Learn Programming with Flash MX employs a truly unique class-based approach to learning with the goal of establishing core, generic-programming skills. Each chapter represents a discrete lesson covering a distinct topic of programming with ActionScript. In each 'class' we smoothly blend theory and practice with plentiful practical examples, and a class project that runs through the book to reinforce the learning in an integrated, real-world context, using Flash MX as the illustrative vehicle.This book also addresses the shortfall in solid programming knowledge in significant segments of the web design community - specifically, traditional web designers and Flash users with no exposure to the programming world. It also assumes that the reader is a Flash novice, so if you're coming to Flash completely from scratch, this book will give you a broad and solid introduction enabling you to create aesthetically pleasing, well laid-out content glued together with robust coding techniques. and skills that every programmer needs to master in order to create well-structured and efficient code to a professional standard. Readers will come away from this book with the following: - A rich, solid understanding of the concepts and basic processes of programming that will enable them to explore Flash and other technologies with a degree of confidence that they didn't have before. - Insights into universally applicable programming processes and techniques. - An understanding of how to implement these principles in Flash MX

With the release of Flash MX, scripting in Flash moved from being a desirable asset to an essential skill in the world of web design. ActionScript is, quite simply, the center of power in Flash, and it's no surprise that most of the advances in Flash MX are script-centric. Flash is a design tool, and ActionScript can easily scare designers. This book is for anyone who has ever looked in awe at a cutting-edge Flash site, then taken a look at some code, and run in the other direction. Learning ActionScript with friends of ED will not turn you into a boring programmer, it will turn you into someone who finally has the power to achieve what they want with their web design. This book will take you from knowing nothing about ActionScript to a firm knowledge that will allow you to exercise a previously unimaginable amount of power over your flash movies. It does this with fully-0worked examples throughout, and a case study that will leave you with a cutting-edge Flash site by the end of the book. The book assumes no previous knowledge of code or ActionScript, but does assume that you know the basics of the Flash interface, and have maybe created some basic timeline-based movies with tweens and so on. (If you're totally new to Flash, then you might want to take a look at friends of ED's acclaimed Foundation Flash MX, or at the more visually-oriented Flash MX Express.) Foundation ActionScript-with the help of friends of ED Flash guru Sham Bhangal, Foundation ActionScript has been re-structured and re-written to reflect the major changes in ActionScript brought about with Flash MX. Just compare the table of contents if you don't believe us!