Flex3 in Action Review

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Flex3 in Action ReviewI just recently picked this book up. At first I was a little skeptical, not having read any previous work from this author or this publishing company, but I was impressed. I'm fairly new to flex and I found it very easy to get myself up to speed while going through this book. Whether you're looking for a book to peruse through or prefer to get in to the weeds of Flex you'll find this book meets both requirements well.Flex3 in Action Overview
New Web applications require engaging user-friendly interfaces-and the cooler, the better. With Flex 3, Web developers at any skill level can create high-quality, effective, and interactive Rich Internet Applications (RIAs) quickly and easily. Flex removes the complexity barrier from RIA development by offering sophisticated tools and a straightforward programming language so you can focus on what you want to do instead of how to do it. And now that the major components of Flex are free and open source, the cost barrier is gone, as well!

Flex 3 in Action is an easy-to-follow, hands-on Flex tutorial. Chock full of examples, this book goes beyond feature coverage and helps you put Flex to work in real day-to-day tasks.You'll quickly master the Flex API and learn to apply the techniques that make your Flex applications stand out from the crowd. Interesting themes, styles, and skins?It's in there. Working with databases? You got it. Interactive forms and validation? You bet. Charting techniques to help you visualize data? Bam! The expert authors of Flex 3 in Action have one goal - to help you get down to business with Flex 3. Fast.

Many Flex books are overwhelming to new users-focusing on the complexities of the language and the super-specialized subjects in the Flex eco-system; Flex 3 in Action filters out the noise and dives into on the core topics you need every day. Using numerous easy-to-understand examples, Flex 3 In Action gives you a strong foundation that you can build on as the compexity of your projects increases.

And now, purchase the print edition and you'll get the Flex 3 in Actionebookandthe Flex 4 in Action ebook upon its release both for free!Simply follow instructions on the insert to redeem your two free ebooks.


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ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition Review

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ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition ReviewI bought Colin Moock's previous book (on flash 5) the day it was released because as an investor of many other sub-standard flash books, I knew the one from O'Reilly (the book's publisher) would be the most valuable. Without fail, "Actionscript: A Definitive Guide" blew me away. Not only was his book extremely informative, but his writing style was conversational, concise, and accessible. Though I had experience with actionscript, my background wasn't in programming, so it was nice to have an "in" to the advanced features of actionscript with Moock's example scripts and corresponding explanations. After a few months of employing the ideas and concepts found easily in Moock's first book...I felt like I finally had a firm grip on Flash 5...
Then Flash MX was released. Immediately I bought it and quickly transitioned myself into the new work enviornment (love it). Then I read up on all the new features...and thought to myself...I wish Colin would write a book for Flash MX's actionscript...it is way more powerful...and more complicated...
He did. It took longer than my patience would have liked...but the wait was well worth it...and the book explains its own delay...IT IS HUGE. Almost twice the size of the first edition...and that's because almost every chapter is edited, has new important explanations and the same easy-to-understand commentaries and examples. Indeed there are entirely NEW chapters...that specifically discuss new immensely more powerful Flash MX actionscript features. Also, all the appendices are new and updated (I frequently use them).
If you own Flash MX and you want to be a serious flash developer with serious marketable skills, BUY THIS BOOK above all--it is a REAL REFERENCE tool--something you will keep on your desk next to your mouse. Nothing is left out except some add-in features (like comm server and UI components) which you can get plenty of info on at macromedia's website. You can also frequent colin's website (moock.org) where he posts hundreds of additional tips, book errata info, and flash downloads.
I garentee "Actionscript for Flash MX" will become the best investment you made outside of the Flash MX application itself...at least until flash 7 is released! If you learn the concepts in this book, you will be able to create anything you or your client can imagine. In the end, that could mean lots of money or lots of fun...or both! Enjoy!
And by the way...buy it at Amazon...it's almost 20 bucks cheaper than the bookstores.ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition Overview
Updated to cover Flash MX, the newest version of Macromedia Flash, ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition is the one book no serious Flash developer should be without.

ActionScript is Macromedia's programming language for Flash MX, the popular authoring tool for creating rich internet applications and animations for the Web.With Macromedia's new focus on application development, ActionScript now includes a direct drawing API, loading of external MP3 and JPG files, improved sound control, an extensive set of text formatting tools, complete support for component development using movie clip subclasses, local data storage, accessibility features, and much more.And ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide is the most complete, up-to-date reference available for the latest version of this language.

