Press Release
May 9, 2001
O'Reilly Publishes the Definitive Guide to Actionscript, the New Language for Flash Programmers
Sebastopol, CA--Given its ability to deliver high-impact experiences,
even over low-bandwidth connections, Flash has become the standard
choice for several hundred thousand multimedia web developers
worldwide. Flash 5 now includes a new object-oriented programming
language called "ActionScript," used to control animation and
multimedia within Flash. In his just-released book, ActionScript: The
Definitive Guide (O'Reilly, US $39.95), author Colin Moock introduces
both programmers and non-programmers to the new language by first
describing fundamental programming concepts and then delineating in
detail the components, syntax, and usage of ActionScript.
In spite of the predominance of Flash on the web, little has been
written about the language used to program Flash. As Moock says, "I
really felt that there just wasn't enough information on programming
Flash, despite how important it is. I also felt that many books treated
the subject too casually, with not enough academic accuracy. I wanted
to explore ActionScript in great depth, giving hardcore programmers a
solid reference to use written in a language they expect. I also wanted
to help new programmers discover the incredible world of building
programmatic systems for broad distribution over the web."
ActionScript: The
Definitive Guide is divided into three sections,
structured so both programmers and non-programmers can learn how to use
ActionScript. Section one, "ActionScript Fundamentals" describes
fundamental programming concepts, such as variables, loops,
conditionals, functions, arrays, event handlers, and objects. Section
two,"Applied ActionScript Code Depot" covers the more practical aspects
of creating code, like using the authoring environment, debugging, and
packaging code in external files or as smart clips. It also covers some
applied examples, such as creating online forms. The third section,
"Language Reference" is a detailed reference outlining each of
ActionScript's global functions, properties, objects, and classes.
"Almost every entry in the reference section has a brief 'real-world'
sample, and I dissect many longer examples in the fundamentals
section," says Moock. "However, my goal was not to provide a collection
of ready-made applications. That approach can obviously be very
worthwhile, but I wanted to concentrate more on a full description of
the language. People should be able to learn to program by reading the
book, not just to customize a guest book or a mouse trailer. As I write
in the preface 'This is not a recipe book--it's a lesson in cooking
code from scratch.'" Moock provides numerous examples of code on his
companion site to the book, The ActionScript Code Depot.
Gary Grossman, creator of ActionScript, calls Moock's book, "The first
comprehensive tutorial and reference devoted entirely to the
ActionScript language... packed with up-to-date material and leaving no
feature unexplored."
ActionScript: the
Definitive Guide was written for serious
programmers who may not have programmed Flash before, and experienced
Flash authors who aren't programmers. Experienced programmers can
leverage their JavaScript knowledge while learning Flash-specific
intricacies, and web developers can acquire the fundamental tools for
creative advanced multimedia web sites.
Colin Moock has been researching, designing, and developing for the web
since 1995. He is now a web evangelist for ICE Integrated
Communications & Entertainment, where he divides his time between
writing about the web, speaking at conferences, and creating
interactive content for companies like Sony, Levi's, Nortel, Air
Canada, and Hewlett-Packard. Colin's award-winning Flash work and his
renowned support site for Flash developers have made him a well-known
personality in the Flash developer community. Macromedia has officially
recognized his Flash expertise both on their web site and by appointing
him a member of their Flash Advisory Board.
What readers have said about ActionScript: The Definitive
Guide:
"The best ActionScript book I have ever seen. You would be hard pressed
to find more information on ActionScript anywhere else."
--Lavik Lozben,
Principal Engineer, Flash 5
"Colin Moock is a giant in the Flash scripting arena--one of the few
people qualified to write such a complete, authoritative reference
guide to the Macromedia Flash scripting language. He has incredible
insight into the inner-workings of ActionScript from a practical point
of view, having worked with us to help shape and refine
ActionScript."
--Jeremy Clark, MarcoMedia Flash Product Manager
"ActionScript: The Definitive Guide is the complete reference guide,
for beginners through to advanced users, always keep it by your
side."
--Roy Evans, Flash Player Product Manager
Online Resources:
ActionScript: The
Definitive Guide
By Colin Moock
May 2001
ISBN 1-56592-852-0, 720 pages, $39.95 (US)
order@oreilly.com
1-800-998-9938
About O'Reilly
O'Reilly Media spreads the knowledge of innovators through its books, online services, magazines, and conferences. Since 1978, O'Reilly Media has been a chronicler and catalyst of cutting-edge development, homing in on the technology trends that really matter and spurring their adoption by amplifying "faint signals" from the alpha geeks who are creating the future. An active participant in the technology community, the company has a long history of advocacy, meme-making, and evangelism.
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