Reading Up. 3

[katiekat]

Hey Y'all,

I'd like to learn everything there is to know about actionscript. (or at least delve into it.) Where do I start? I know basic things, but I get stuck on the more advanced scripting. Basically, I just want to learn. Something with examples or sample projects would be egg selent. If anyone knows where to go, it's you guys! (-:

Thanks for your suggestions! Holy tek-tips batman!:-0

 

[funkymonk]

Hi KatieKat,

I asked the same question a while ago and the book "Foundation ActionScript" was sugested. I have to say it's the best book I've bought for computer use. The author's name is "Sham Bhangal". The way he writes is very easy to learn from as he uses everyday situations and objects.

Hope this helps. roda B-)

http://www.sameplanet.co.uk

Learning is like rowing against the current. As soon as you stop, you start going backwards.

 

[katiekat]

Thanks Roda! I'll check it out. Holy tek-tips batman!:-0

 

[davdesign]

hi Katie

I know I always say this to people who ask about books but the best way IMHO is to dissect FLA's and set yourself problems, with the knowledge that as you do so you are teaching yourself and learning so much while taking it all in. Nothing puts knowledge into your head more than hands-on experience.

I have a Maths/Physics/Engineering background which I find suits Flash perfectly because everything is down to the way you approach a problem, rather than the solution itself. It's often too easy to just dive into something without programmatically thinking about what it will involve. Even if you set yourself a pretty hard task and then note down a structure of what it will involve, ie: for this to happen I must set up something else first, working backwards from the result to the very first variable.

This may be a useless post but I've only ever bought one Flash book "New Master's of Flash" (a coffee table book), by friends of ED, a wallet-killer at £40-odd, but it does contain a couple of very nice scripting examples and comes complete with a CD-rom with tutorials, quicktime interviews with the people who are reknowned experts in the field, etc.

I didn't learn anything I know from a book, everything was learned from doing some leg/brain work over time.

dave

dave@pinkzeppelin.com

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^​

 

[katiekat]

Thank you Dave! I appreciate your insight. This is how I usually learn too. Picking things apart and reproducing them in my own manner. That's actually how I learned pretty much everything I know about computers. Basically by saying: "what does this do?", clicking on it, and seeing what happens. Very hi-tech.

I find that I almost always need some sort of resource though. The best is having someone to ask questions of, like this forum. It's also nice to have some sort of reference material so I don't have to ask rudimentary questions of you guys all the time.

So I guess I got my answer in two parts. A couple of book recomendations, and a suggestion to "just do it" heh. Just what I was looking for.

Thanks everyone!

I am still very open to suggestion on the book front.

What haven't I voted for? I see a star up there... Holy tek-tips batman!:-0

 

[funkymonk]

And what's that supposed to mean? Not that I'm paranoid or anything! roda B-)
roda@shockanime.com

Learning is like rowing against the current. As soon as you stop, you start going backwards.

 

[davdesign]

hi Katie

I didn't mean it to sound like a 'just do it' response. I just think that the books on Flash which exist at the moment for beginners/reference are very much over-priced and don't provide anything new which couldn't be found on the Internet or in Tek-tips.

Most the books I have skimmed through on the bookshelf of the local bookstore simply regurgitate the contents of the Flash Manual which comes with the software, hence I don't see much benefit in buying. Sure there might be a few books which have that little extra something, but do you really want to fork out stacks of cash for a few pages of a 1000 page book?

All the best

dave

(ciao) :-(

dave@pinkzeppelin.com

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^​

 

[katiekat]

Dave!

Doh! I didn't mean it like that! I totally understand what you're saying, and heck no! I don't want to shell out megabucks for a crappy book. Not planning on it! I meant the "just do it" remark in a good way. Do it yourself, figure it out by yourself, etc. I guess it all just came out wrong. I really do appreciate your response, and I'm taking your advice to heart!

Thanks again!!

Holy tek-tips batman!:-0