Author Colin Moock, one of the most universally respected developers in the Flash community, has added hundreds of new code examples to show new Flash MX techniques in the real world:how to draw circles, save data to disk, convert arrays to onscreen tables, create reusable components, and preload variables, XML, and sounds.The book's language reference alone has nearly doubled from the first edition, with more than 250 new classes, objects, methods, and properties.You'll find exhaustive coverage of dozens of undocumented, under-documented, and mis-documented features.

Along with the new material, Colin Moock has meticulously revised the entire text to conform to Flash MX best-coding practices.In particular, objected-oriented programming and the new event model get special attention in light of changes to Flash MX ActionScript.From sending data between two movies to creating getter/setter properties, the new edition of this book demystifies the often-confusing new features of Flash MX, giving developers easy access to its powerful new capabilities.

ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide is structured so non-programmers can learn how to use ActionScript and programmers can take their skills to new heights.If you are in the market to really learn about the hows and whys of ActionScript, then this is the book for you.


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Professional Adobe Flex 2 (Programmer to Programmer) Review

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Professional Adobe Flex 2 (Programmer to Programmer) ReviewI just spent 3hr. at Barnes and Noble reading this book.
This book has what is lacking in O'Reilly's Programming Flex 2.
There is much more info on Flex 2.0.1. It give you a competent example on creating a YouTube viewer w/ Cairngorm. That is something I've wanted to know but most blog post are convoluted about the subject. The examples on flex-ajax bridge are nice and give also a practical app.
Their is detailed info on component life cycle, building modular app, component extension and dynamic app build. No to mention great ways to use the command line and/or Flex Builder. It allows you to have vision not just direction. You see the examples and think, "That gives me an idea".
OH, LOTS OF ACTIONSCRIPT USE!!!! for all of you low-level lovers.
RESULT
This books is a all around good book. It balances reference and examples well. It has pictures to see what you are making. The flow is just right not to fast not to slow. They didn't glaze over on any subject that was written. Everything is detailed
Buy it and if you need anything else just go to the flex documentation
Professional Adobe Flex 2 (Programmer to Programmer) OverviewWrox's Professional Flex 2 is one of the first guides to Adobe's (Macromedia's) new web application development platform. Flex experts Simon Barber, Rich Tretola and John Bennett share their experience with Flex 2, and teach readers how to leverage the platform to build rich internet applications. Professional Flex 2 relies heavy on practical examples, making this a hands-on guide that will get readers up and running with Flex 2 quickly.
Topics include:
Building applications with Flex Builder
Flex programming model
Using Actionscript 3.0
Developing applications in MXML
Creating UIs with Flex controls and containers
Data access and interconnectivity
Creating custom flex components
Charting
Testing, debugging and deploying Flex applications
and more


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Professional Adobe Flex 3 (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) Review

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Professional Adobe Flex 3 (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) ReviewAs usual, Wrox sets the standard among self-study books, this time for Flex 3. A multitude of bite-sized exercises steps the reader through all the fundamentals of this exciting (and complex) RIA development tool.
I personally much prefer this to the "build-one-giant-project" approach used by Adobe's "Training from the Source" book, for example.
The one area I have found lacking so far has been regarding PHP database integration. The authors cover only RESTful web services with the Zend Framework. I would have preferred seeing some examples using the popular AMFPHP and WebORB technologies as well. (Installing the Zend Framework on a Linux server seems quite a bit more involved than these other approaches, perhaps especially so for shared server users, who may rarely if ever deal with Apache configuration issues.)
For more PHP data integration options, and an encyclopedic coverage of Flex, also check out the "Flex 3 Bible", and for some good overall tips and tricks, in addition I recommend "Flex 3 Cookbook".
Professional Adobe Flex 3 (Wrox Programmer to Programmer) OverviewWith Professional Adobe Flex 3, put your prior experience with Flash, ActionScript and XML-based languages to good use and learn how to use the Flex 3 platform to create Rich Internet Applications and AIR applications. Understand the potential of the Flex 3 platform through practical examples and hands-on advice on topics like desktop deployment, developing applications in MXML, creating custom flex components, charting, targeting AIR, and data interconnectivity.

