ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook: Solutions for Flash Platform and Flex Application Developers

Well before Ajax and Microsoft's Windows Presentation Foundation hit the scene, Macromedia offered the first method for building web pages with the responsiveness and functionality of desktop programs with its Flash-based "Rich Internet Applications". Now, new owner Adobe is taking Flash and its powerful capabilities beyond the Web and making it a full-fledged development environment.

Rather than focus on theory, the ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook concentrates on the practical application of ActionScript, with more than 300 solutions you can use to solve a wide range of common coding dilemmas. You'll find recipes that show you how to:

• Detect the user's Flash Player version or their operating system
• Build custom classes
• Format dates and currency types
• Work with strings
• Build user interface components
• Work with audio and video
• Make remote procedure calls using Flash Remoting and web services
• Load, send, and search XML data
• And much, much more ...

Each code recipe presents the Problem, Solution, and Discussion of how you can use it in other ways or personalize it for your own needs, and why it works. You can quickly locate the recipe that most closely matches your situation and get the solution without reading the whole book to understand the underlying code. Solutions progress from short recipes for small problems to more complex scripts for thornier riddles, and the discussions offer a deeper analysis for resolving similar issues in the future, along with possible design choices and ramifications. You'll even learn how to link modular ActionScript pieces together to create rock-solid solutions for Flex 2 and Flash applications.

When you're not sure how ActionScript 3.0 works or how to approach a specific programming dilemma, you can simply pick up the book, flip to the relevant recipe(s), and quickly find the solution you're looking for.

Adobe Developer Library is a co-publishing partnership between O'Reilly Media and Adobe Systems, Inc. and is designed to produce the number one information resources for developers who use Adobe technologies. Created in 2006, the Adobe Developer Library is the official source for comprehensive learning solutions to help developers create expressive and interactive web applications that can reach virtually anyone on any platform. With top-notch books and innovative online resources covering the latest in rich Internet application development, the Adobe Developer Library offers expert training and in-depth resources, straight from the source.

Customer Reviews

Average Customer Review




Not for Microwave Cooking, June 23, 2009
By J Fairlight (Arlington, Texas)
The ideal reader of ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook is an intermediate user who either has a good understanding of ActionScript 2 or who has some experience with ActionScript 3. This is not for the beginner who is looking for point and shoot examples on how to perform basic tasks and it should not bee seen as a viable replacement for Adobe's brain dead approach to educational resources.

If, however, you know your way around AS3, chances are that you will find this book to be quite valuable.



Very limited, December 14, 2008
By Luis M. Serrano (Hollywood, FL USA)
The topics covered are very limited compared to the basic needs and scope of actionscript and the coverage of each topic is too limited and redundant. O'Reilly books are usually very good, this one is a miss.



Was this book proofread?, September 3, 2008
By Miller (La Paz, Mexico)
It *appears* that the authors know their material, and there's a lot of useful stuff covered.

Unfortunately the book is so full of errors that when encountering a confusing point, it's difficult to determine whether to believe what's written and try to figure it out, or simply write it off to another incorrect statement by the authors.

I find it hard to believe this thing was proofread. O'Reilly, you should be ashamed to put your name on such a poorly-edited publication! This is NOT up to your usual standards.



AS 3.0 Cook Book, July 24, 2008
By Carlos Barboni Dutra (Montevideo, Uruguay)
It's me first AS 3.0 book.
This is a good book. Easy to read and learn action script 3.0.
Have examples good and clear for all of the topics.
I like it.

Este fue mi primer libro de Action Script 3.0.
Es un buen libro. Fácil de leer y aprrender AS 3.0
Tiene ejemplos buenos y fáciles para todos los puntos que toca.
Me gusta.

Carlos Barboni
[...]







basic idea, July 8, 2008
By K. Hetman (Washington, DC)
very simple recipes. for any intermediate to advanced programmer this book is not recommended.