ActionScript: The Definitive Guide

ActionScript: The Definitive Guide Mastering Flash Programming By Colin Moock
May 2001
Pages: 720

| Table of Contents | Index | Sample Chapter | Colophon

ActionScript Fundamentals
1. Chapter 1 A Gentle Introduction for Non-Programmers
  1. Some Basic Phrases
  2. Further ActionScript Concepts
  3. Building a Multiple-Choice Quiz
  4. Onward!
2. Chapter 2 Variables
  1. Creating Variables (Declaration)
  2. Assigning Variables
  3. Changing and Retrieving Variable Values
  4. Types of Values
  5. Variable Scope
  6. Some Applied Examples
  7. Onward!
3. Chapter 3 Data and Datatypes
  1. Data Versus Information
  2. Retaining Meaning with Datatypes
  3. Creating and Categorizing Data
  4. Datatype Conversion
  5. Primitive Data Versus Composite Data
  6. Onward!
4. Chapter 4 Primitive Datatypes
  1. The Number Type
  2. Integers and Floating-Point Numbers
  3. Numeric Literals
  4. Working with Numbers
  5. The String Type
  6. Working with Strings
  7. The Boolean Type
  8. Undefined
  9. Null
  10. Onward!
5. Chapter 5 Operators
  1. General Features of Operators
  2. The Assignment Operator
  3. Arithmetic Operators
  4. The Equality and Inequality Operators
  5. The Comparison Operators
  6. The String Operators
  7. The Logical Operators
  8. The Grouping Operator
  9. The Comma Operator
  10. The void Operator
  11. Other Operators
  12. Onward!
6. Chapter 6 Statements
  1. Types of Statements
  2. Statement Syntax
  3. The ActionScript Statements
  4. Statements Versus Actions
  5. Onward!
7. Chapter 7 Conditionals
  1. The if Statement
  2. The else Statement
  3. The else if Statement
  4. Simulating the switch Statement
  5. Compact Conditional Syntax
  6. Onward!
8. Chapter 8 Loop Statements
  1. The while Loop
  2. Loop Terminology
  3. The do-while Loop
  4. The for Loop
  5. The for-in Loop
  6. Stopping a Loop Prematurely
  7. Timeline and Clip Event Loops
  8. Onward!
9. Chapter 9 Functions
  1. Creating Functions
  2. Running Functions
  3. Passing Information to Functions
  4. Exiting and Returning Valuesfrom Functions
  5. Function Literals
  6. Function Availability and Life Span
  7. Function Scope
  8. Function Parameters Revisited
  9. Recursive Functions
  10. Internal Functions
  11. Functions as Objects
  12. Centralizing Code
  13. The Multiple-Choice Quiz Revisited
  14. Onward!
10. Chapter 10 Events and Event Handlers
  1. Synchronous Code Execution
  2. Event-Based AsynchronousCode Execution
  3. Types of Events
  4. Event Handlers
  5. Event Handler Syntax
  6. Creating Event Handlers
  7. Event Handler Scope
  8. Button Events
  9. Movie Clip Events Overview
  10. Movie-Playback Movie Clip Events
  11. The User-Input Movie Clip Events
  12. Order of Execution
  13. Copying Clip Event Handlers
  14. Refreshing the Screen with updateAfterEvent
  15. Code Reusability
  16. Dynamic Movie Clip Event Handlers
  17. Event Handlers Applied
  18. Onward!
11. Chapter 11 Arrays
  1. What Is an Array?
  2. The Anatomy of an Array
  3. Creating Arrays
  4. Referencing Array Elements
  5. Determining the Size of an Array
  6. Named Array Elements
  7. Adding Elements to an Array
  8. Removing Elements from an Array
  9. General Array-Manipulation Tools
  10. Multidimensional Arrays
  11. The Multiple-Choice Quiz, Take 3
  12. Onward!
12. Chapter 12 Objects and Classes
  1. The Anatomy of an Object
  2. Instantiating Objects
  3. Object Properties
  4. Methods
  5. Classes and Object-Oriented Programming
  6. Built-in ActionScript Classes and Objects
  7. Onward!
13. Chapter 13 Movie Clips
  1. The "Objectness" of Movie Clips
  2. Types of Movie Clips
  3. Creating Movie Clips
  4. Movie and Instance Stacking Order
  5. Referring to Instances and Main Movies
  6. Removing Clip Instances and Main Movies
  7. Built-in Movie Clip Properties
  8. Movie Clip Methods
  9. Applied Movie Clip Examples
  10. The Last Quiz
  11. Onward!
14. Chapter 14 Lexical Structure
  1. Whitespace
  2. Statement Terminators (Semicolons)
  3. Comments
  4. Reserved Words
  5. Identifiers
  6. Case Sensitivity
  7. Onward!
15. Chapter 15 Advanced Topics
  1. Copying, Comparing, and Passing Data
  2. Bitwise Programming
  3. Advanced Function Scope Issues
  4. The movieclip Datatype
  5. Onward!
Applied ActionScript
1. Chapter 16 ActionScript Authoring Environment
  1. The Actions Panel
  2. Adding Scripts to Frames
  3. Adding Scripts to Buttons
  4. Adding Scripts to Movie Clips
  5. Where's All the Code?
  6. Productivity
  7. Externalizing ActionScript Code
  8. Packaging Components as Smart Clips
  9. Onward!
2. Chapter 17 Flash Forms
  1. The Flash Form Data Cycle
  2. Creating a Flash Fill-in Form
  3. Onward!
3. Chapter 18 On-Screen Text Fields
  1. Dynamic Text Fields
  2. User-Input Text Fields
  3. Text Field Options
  4. Text Field Properties
  5. HTML Support
  6. Working with Text Field Selections
  7. Empty Text Fields and the for-in Statement
  8. Onward!
4. Chapter 19 Debugging
  1. Debugging Tools
  2. Debugging Methodology
  3. Onward!
Language Reference
1. Chapter 20 ActionScript Language Reference
  1. Global Functions
  2. Global Properties
  3. Built-in Classes and Objects
  4. Entry Headings
  5. Alphabetical Language Reference
Appendixes
1. Appendix A Resources
  1. ActionScript and Programming
  2. ECMA-262 Resources
  3. Object-Oriented Programming
  4. SWF File Format
2. Appendix B Latin 1 Character Repertoire and Keycodes
3. Appendix C Backward Compatibility
  1. Updates to the Flash 5 Player, Build 41
  2. Controlling Movie Clips
4. Appendix D Differences from ECMA-262 and JavaScript

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Return to ActionScript: The Definitive Guide

Table of Contents

ActionScript Fundamentals

Chapter 1 A Gentle Introduction for Non-Programmers

Chapter 2 Variables

Chapter 3 Data and Datatypes

Chapter 4 Primitive Datatypes

Chapter 5 Operators

Chapter 6 Statements

Chapter 7 Conditionals

Chapter 8 Loop Statements

Chapter 9 Functions

Chapter 10 Events and Event Handlers

Chapter 11 Arrays

Chapter 12 Objects and Classes

Chapter 13 Movie Clips

Chapter 14 Lexical Structure

Chapter 15 Advanced Topics

Applied ActionScript

Chapter 16 ActionScript Authoring Environment

Chapter 17 Flash Forms

Chapter 18 On-Screen Text Fields

Chapter 19 Debugging

Language Reference

Chapter 20 ActionScript Language Reference

Appendixes

Appendix A Resources

Appendix B Latin 1 Character Repertoire and Keycodes

Appendix C Backward Compatibility

Appendix D Differences from ECMA-262 and JavaScript

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