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Real-World Flash Game Development: How to Follow Best Practices AND Keep Your Sanity Review

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Real-World Flash Game Development: How to Follow Best Practices AND Keep Your Sanity ReviewYou should have some Actionscript 3.0 experience before you dig into this book. The user level on the back of the book says intermediate to advanced and they mean it! You will also need CS4 to be able to open the downloadable files. I could not open them on my CS3 machine.
This book covers a lot of topics I have not found in other AS books. Some examples are event propagation, dispatching events, E4X, getter/setter methods and protected variables. The chapters are very intense and delve more deeply into the workings of AS 3.0. If you want to know how and why Actionscript does what it does this is the book for you.
Real World also directs you to adopt best practices. This should keep you from developing bad habits and allow you to author modular code that could be easily modified.
The final game in the book is a platform game. You can learn how to load external SWFs containing the game's assets at runtime. This concept is very different from other game tutorials I have worked with.
I would recommend Actionscipt 3.0 Game Programming University if you haven't done any game programming. It has a much gentler approach to game programming.
Real World Flash Game Development should be an important addition to every game developer's bookshelf.Real-World Flash Game Development: How to Follow Best Practices AND Keep Your Sanity OverviewThis book covers Flash for the everyday developer. The average Flash developer doesn't have luxurious timelines, employers who understand the value of reusability, or the help of an information architect to design a usable experience. This book helps bridge the gap for these coders who may be used to C++, Java, or C# and want to move over to Flash. Griffith covers real-world scenarios pulled from his own experiences developing games for over 8 years in the industry. Gifts from Griffith's REAL-WORLD experiences include: Game design templates and pre-written scripts to automate tasks within Flash; Classes for handling common math computations used in gaming, so that game developers can see how to set up a simple game flow; Powerful debugging tools for your games(debuggers for Flash games are hard to come by, and this book provides them for you). The associated web site offers: Code from the game examples in the book with fully build-able source files. Additional code snippets, classes, and utilities. Scripts for automating tedious and repetitive tasks within Flash. Template game-design documents for planning game proposals in the same manner outlined in the book. Links to other helpful online resources for both Flash and game development.*Teaches Flash users the most effective ways to leverage Flash as a game development tool. Concrete, relatable approaches to Flash game development.* Provides sound strategies, and realistic goals for success - with REAL-WORLD examples and code included so that programmers become quickly empowered to make their own Flash games. *Covers ALL the aspects that come into play when developing a game in Flash, including art, animation, scripting, and optimization.

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Essential ActionScript 2.0 Review

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Essential ActionScript 2.0 ReviewYou know ActionScript has come of age when a book like this comes out. Colin Moock had already written arguably the bible on ActionScript 1.0, and though I was worried at the decision that this book was to be a supplement to ActionScript for Flash MX, rather than a sequel, I now couldn't agree more with the logic. The resultant book would have been too big for its binding!!!
Technically perfect, this book reminds me of why I fell in love with O'Reilly books in the first place. It reminds me of my first read of Larry Wall's Programming Perl book: concise, authoritative, and not without a bit of humor! And let me tell you, nowhere is humor more difficult than in a computer book, am I right?
Mr. Moock leads us down a path that teaches how to actually write an application in Flash. And you didn't think it was possible! Believe me, I had my doubts too, but the fact that the book applies several design patterns to Flash programming by the end speaks for itself. When you're ready to write mature, object-oriented applications in ActionScript 2.0, you're ready to pick this one up.Essential ActionScript 2.0 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.


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ActionScript 3.0: Visual QuickStart Guide Review

