| This Language Reference documents all the supported classes and objects of ActionScript, explaining their general purpose, usage, properties, methods, and event handlers. Also covered are the global functions and global properties (those not attached to a class or an object, but available in standalone form, throughout a movie). All entries in the Language Reference are alphabetized regardless of whether an entry is a property, method, global function, or event handler. For example, the global function duplicateMovieClip( ) is listed under "D" after the Date class (not, say, in a separate "Global Functions" section). However, each entry's title clearly indicates the type of item being described so that there can be no confusion as to the item's purpose or usage. Furthermore, many items are alphabetized by the object or class to which they belong. For example, duplicateMovieClip( ) comes in both a global function and movie clip method form, so you'll find it listed separately as duplicateMovieClip( ) Global Function under "D" and as MovieClip.duplicateMovieClip( ) Method under "M." Some operators, such as delete and typeof, are included in the Language Reference, but for complete coverage of operators (including arithmetic and logical operators) see Chapter 5. Likewise, statements and loops, such as if and for, are covered in Chapter 6, Chapter 7, and Chapter 8. If you're unsure of where to find an item, consult the Index at the back of the book. All Language Reference entries have been updated to reflect additions and changes implemented in Flash MX and Flash Player 6 (for the sake of brevity, we refer to the Flash MX authoring tool and the Flash Player 6 browser plugin collectively as "Flash 6"). Compatibility information is provided for previous versions. New objects and classes have been added; new methods and properties have also been added to existing classes. So, you should skim the entire Language Reference to familiarize yourself with the current capabilities of the language. In some cases, the entries for items supported in Flash 5 have been augmented with better examples, even if the changes were not directly related to Flash 6. For an explanation of the formatting conventions used in this Language Reference, see Section P.10 in the Preface. |
