As any Flash developer worth his or her salt knows, you’re not tapping all of the program’s power unless you’re taking advantage of its scripting language. Not to worry: With Flash 8’s improved scripting language (which includes a visual interface!) and this project-based guide you don’t have to be a master programmer to do so. In these pages best-selling authors Derek Franklin and Jobe Makar with Danny Patterson, Member of Team Macromedia Flash, use hands-on lessons and simple, step-by-step instructions to translate real-life activities into scripts, in the process demonstrating that scripting is something you already instinctively know how to do. To that end, the authors have provided methodologies and techniques for building nearly 40 real-life Flash 8 ActionScript projects, including sample games, wireless applications, Web sites, and more—all of which will help you work faster and more efficiently. The companion CD contains all of the project files and images you’ll need to complete the book’s lessons.

* Includes techniques for building rollovers, embedding Flash movies, creating dynamic tables, adding cool animations, and much more.
* Features 50 fast and easy, but powerful, effects that creative professionals and amateurs alike can achieve almost instantly.
* Each technique is fully-illustrated with "before" and "after" shots, and carefully described in step-by-step detail.

Welcome to ActionScript 2.0 Garage . The goal of this book is to make learning ActionScript more fun. A lot more fun. Okay, it's not a big dream, but it's my dream. I'm not kidding. The goal of this book is to show beginning to intermediate ActionScript programmers how to take their skills to the next level and blast out some amazing code. The code samples in here are actual working chunks of code, not just-for-computer-books-but-no-one-would-EVER-use-this-in-the-real world stuff. That, and I attempted to have something of a (gasp) personality (shriek) while talking about code. I'm aiming for "helpful smart-alec" (or "chaotic good" if you're old-school). Who This Book Is For This book is for beginning to intermediate ActionScript programmers who want a quick, friendly way to get deeper into ActionScript code. If you don't know what trace() is, put this book down right now before you hurt somebody. I'm not kidding. Right now! Who This Book Isn't For Junkies. Heiresses. Shepherds. I make fun of George Lucas a few times, and maybe Orlando Bloom too--I can't remember for sure. (He was great in Troy , you know. He did a wonderful job in the role of Helen.) What's in the Book This book has everything from arrays to objects to how to manipulate components: Component skins. Styles. Functions. Best practices. Lots and lots of code and working examples. You can download everything from www.wire-man.com/garage. What's Not in the Book Data components don't really involve ActionScript, so I left them out. I don't cover advanced object-oriented anything or how to use the animation bits of the Flash program. About the Attitude You may notice this tome's tone is a little rougher than other computer books you've read. That's because we want this book to make learning fun , so we decided to spice it up a bit. If you go through the book and don't learn a thing about ActionScript, I hope you're at least a little entertained. (Update: I just got word that my editor has toned down the profanity and numerous pornography references, so perhaps it's a tad less entertaining now.)