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ActionScript 3.0: Visual QuickStart Guide ReviewI've been an intermediate Flash guy for years. The simplicity of ActionScript 1 and 2 made them easy to grasp for all the basics, but the limitations were also abundantly clear.
When ActionScript 3 debuted, I was excited that it had finally become a "real" programming language. But despite being a programmer since before there was an Internet, I found much of ActionScript 3 to be confusing, and honestly, intimidating.
I tried doing it on my own, and I tried other books. But they were either too focused on the language itself and lacked context for the sorts of real-world tasks one does in Flash, or they didn't go deeply enough. ActionScript 3.0 Visual Quickstart Guide finally struck the right balance -- at least for me, and my learning style.
As a programmer, I didn't need to be spoon-fed the basics of variables and control structures. But as a UI guy, I also needed practical, real-world examples like working with dynamic text, interfacing with the outside world, and loading assets.
Quite literally within minutes, I was able to use the straightforward, clear examples and explanations to whip-out Flash movies with ActionScript 3.0 handling the heavy lifting, and finally achieve some things I'd be struggling for months to learn through searching for code examples found online.
Two things are clear from reading the book, however:
1. While the book does cover the basics, people completely new to programming are probably going to be more lost than anything. This is a small book, and the content is relatively brief. If you want your hand held from a standing non-programmer start all the way to ActionScript expert, this probably is not your book. You should understand what programming is, and basic concepts (like variables and control) before you start. This book will help you connect that knowledge to ActionScript 3.
2. You're not going to become the world ActionScript 3 expert by reading this book. You'll get a superb foundation that will give the typical Flash designer/programmer everything they need, and a range of core knowledge that you can augment with some of the "deeper" books, web searches, or just plain reading the Flash manual. But I suspect that most readers, like me, will come out of this book with the stuff you really need for most real-world Flash work.
In summary, the book is well planned out, well written, and the examples -- every single one I tried -- worked as written, free of the typos, errors and omissions that seem to plague other ActionScript 3 books (based on reading reviews here at Amazon.com, anyway).
While your mileage may well vary, for me, for my learning style, and for someone of my experience level, this book was perfect, and finally (FINALLY!) the ActionScript 3 guide I was looking for.ActionScript 3.0: Visual QuickStart Guide OverviewActionScript is the programming language integral to the Adobe Technology Platform. It began as a simple scripting language for creating interactivity and animation in Flash, but is now used to create full-featured Web applications, not only in Flash but in Flex. ActionScript 3, introduced with Flex 2, is now a full-fledged object-oriented programming language, and the need for teaching materials, for both newcomers and veterans, is great. This task-based tutorial is for students with no programming experience as well as those programmers who have learned earlier versions of the programming language and now need to learn the new version. The book walks a reader through all the fundamentals, then moves on to creating interactivity, working with data, looping and decision making, programming visualizations, and working with multimedia. It's a complete end-to-end tutorial.

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Essential ActionScript 3.0 (Essential) Review

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Essential ActionScript 3.0 (Essential) ReviewThis review is more of a 'heads-up' for any beginners considering this book. There are many reviews here telling about the book's contents, so I am going to talk about the level of the book instead.
I think it is important to state that this book is in NO WAY aimed or intended for beginners. None of the books in this series are, for that matter. Being fair, and I think this information is important for people even though a bit off topic: O'Reilly RARELY makes beginner level books. What they do make is insanely useful technical books which will tell you more than you probably ever wanted to know about a subject. But they are done, IMHO, very well. Still, when looking at books to buy I think it is important to keep this in mind, particularly if you are a beginner in any topic. Especially because most programming books are rather spendy.
When I bought Moock's first book, I had been using AS for a couple years (starting from Flash 4) and was still a beginner. However, I could manage my way through the very limited scripting options. When Flash 5 opened up the AS language to a full-blown environment, I was excited to get his book. Once it arrived, I was completely overwhelmed and immediately put it away. For about a year. During that time, I found other materials and boned up on my AS, THEN revisited the book. I found it much more useful.
When AS 2 came out, I thought the same thing. Ah-ha! I already know AS, so his book will get me up to speed. Wrong. The stuff which was pretty much lifted from the previous AS 1 book made sense, but I could not grasp what he was saying about the updates and new features in AS 2. Again, I put the book away for a year, found other resources to familiarize myself with, and revisited the book. I was surprised at the wealth of information I learned, but I learned it AFTER reading numerous other sources.
Leading to this book, I completely expect the same. I am buying it because I KNOW it will be a tome well worth the price based on my looking through it at local book sellers. No one, at least that I have read, has the depth of understanding of AS Moock does. He, IMHO, really understands the what and how. And he will tell you EVERYTHING about it. He does not, sadly, possess the 'layman language' to make this a beginner book. It barely makes sense to those well immersed in the topic. BUT, once you get to the level that you can absorb what he is saying, you catapult your Flash skills and usage.
For beginners, definitely start elsewhere. Books by Phillip Kerman or Joey Lott are marvelous entry level books. Both authors have a superior knowledge of Flash AS, but the also possess the ability to talk about it conversationally. A huge help in anyone's learning of a new subject. Flash AS is a huge uphill battle, but one which rewards richly for those who travel the path. I would just hate to have someone not try because they do not understand a book reportedly aimed at developers with 'no prior programming knowledge.'Essential ActionScript 3.0 (Essential) OverviewActionScript 3.0 is a huge upgrade to Flash's programming language. The enhancements to ActionScript's performance, feature set, ease of use, cleanliness, and sophistication are considerable. Essential ActionScript 3.0 focuses on the core language and object-oriented programming, along with the Flash Player API. Essential ActionScript has become the #1 resource for the Flash and ActionScript development community, and the reason is the author, Colin Moock. Many people even refer to it simply as "The Colin Moock book."And for good reason: No one is better at turning ActionScript inside out, learning its nuances and capabilities, and then explaining everything in such an accessible way. Colin Moock is not just a talented programmer and technologist; he's also a gifted teacher.Essential ActionScript 3.0 is a radically overhauled update to Essential ActionScript 2.0. True to its roots, the book once again focuses on the core language and object-oriented programming, but also adds a deep look at the centerpiece of Flash Player's new API: display programming. Enjoy hundreds of brand new pages covering exciting new language features, such as the DOM-based event architecture, E4X, and namespaces--all brimming with real-world sample code.The ActionScript 3.0 revolution is here, and Essential ActionScript 3.0's steady hand is waiting to guide you through it.

