript language and its methodologies for producing movies, animation, and applications on the web. Moock guides readers through this important new territory with his trademark easy-to-understand style and expertise. Moock's goal throughout the book is not just to get you to use object-oriented programming in your daily Flash work: he wants you to reap the benefits of OOP; he wants you to understand ActionScript 2.0 completely. And without question, Moock is the author who can make this happen. Essential ActionScript 2.0 begins with a tour of the language, including the fundamentals of object-oriented concepts, syntax, and usage. Those who are new to OOP will learn the basics and how to apply their understanding. Those who are familiar with OOP will leverage their prior experience to learn about Flash-based OOP. The next part of the book shows how to structure entire applications with ActionScript 2.0, teaching you best practices and techniques to build scalable, extensible, stable apps. Next, you'll explore a variety of approaches to various programming situations by applying object-oriented programming strategies, known as design patterns, to Flash. Experienced Flash developers and programmers coming from other languages will enjoy the sheer depth of Moocks's coverage and expertise in Essential ActionScript 2.0. Novice programmers will appreciate the frequent, low-jargon explanations that are often glossed over by advanced programming books. As usual, Moock guarantees quality and accuracy by working closely with Macromedia Flash engineers, including Rebecca Sun, lead developer of ActionScript 2.0. Whether you're ready to make the move to ActionScript 2.0 now or simply assessing it for the future, you'll find everything you need to know within this book. Essential ActionScript 2.0 is the one book every ActionScript coder must own.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780596006525
Publisher:	O'Reilly Media, Incorporated
Publication date:	07/20/2004
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	528
Product dimensions:	7.00(w) x 9.19(h) x 0.97(d)

About the Author

Colin Moock is an independent web guru with a passion for networked creativity and expression. He is author of the world-renowned guide to Flash programming, ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide (O Reilly & Associates, 2003). A web professional since 1995, Moock runs one of the Web s most venerable Flash developer sites, http://www.moock.org. He spends most of his time pursuing his cardinal interest, multiuser application development, and working on Unity (http://www.moock.org/unity), moock.org s complete commercial framework for creating and deploying multiuser applications for Macromedia Flash.

Table of Contents

• Foreword
• Preface
• Part I: The ActionScript 2.0 Language
  • Chapter 1: ActionScript 2.0 Overview
  • Chapter 2: Object-Oriented ActionScript
  • Chapter 3: Datatypes and Type Checking
  • Chapter 4: Classes
  • Chapter 5: Authoring an ActionScript 2.0 Class
  • Chapter 6: Inheritance
  • Chapter 7: Authoring an ActionScript 2.0 Subclass
  • Chapter 8: Interfaces
  • Chapter 9: Packages
  • Chapter 10: Exceptions
• Part II: Application Development
  • Chapter 11: An OOP Application Framework
  • Chapter 12: Using Components with ActionScript 2.0
  • Chapter 13: MovieClip Subclasses
  • Chapter 14: Distributing Class Libraries
• Part III: Design Pattern Examples in ActionScript 2.0
  • Chapter 15: Introduction to Design Patterns
  • Chapter 16: The Observer Design Pattern
  • Chapter 17: The Singleton Design Pattern
  • Chapter 18: The Model-View-Controller Design Pattern
  • Chapter 19: The Delegation Event Model
• Part IV: Appendixes
  • Appendix A: ActionScript 2.0 Language Quick Reference
  • Appendix B: Differences from ECMAScript Edition 4
• Colophon

Editorial Reviews

The Barnes & Noble Review
The biggest change in ActionScript 2.0: object orientation. As a Flash content creator, you care why? Because objects make it easier to plan projects, and write reliable, testable, reusable, maintainable code. Colin Moock is passionate about objects, and his new book will help you apply them in all your Flash work.

Moock assumes absolutely no object knowledge (though a little ActionScript experience will help). All the basics are here: classes, objects, methods, inheritance, and so on. But there’s a lot more -- all focused on your unique needs as a Flash developer. How to organize UI components and movie clips in your object-oriented project. How to split up projects with other developers on your team. The best ways to broadcast events.

You could keep writing old-fashioned timeline apps forever. But if you want the power Macromedia put into ActionScript 2.0, get this book. Bill Camarda

Bill Camarda is a consultant, writer, and web/multimedia content developer. His 15 books include Special Edition Using Word 2003 and Upgrading & Fixing Networks for Dummies, Second Edition.

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