Welcome to ActionScript 3.0

ActionScript 3.0 is the programming language of the Adobe Flash Platform, a multi-screen and mutli-device development platform for creating interactive and expressive content. With the latest generation of the Adobe runtimes, Flash Player and AIR, you can take your ideas and creative vision to the browser, desktop, mobile phones, tablets, and Internetenabled televisions. Let’s review some of the tools that you’ll be working with.

The Tools and Runtimes

In the course of this book, there are three main tools and runtimes that you’ll be working with:

FLASH PROFESSIONAL CS5.5

The latest generation of the Flash authoring tool combines powerful animation capabilities, library management, and an integrated coding environment designed for ActionScript 3.0 coding. Part of Creative Suite 5.5, Flash Professional CS5.5 adds new support to work with the latest generation of Adobe AIR and Flash Player 10.2 to create content and applications for the popular Android and iOS mobile platforms.

FLASH PLAYER 10.2

Flash Player is what brings the web to life. It is the Internet plug-in for your desktop or mobile phone that allows you to play interactive content, video, and games. The latest version includes enhanced support for hardware acceleration, better video playback, and memory and processor performance optimization.

ADOBE AIR 2.6

The Adobe AIR runtime is what allows interactive designers and developers to take their applications outside the browser and bring them to the Windows and Mac OS X operating systems as desktop applications, or to the Android and iOS platforms as installable mobile applications.

Other Helpful Tools

Although not part of this book, there are other tools that are helpful for working with the Flash Platform, including:

ADOBE FLASH BUILDER 4.5

Flash Builder is the professional coding IDE for the Flash Platform. It includes advanced programming functionality to optimize projects, and it makes working with larger projects and coordinating projects with teams easier. Flash Builder also supports working with Flash Professional projects and using the Adobe Flex framework.

ADOBE FLEX 4.5

The Flex framework is used specifically to create data-driven applications for the browser, desktop, and mobile devices. Incorporating skinnable components, declarative layout, ActionScript logic, and support for a growing set of platforms, it is the fastest way to create a robust application for multiple screens and devices.

ADOBE FLASH CATALYST CS5.5

Flash Catalyst is designed to work in a team environment when a designer and a developer are building an Internet application using the Flex framework. Interaction designers can create skins for Flex components and craft the overall user interface of a Flex application as a wireframe, prototype, or a finished application. Flash Catalyst CS5.5 introduces roundtrip functionality with Flash Builder 4.5 to allow designers and developers to work collaboratively.