Flash ActionScript 3 overview: Difference between revisions

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== Introduction ==
== Introduction ==


{{quotation|ActionScript 3.0 is a dialect of [[ECMAScript]] which formalizes the features of ActionScript 2.0, adds the capabilities of ECMAScript for XML (E4X), and unifies the language into a coherent whole. (Grossman, 2006).
{{quotation|ActionScript 3.0 is a dialect of [[ECMAScript]] which formalizes the features of ActionScript 2.0, adds the capabilities of ECMAScript for XML (E4X), and unifies the language into a coherent whole.}} (Grossman, 2006).


Basically, there are two ways of using ActionScript 3:
Basically, there are two ways of using ActionScript 3:
* Use the '''Flash CS3 environment''' more less as "in the ActionScript 2" way, i.e. you add bits of code to certain frames
* Use the '''Flash CS3 environment''' more less as "in the ActionScript 2" way, i.e. you add bits of code to certain frames
* Write your code in a file and compile it (you also may use Flash CS3 that way). No drawings, just code ! AS3 is also part of '''Flex''', Adobe's software development kit to create [[rich internet application]]s.
* Write your code in a file and compile it (you also may use Flash CS3 that way). No drawings, just code ! AS3 is also part of [[Adobe Flex|Flex]], Adobe's software development kit to create [[rich internet application]]s.


So you either can do AS3 with Adobe Flash CS3 Professional or just code in AS3. For the latter there is a free kit or else just use any editor plus the '''mxmlc''' compiler.
So you either can do AS3 with Adobe Flash CS3 Professional or just code in AS3. For the latter there is a free kit or else just use any editor plus the '''mxmlc''' compiler.
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== Stand-alone code development with AS 3 ==
== Stand-alone code development with AS 3 ==


You do not need to buy Flash CS3 (that's actually a cool thing) to program in AS3 and to create *.swf files.
You do not need to buy Flash CS3 (that's actually a cool thing) to program in AS3 and to create *.swf files. You can either use:
* Flex Builder - an Eclipse plugin
* Just the Flex SDK


; Use Flex SDK 2.0.1 from Adobe
; The Flex SDK 2.0.1 (or better) from Adobe
* Download this free SDK from Adobe:
* Download this free SDK from Adobe:
:http://www.adobe.com/products/flex/downloads/
:http://www.adobe.com/products/flex/downloads/
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=== Flex ===
=== Flex ===


* [http://www.artima.com/weblogs/viewpost.jsp?thread=212818 Creating Flex Components] by Bruce Eckel (the person who probably wrote the best Java book)
See [[Adobe Flex]]
 
* [http://flex.org/php/ Flex for PHP Developers]


=== Development environments ===
=== Development environments ===

Revision as of 14:49, 6 September 2007

This article or section is currently under construction

In principle, someone is working on it and there should be a better version in a not so distant future.
If you want to modify this page, please discuss it with the person working on it (see the "history")

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Disclaimer: Until today I have never seen any ActionScript code. I will use this page to write down a few things. Wait until this message goes away before you can trust anything ! - Daniel K. Schneider 15:56, 5 September 2007 (MEST)

This is part of the Flash series of articles. But it is not a tutorial !!

Introduction

“ActionScript 3.0 is a dialect of ECMAScript which formalizes the features of ActionScript 2.0, adds the capabilities of ECMAScript for XML (E4X), and unifies the language into a coherent whole.” (Grossman, 2006).

Basically, there are two ways of using ActionScript 3:

  • Use the Flash CS3 environment more less as "in the ActionScript 2" way, i.e. you add bits of code to certain frames
  • Write your code in a file and compile it (you also may use Flash CS3 that way). No drawings, just code ! AS3 is also part of Flex, Adobe's software development kit to create rich internet applications.

So you either can do AS3 with Adobe Flash CS3 Professional or just code in AS3. For the latter there is a free kit or else just use any editor plus the mxmlc compiler.

Stand-alone code development with AS 3

You do not need to buy Flash CS3 (that's actually a cool thing) to program in AS3 and to create *.swf files. You can either use:

  • Flex Builder - an Eclipse plugin
  • Just the Flex SDK
The Flex SDK 2.0.1 (or better) from Adobe
  • Download this free SDK from Adobe:
http://www.adobe.com/products/flex/downloads/

For Windows and Mac there is a Flex Builder plugin for Eclipse. Otherwise there is a platform independent compiler, the Adobe Flex2 Software Development Kit (SDK).

Installing the Adobe Flex2 Software Development Kit (SDK) for Windows
  • Unzip it somewhere
  • Edit the Environment variables through the configuration panel to include the bin directory in the path: I.e. something like Parameters->Config Panel->System->Advanced (I don't have an English System at hand).
Installing the Adobe Flex2 Software Development Kit (SDK) for Ubuntu
  • Unzip it somewhere (I put it under /usr/local/flex)
  • Under Linux change permissions of the shell scripts in the bin directory, in particular mxmlc
  • Then add this directory to your path. E.g. under my Ubuntu I added in file /etc/bash.bashrc:
export PATH=${PATH}:/usr/local/flex/bin
Using the compiler
  • Just type something like:
mxmlc HelloWorld.as 

.... This will make an *.swf file

Development support other than Eclipse

I find these IDEs too hard to use (I only occasionally program and just use the Emacs editor and don't want learn full Flex yet). So I need some Emacs code for help with editing (not done yet)

Simple AS3 code patterns

Event handling

General pattern

Definition of an event handler function:

function eventResponse (eventObject:EventType):void
 {
   // Actions performed in response to the event go here.
 }

Using it:

eventSource.addEventListener(EventType.EVENT_NAME, eventResponse);
Example
launch_button.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK,launchRocket);

function launchRocket(event:MouseEvent):void {
    gotoAndPlay(2);
}

You can see an example in the Flash button tutorial

Links

Reference manuals

Other documentation

  • ActionScript 3 from Adobelabs. Maybe superseded by the above doc, maybe not ...

AS2 vs. AS3 comparisons

Overviews

General AS 3 Tutorials

AS 3 Example-based tutorials

AS 3 Examples

Flex

See Adobe Flex

Development environments

Blogs and stuff