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The ActionScript 3.0 Quick Reference Guide: For Developers and Designers Using Flash: For Developers and Designers Using Flash CS4 Professional (Adobe Developer Library) Review

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The ActionScript 3.0 Quick Reference Guide: For Developers and Designers Using Flash: For Developers and Designers Using Flash CS4 Professional (Adobe Developer Library) ReviewI was browsing at Borders at Park Ave and 57th, where they had exactly one copy of this. I'd heard of this book but hadn't seen it yet--it was announced over the summer but O'Reilly kept delaying publication so the book could be current with Flash CS4. I looked up a few items in the ToC and index, and went straight to the checkout queue. I had to have this book right away! even if Amazon could sell it to me cheaper!
Okay, why is the book good? I've spent more time with it now. I'll give you my three biggest reasons:
1) It's readable. It really is. It's friendly and accessible. Did you ever enjoy those juvenile histories and biographies and How-and-Why science books that started out with something like, "Hi! This is a fun book, and we're going to take you on a fun journey, step-by-step. This is a great subject to be interested in! Aren't you happy? Well, we are!!!"?
Well, did you like books like that? I did, and I've always resented scholarly and technical books that didn't introduce themselves along those lines. So many of them are written like resentful documentation: "Go away. We hate you. This is only for ugly, squirrelly, socially backward people like US."
This book is overtly addressed to users of ActionScript 1.0 and 2.0, and those already using 3.0; to artists, designers, and developers of all stripes. It's all-inclusive. Like Rich Shupe's Learning ActionScript 3.0, it has a friendly, hand-holding attitude that goes through the length of the book.
2) A personal obsession: this book has a good section on how to write XML loaders that use HTML. This is a very poorly documented area of Flash. The ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook had a little bit on it, but the explanation was hard to follow and the code was buggy.
3) Another personal interest: SWF loaders and unloaders. This is the first book I've seen that tells you how to unload both the thing loaded and the "event listener" that keeps sitting there, using up processor time and space.
The book is also current with the less traditional Flash-related technologies, such as FlashDevelop and Flex.The ActionScript 3.0 Quick Reference Guide: For Developers and Designers Using Flash: For Developers and Designers Using Flash CS4 Professional (Adobe Developer Library) Overview
"No matter what your background, the pages that follow will provide you with some excellent knowledge, insight, and even a little bit of wisdom in the realm of Flash and ActionScript. Happy learning!" -- Branden Hall, from the Foreword Written by Flash insiders with extensive knowledge of the technology, this guide is designed specifically to help Flash designers and developers make the leap from ActionScript 2.0 to the new object-oriented ActionScript 3.0 quickly and painlessly. Formatted so you can find any topic easily, ActionScript 3.0 Quick Reference Guide explains:

Object-oriented programming (OOP) concepts, such as packages and classes
ActionScript 3.0 features and player enhancements that improve performance
Workflow differences between ActionScript 2.0 and ActionScript 3.0 including tools, code editing, component sets, and image and font rendering
Where did it go? A guide to help you find familiar features in ActionScript 3.0, such as global functions, operators, properties, and statements
How do I? Step-by-step solutions for performing tasks with ActionScript 3.0, including input, sound, video, display, events, text, and more

Also included are overviews of Flash and ActionScript features and workflows. ActionScript 3.0 is a huge upgrade to Flash's programming language -- and this guide helps you upgrade your skills to match it.


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