Who Should Read This Book

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This book is for ActionScript beginners . Many people fit into this category. For instance, you could be an animator who has worked with Flash for a while but has not yet used ActionScript to add interactivity. Or, you could be someone who has not yet used Flash, but you know that you will want to add interactivity to your movies right away.

What You Should Already Know

This book teaches ActionScript. It does not teach Flash. ActionScript is the programming language inside Flash. This means that you should already be familiar with the Flash drawing tools, timeline, movie publishing, and symbols. This describes many Flash illustrators and animators.

If you are totally new to Flash, you should first take the time to learn Flash basics. Flash MX comes with a walk-through tutorial that explains everything you need to know. Run through that tutorial before starting to read this book. You may also want to glance through the user manuals, or try Sams Teach Yourself Flash in 24 Hours for greater detail.

What You Will Learn

This book assumes that you have never used a programming language before. Hour 3, "Learning to Program," explains the basic concepts that you need to know. The other lessons will add more concepts as they are introduced.

If you already know a programming language, this book will help you translate what you already know into ActionScript.

Although this book contains many examples of real Flash movies, it is not a complete book of examples of everything possible with ActionScript. If you have an idea of what you want to do with Flash, chances are you will not find that exact movie here. Instead, you will find examples that teach the fundamentals, which will later help you create your specific idea.

This book is about Flash MX, also known as Flash 6. You will need to have Flash MX to use the examples. Earlier versions of Flash will not be able to open any of the example movies. In addition, some of the commands I will teach did not exist in Flash 5 and earlier. Please do not try to use this book with any version of Flash previous to Flash MX.

Is This Book Right for You?

So you are trying to decide whether this book is the one you are looking for. Take a look through the table of contents. It gives you a good idea of what the book covers.

This is not a reference book. It does not go into every command and function of ActionScript. Instead, it teaches you the concepts and commands that will take you from beginner to intermediate skill. From there, you can begin to investigate on your own and learn new commands and techniques.

Here is a list of reasons why this book might fit your needs:

• You want to learn ActionScript quickly.

• You have tried to learn ActionScript before, but couldn't grasp some concepts.

• You have learned some ActionScript on your own, but feel that there is much more to learn.

• You don't care so much about programming, but need to add interactivity to your movies.

• You have used ActionScript tutorials online, but need a complete set of tutorials to round out your ActionScript knowledge.

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