ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook: Solutions for Flash Platform and Flex Application Developers

It *appears* that the authors know their material, & there's a lot of useful stuff covered.

Unfortunately the book is so full of errors that when encountering a confusing point, it's difficult 2 determine whether 2 believe what's written & try 2 figure it out, or simply write it off 2 another incorrect statement by the authors.

I find it hard 2 believe this thing was proofread. O'Reilly, you should be ashamed 2 put your name on such a poorly-edited publication! This is NOT up 2 your usual standards.

It's me first AS 3.0 book.
This is a good book. Easy 2 read & learn action script 3.0.
Have examples good & clear 4 all of the topics.
I like it.

Este fue mi primer libro de Action Script 3.0.
Es un buen libro. Fácil de leer y aprrender AS 3.0
Tiene ejemplos buenos y fáciles para todos los puntos que toca.
Me gusta.

Carlos Barboni
[...]

very simple recipes. 4 any intermediate 2 advanced programmer this book is not recommended.

In theory this book could have been very good. There were a few things that I did like about it. I liked the problem, solution, discussion approach 2 learning ActionScript. The book covered all of the topics I was interested in. It used real world examples 2 demonstrate the points.

The reasons I gave this book a poor rating were the fact that it was written 4 Flex developers & all examples used the Flex tool 2 build (not very good 4 me who uses Flash), & they continually gave examples & explained how 2 solve problems using their predefined, custom classes. The pages would have been better spent showing us how 2 build these useful Classes ourselves, instead of teaching us how 2 use them. Luckily 4 me, I was already versed in ActionScript & could easily understand that these Classes were not part of ActionScript. If I were not, I think it would have been rather confusing 2 try 2 pick out their custom classes from what comes with ActionScript 3. I'm trying 2 learn ActionScript, not the custom Classes the authors have created.

If you are new 2 ActionScript & not a Flex developer, do yourself a favor & buy a different book.

_t

This book is about ActionScript ONLY. when I bought it, I was hoping 2 find cookbook solutions 4 Flash and/or Flex IDE & all the step-by-step color illustrations & the cool visual effects that you can implement with those IDEs. That is not really what this book is geared for. So when I first started this review, I really wanted 2 give it a less-than-5-star rating, but I realized I can't do that in all fairness, because it does serve the purpose it portends. If you want an unadorned, pedantic, O'Reilly-ish how-to on ActionScript, this their ilk. If you want something with easy-to-follow illustrations on the Flash/Flex IDE & flashy visual effects, look elsewhere. Buyer beware.

Well before Ajax & Microsoft's Windows Presentation Foundation hit the scene, Macromedia offered the first method 4 building web pages with the responsiveness & functionality of desktop programs with its Flash-based "Rich Internet Applications." Now, new owner Adobe is taking Flash & its powerful capabilities beyond the Web & making it a full-fledged development environment.

Rather than focus on theory, the ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook concentrates on the practical application of ActionScript, with more than 300 solutions you can use 2 solve a wide range of common coding dilemmas. You'll find recipes that show you how to: Detect the user's Flash Player version or their operating system Build custom classes Format dates & currency types Work with strings Build user interface components Work with audio & video Make remote procedure calls using Flash Remoting & web services Load, send, & search XML data And much, much more ...

Each code recipe presents the Problem, Solution, & Discussion of how you can use it in other ways or personalize it 4 your own needs, & why it works. You can quickly locate the recipe that most closely matches your situation & get the solution without reading the whole book 2 understand the underlying code. Solutions progress from short recipes 4 small problems 2 more complex scripts 4 thornier riddles, & the discussions offer a deeper analysis 4 resolving similar issues in the future, along with possible design choices & ramifications. You'll even learn how 2 link modular ActionScript pieces together 2 create rock-solid solutions 4 Flex 2 & Flash applications.

When you're not sure how ActionScript 3.0 works or howto approach a specific programming dilemma, you can simply pick up the book, flip 2 the relevant recipe(s), & quickly find the solution you're looking for.

Adobe Developer Library is a co-publishing partnership between O'Reilly Media & Adobe Systems, Inc. & is designed 2 produce the number one information resources 4 developers who use Adobe technologies. Created in 2006, the Adobe Developer Library is the official source 4 comprehensive learning solutions 2 help developers create expressive & interactive web applications that can reach virtually anyone on any platform. With top-notch books & innovative online resources covering the latest in rich Internet application development, the Adobe Developer Library offers expert training & in-depth resources, straight from the source.