By: Colin Moock Publisher: Adobe Dev Library Average Rating: Binding: Paperback Format: Illustrated Label: Adobe Dev Library Number of Items: 1 Number of Pages: 946 Publication Date: June 22, 2007
Product Description: ActionScript 3.0 is a huge upgrade to Flash's programming language. The enhancements to ActionScript's performance, feature set, ease of use, cleanliness, and sophistication are considerable. Essential ActionScript 3.0 focuses on the core language and object-oriented programming, along with the Flash Player API. Essential ActionScript has become the #1 resource for the Flash and ActionScript development community, and the reason is the author, Colin Moock. Many people even refer to it simply as "The Colin Moock book." And for good reason: No one is better at turning ActionScript inside out, learning its nuances and capabilities, and then explaining everything in such an accessible way. Colin Moock is not just a talented programmer and technologist; he's also a gifted teacher. Essential ActionScript 3.0 is a radically overhauled update to Essential ActionScript 2.0. True to its roots, the book once again focuses on the core language and object-oriented programming, but also adds a deep look at the centerpiece of Flash Player's new API: display programming. Enjoy hundreds of brand new pages covering exciting new language features, such as the DOM-based event architecture, E4X, and namespaces--all brimming with real-world sample code. The ActionScript 3.0 revolution is here, and Essential ActionScript 3.0's steady hand is waiting to guide you through it.
Essential ActionScript 3.0 Good book as a code reference but in my opinion we need more real exercises for a better understand.
Essential ActionScript 3.0 - Colin Moock This book is brilliant. It's encyclopedic. It is a must-have to better understand AS 3 and to hopefully lower your frustration when coding. I am a designer fairly new to AS 3 and found this book gave clear, detailed explanations on every aspect of AS 3. Like an encyclopedia, each chapter breaks down specific core concepts, from Arrays and XML, into their basics. Information is laid out well and can be found quickly simply by looking at the book's table of contents. As a reference book, it fills in the "why" that other books on Flash or on-line tutorials don't have time or space to cover in easy to understand detail. Colin Moock avoids confusing jargon and de-mystifies ActionScipt.
Maybe Not for a Beginer I learned a good bit from this book; however I came into this with over 6 years for programming experience.
Part 1:
I found that this moved to slow for me. Much of it I already knew. So from an experienced perspective it was it was way to much info.
From a "I never programmed" it could be a good reference, but ultimately it would leave such a person with a shallow understanding of what is going on. I think he should have broke this book down into pieces. A good beginner would have been the first part of this book with some expansion on callback and closure theory combined with another book; Object Oriented ActionScript 3.0.
Part II:
The second part of the book was decent but had quite a few errors. For example in Screen Updates; his code for an optimized ellipse. In removedFromStageListener he adds the listener instead of removing it. He also never clears the redraw variable so it will always redraw when Event.RENDER is called.
This was so obvious to me that it was none issue. But for the intended audience I could see as being completely confusing and frustrating.
The good news is he does address both these issues in the Errata (but in two separate updates).
Part III:
They are there to support some concepts discussed in the book; they should have been before Part II and they are like a scholastic version of the content covered (not a bad thing; it is just what it is).
Extra Content: His source download is one of the most horribly organized "extra" content downloads I've ever ran into. He lists everything by name not chapter. Some code is included some is not. Both combined I find my self spending extra time trying to find content never knowing if is just labeled funny or just not documented at all. Over all your best bet it to purchase this as a pdf book so you can just copy and paste the examples.
Bottom line: These writers need to stop trying to create these "everything covered" books. Ultimately they are rushed, shallow and alienate their intended audience.
I would still recommend this book as really I've found no other resource except for the language reference that goes over the material that is discussed in this book. Just be sure that you have the Errata handy!
As good as a programming book can get As a web developer/programmer who actually loves what he does, I often try to pick up and learn new things. I already knew AS2 when I bought this book last year, and it made the transition to AS3 a breeze. As with all programming books, it is IMPOSSIBLE to be perfect, but this is about as quality as you can get, great examples, great explanations.
A very good starting point This book covers the most important aspects of the ActionScript 3 language, giving a step by step and detailed explanation of programming language and graphics API; easy and clear examples help to figure out how to apply what it explains in each chapter. Good choice if you are starting from zero with ActionScript 3, but also a nice reference for who comes from previous versions of the language.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Trevor
