O'Reilly
June 29, 2004

"Essential ActionScript 2.0": Taking Maximum Advantage of ActionScript 2.0 and OOP in Flash

Sebastopol, CA--Author Colin Moock--one of the most universally respected developers in the Flash community--wants readers of the new Essential ActionScript 2.0 (O'Reilly, US $39.95) to reap the rewards of using object-oriented programming (OOP), what he terms, "one of the most important revolutions in programming history." In this, his latest book, he aims to deliver everything programmers need to maximize their productivity in ActionScript 2.0.

Moock succeeds without question, says Gary Grossman of Macromedia, Flash architect and creator of ActionScript. According to Grossman, "This book delivers a complete education in harnessing the power of ActionScript 2.0, coupled with the best practices for doing so. Colin illustrates not just how to write ActionScript but how to write great ActionScript."

Introduced in Flash MX 2004 and Flash MX Professional 2004, ActionScript 2.0 offers a formal object-oriented programming syntax and methodology for creating Flash applications. ActionScript 2.0's new OOP-based development techniques make applications more natural to plan and conceptualize; more stable; more reusable across projects; easier to maintain, change, expand upon, and test; and much more. In short, they enhance the entire development process.

Essential ActionScript 2.0 covers not only ActionScript syntax but also object-oriented design and object-oriented programming. Experienced developers will learn how ActionScript 2.0 differs from ActionScript 1.0, how to upgrade legacy code to the new version, and how to make the most of ActionScript 2.0 and its OOP features. Seasoned Flash developers and programmers coming from other languages will enjoy the sheer depth of Moock's coverage and expertise in this book. Novice programmers will appreciate the frequent, low-jargon explanations that are often glossed over by advanced programming books.

Readers can expect:

  • An overview 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 skills and know-how to structure entire applications with ActionScript 2.0, including best practices and techniques for building more scalable, extensible, stable applications.
  • Ways to apply proven and widely accepted object-oriented programming strategies, known as design patterns, to Flash (with coverage of key topics such as event broadcasting and user interface management).
  • With this essential guide, developers and programmers at all levels of experience will be able to use the extraordinarily powerful language and its methodologies with confidence and skill to produce movies, animation, and applications on the web.

    Additional Resources:

    Essential ActionScript 2.0
    Colin Moock
    ISBN 0-596-00652-7, 502 pages, $39.95 US, $57.95 CA
    order@oreilly.com
    1-800-998-9938; 1-707-827-7000

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