Updates and Changes - Page 3

There are many new windows in version 5. The opening screen can actually be quite overwhelming when you first have a look at it, but it is quite easy to become familiar with it. In the bottom right corner there are individual buttons to turn each of these windows on and off, making it somewhat more manageable. To turn them all on or off at the same time simply press the [Tab] key. If you are using a smaller monitor it can cause some discomfort and frustration, but eventually you should be able to arrange the panels as you like them.

Many of the same functions from previous versions are still available, such as the tool bar, alignment and text options. However, the user will notice that Object Actions and the Movie Explorer are totally different and will take the user some time to become totally comfortable with the new layout.

While the noticeable layout changes jump at you when you first open the application, it is the updated backend features that are really the interesting attractions of the latest version of the application. Just as you have become somewhat confident with ActionScript in Flash get ready for a whole new adventure! It has been drastically updated, allowing the user to create many new interesting online applications with numerous similarities to JavaScript. The help documentation included with the application is very in-depth. There are also many Web sites that offer instruction in the use of ActionScript in order to access its full potential. A few sites include www.flashkit.com, www.flashplanet.com, www.actionscripts.org.

ActionScript offers Flash developers the ability to create interactive Web sites with games, surveys, forms, and even sophisticated chat systems for online conversations. It is similar to JavaScript in that it contains basic programming concepts such as variables, statements, functions, loops, operators, and conditionals. There is an option to use the Actions panel in Expert Mode. Here scripts can be entered directly or the user can choose elements from a pop-up menu list as in Normal Mode in Flash 4. The user can also edit a script outside of the Flash environment. Simply use the include action to add the script written in an external editor, i.e. <#include "outsidefile.as">

Included in Flash 5 is a debugger that will assist in finding any errors in a script as the movie is viewed in the Flash Player. A list of movie clips and loaded movies is provided which allows changes to the values of properties and variables to define the correct values. This then enables the developer to go back to the scripts and edit them in order to produce the desired results.

Flash 5 gives the developer the ability to use Shared Libraries. With this, developers are able to share a variety of objects inside the library across several movies. This helps the workflow by linking to a specific object in the shared library but not adding that object to the movie itself. This allows the sharing of animations, sounds, and logos across multiple movies. Modifications can be made quickly and easily to the object inside the shared library. These changes will then affect all the movies that call upon that library.

Program Basics - Page 2
Flash 5
XML, External Files and HTML - Page 4