Flash MX ActionScripting: Advanced Training from the Source shows how to create compelling, interactive Flash movies through scripting. Despite the subtitle, you don’t have to be an advanced programmer to use this book, just someone who can use Flash and is ready to take it to the next level. ActionScript itself is taught from scratch. The course is structured as a series of 17 lessons, with each lesson containing one or more projects. A CD comes with it, and includes all the project files plus completed examples. There is a high standard of design and artwork so the projects look good. Each lesson begins with an overview and time estimate, and then gives step-by-step instructions along with plenty of tips, notes and illustrations. A spacious page layout makes it clear and easy to follow. The early lessons focus on language basics along with essential Flash objects and events. A key lesson shows how to target multiple movies and timelines to enable sophisticated applications. Other topics include creating custom objects, using variables and arrays, and getting data in and out of Flash. There is a lesson on the Flash XML object, another on using ActionScript to do dynamic drawing, and a look at how to control sound from script code. The projects themselves are fun and include a chat application, a virtual aquarium, and a child’s painting program. Expert programmers may be sniffy about the more basic lessons, but overall this is a great tutorial, nicely presented and packed with Flash MX expertise.--Tim Anderson
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