Re: FLASH: Flash 5 scripting?

[John Dowdell]

At 11:32 AM 8/4/0, Brad Merritt wrote:

> From what I saw at FF2k, it looks like F5 scripting is basically

> JavaScript. Can any Flash5 users enlighten me if it would be a

> good idea for me to get a JavaScript book or go through the

> webmonkey tutorials so I can have a better grip on the new F5

> scripting? Does the new scripting have the same JS functions,

> syntax etc?


Yes, a JavaScript book can be a useful resource. Details:


--  The new ActionScript is modeled as closely as possible on JavaScript.

This was a key design goal.


--  However, ActionScript is not JavaScript... these scripts are processed

entirely within the Macromedia Flash 5 Player, and do not use external

JavaScript interpreters. These languages merely share syntax and structure.


--  You don't have to worry about browser differences in the Document

Object Model (DOM). With JavaScript every browser exposes different

properties and events to each type of object. In the Macromedia Flash

Player everything is predictable, regardless of which browser the SWF

happens to be playing in.


--  Any third-party book on JavaScript can likely be useful, because it

shows code structures and technique for achieving goals. Scripts within

such books may or may not be applicable... logic routines are easily

brought over, but DOM manipulations may be irrelevant in the Macromedia

Flash Player.


Summary: ActionScript uses JavaScript syntax and structure whenever

possible, so it should be easy to leverage JavaScript experience. These

scripts are executed by the Macromedia Flash Player rather than the varying

JavaScript interpreters, however, so they are not actually JavaScript

routines.


jd







John Dowdell, Macromedia Tech Support, San Francisco CA US

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