Macromedia Flash MX 2004 ActionScript: Training from the Source

by Derek Franklin and Jobe Makar

Sure, you can use Flash MX 2004 without being a master programmer, but as any Flash developer worth his or her salt will tell you, you're not tapping all of its power unless you're taking advantage of... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0321213432
• ISBN13: 9780321213433
• Release Date: January 2003
• Publisher: Macromedia Press
• Length: 776 Pages
• Weight: 3.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 8.0" x 10.0"

Customer Reviews

Excellent line by line explanation

After reading a number of customer reviews, I can only assume that the broad variations in ratings reflect different preferred learning methods among people. As for me, I think this book is terrific. The authors have painstakingly developed tutorials that stay focused on the subject-matter of each lesson. More importantly, lines of code are explained in detail, leaving little to the imagination. This book is not for the impatient - I've seen smaller phone books. But if you're serious about learning Actionscript 2 and are willing to commit the time to work it from cover to cover, you'll add a strong marketable skill to your multimedia resume.

At last, I get it!

For years I labored to teach myself scripting of various kinds. As resources in that endeavor, the O'Reilly books were impenetrably dense and the "Dummies" books were so slight that I didn't feel like I was learning anything I could build on.Then Flash came along, and in a couple of years Actionscript was added. I felt my way through some simple scripts, but still I couldn't cross the threshold into scripting anything particularly useful.With this book, Derek Franklin and Jobe Makar have launched me across that threshold by helping me to learn Actionscript AND to understand it. By the time I had reached page 116 in this 764 page (the Target Paths chapter) I had already learned more about scripting from these pages than I had EVER learned from all the other books I've read on similar subjects.I imagine that the only training sources better than this $45 book are the online courses which can run into the hundreds of dollars per course. As a layperson, if you want to learn Actionscript you would be well-advised to spend time and money on this book.

Flash a Java GUI programmer can understand

I'm a professional graphics programmer, most recently via Java applets. I tried to learn Flash 5, and dropped it because I couldn't see doing real simulators with it. But with MX 2004 and ActionScript 2.0, the programming model is finally to the point where I can get all the power of Flash animation and vector art, small downloads and excellent browser support & deployability, without sacrificing object-oriented programmability, plus gain outstanding server-side integration capabilities. Still, I was finding it a really steep climb up the learning curve with Flash MX 2004. I'm not the only one - I've spoken to other Java & OO programmers who despaired of the paradigm shift to Flash. But then I got this book. Now it all makes sense. Virtually every one of the 50+ beautifully designed and programmed examples gives a huge leg up on the learning curve. I've been programming for 25 years, and this is one of the best programming books I've ever read. If you're a programmer, and want to learn Flash, get THIS book. :)

A Necessary Resource

Flash 2004 MX has some exciting new features that make it a dominant program and solution in the increasing popularity of today's web market. To grasp these awesome new features, you must learn Actionscript. "Can't I just find instruction and answers in Macromedia's help index?" Quite honestly, no, but there is a resource that will not only help you understand this powerful programming language, but also will guarantee that you learn them the right way: Derek Franklin's Actionscript book "Training from the Source" is one of the best books on the market b/c it goes beyond sharing a bunch of code; it helps you truly understand how to script. Derek's approach is creative, fun, and filled with so much stuff, you'll always find new methods and ways of writing scripts just based on the examples in this book. There's no other book that gives you so much in a simplistic easy to understand way than this book. If you're new to Actionscripting, this book will build your confidence. If you're a seasoned verteran or wondering if you should purchase this book even though you have the previous version, the answer is a dramatic, yes. With Actionscript 2.0, Derek will show you how to make the transition from old scripting to the latest version, as well as help you learn the power behind Flash 7.If you desire is to learn Flash's robust language and create dynamic websites, this book is a must.

Outstanding...even for a moron

I'll be the first to admit I'm too thick for programming. Sure, I can design stuff, but program? But Flash was just too enticing, too fabulously rich in potentials not to jump in with both feet. And Flash without Actionscript is fun, but it's not all that. You won't build much of a web site without AS. So with great trepidation I set forth to teach myself Actionscript, with about as much enthusiasm as I would for learning hieroglyphics, and with about as much chance for success.This book has been great. I've got way more to learn, but the foundation has been perfect. That's my definition of a good instruction book: it teaches you won't you don't know and inspires you to learn more. Probably if you already knew AS to some degree, this book would be pretty tepid. And certainly, if you're not willing to stick with it, this book will frustrate you. Occasionally the authors skim over some stuff that is probably self-evident to all the but most thick-headed designers. I had to back up from time to time to re-familiarize myself with certain concepts; there's a lot of territory covered and the authors will step you through it, but they won't hold your hand. If you're on a Mac one lesson won't work (at least I couldn't get it to work), and you'll need access to a server with ASP capabilities for another, otherwise the execution is flawless.Still, on balance, a perfect beginner and intermediate introduction to AS.