Adobe - ActionScript Technology Center

ActionScript is the programming language of the Adobe Flash Player runtime. Originally developed as a way for Flash developers to program interactivity, ActionScript enables efficient programming of Adobe Flash applications for everything from simple animations to complex, data-rich, interactive application interfaces.

ActionScript 3.0, introduced in Flash Player 9, is based on ECMAScript—the same standard that is the basis for JavaScript—and provides incredible gains in runtime performance and developer productivity. ActionScript 2.0, the version of ActionScript used in Flash Player 8 and earlier, added language constructs and features to enable developers to build large-scale, object-oriented Flash applications and content. ActionScript 2.0 continues to be supported in Flash Player 9.

New to ActionScript 3.0? Check out the Getting Started tab on this site. If you already know ActionScript 2.0, explore the following resources to migrate your apps to ActionScript 3.0.

Migrate to ActionScript 3.0

ActionScript and code editor changes in Flash CS3 Professional: Support for ActionScript 3.0 is one of the most significant changes in Flash CS3 Professional. Take advantage of new coding tools in the Actions panel or Script window, and a new debugging tool—designed to reduce the time it takes to write ActionScript code.
Getting started with ActionScript: Learn some of the core principles of ActionScript and interactivity in Flash CS3 Professional. This video tutorial shows you how to write simple ActionScript 3.0 code for a button. Each line of code is thoroughly explained so you understand the ActionScript code that you write.
Tips for learning ActionScript 3.0: Get a head start on ActionScript 3.0 with these tips and common issues you might encounter during development.
Tips for migrating your Flash applications to ActionScript 3.0: Apply these 15 helpful tips to avoid common pitfalls when building your first Flash application using the latest version of ActionScript.
Introducing the ActionScript 3.0 debugger: Take a tour of the new debugger in Flash CS3 Professional and learn how it greatly simplifies troubleshooting issues with ActionScript 3.0 classes and frame scripts in FLA files.
Introduction to event handling in ActionScript 3.0: Use the new EventDispatcher class to track mouse interactions and create your own custom events when building applications in Adobe Flex 2 or Flash CS3 Professional.
Building an image-viewing widget with ActionScript 3.0: Migrate an image viewer application from ActionScript 2.0 to 3.0 to explore the new capabilities of ActionScript 3.0.
ActionScript 2.0 migration table (LiveDocs): Check out this exhaustive table in the ActionScript 3.0 Language and Components Reference to see the differences between ActionScript 2.0 and 3.0.

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Programming ActionScript 3.0 in the Flash CS3 LiveDocs is a great place to start if you're completely new to ActionScript. Make sure to use the navigational tools in the upper lefthand corner to move through all of the contents and expand the table of contents:

The Getting Started with ActionScript section in the Flash CS3 LiveDocs provides a summary of programming fundamentals, explains how to work with objects, and provides two beginner examples to get you up and running.

Subsequent sections provide a "Basics of..." overview and walk you through plenty of examples, so you'll be creating Flash applications as you learn. If you're new to ActionScript 3.0, make sure to read the following LiveDocs sections:

Notes from the ActionScript 3.0 from the Ground Up Tour

Download the notes handed out at Colin Moock's international ActionScript 3.0 tour covering the fundamental skills needed to program for Flash Player and Adobe AIR.

Get the notes

ActionScript components significantly reduce the time and effort needed to develop Flash applications by providing complex pieces that behave in a consistent way and are ready to use and customize. Read the Flash and ActionScript components learning guide to learn how to use the data and media ActionScript 2.0 components included with Flash CS3 as well as the new user interface and video ActionScript 3.0 components.

Resources

Six reasons to use ActionScript 3.0

Lee Brimelow (Aug. 18, 2008)
Find out about the benefits of using ActionScript 3.0 in your Flash projects.

Learning ActionScript 3.0 excerpts: OOP overview, display list, and programmatic motion

Rich Shupe and Zevan Rosser (June 23, 2008)
Begin using ActionScript 3.0 for practical, everyday projects by reading these three chapters from O'Reilly Media.

Flash Developer Center

Find new and updated articles, samples, and Flash CS3 Quick Starts, mini-examples that explain features and show how to use them—for example: Event handling, Display list programming, Creating a simple ActionScript 3.0 class, and Animating with ActionScript in Flash.

Flex Developer Center

If you're interested in how ActionScript 3.0 works with the Flex framework, the Flex Developer Center also provides articles, overviews, tutorials, and Flex Quick Starts.

New Flash ActionScript 3.0 samples

Learn about Flash by doing: These samples demonstrate features common in Flash development. Investigate how each was constructed, explore the graphics and timelines in the FLA files, and examine the ActionScript code in the associated AS files.

Adobe Creative Suite 3 Video Workshop

Learn from dozens of videos geared toward Flash CS3 designers, including tutorials on getting started with ActionScript 3.0 and writing ActionScript for components.

ActionScript blogs

Read what people are saying about ActionScript in developer blogs.

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ActionScript 3.0 expands the functionality of the ActionScript language and makes programming significantly easier than in previous versions. By repackaging commonly used classes and objects as easily accessible APIs, ActionScript 3.0 provides faster, more direct access to the functionality you need for your applications. Regular expressions and E4X support make working with XML much quicker and more natural.

Overviews

Adobe Flash Platform ActionScript reference for RIA development

Use this guide both as an API reference and a tool to learn about the ActionScript APIs available within Adobe AIR, Flash Player, and the Flex framework.

ActionScript 3.0 overview

Learn how advances in this powerful, object-oriented programming language signify an important step in the evolution of the capabilities of the Flash Player runtime.

Examining the Puzzle Game sample application

Valerio Virgillito (May 14, 2007)
Learn about the differences between the ActionScript 2.0 and ActionScript 3.0 versions of this sample Flash application.

Building an image-viewing widget with ActionScript 3.0

Migrate an image viewer app from ActionScript 2.0 to 3.0 to explore the new capabilities of ActionScript 3.0.

Tips for learning ActionScript 3.0

Get a head start on ActionScript 3.0 with these tips and common issues you might encounter during development.

Learning ActionScript 3.0 excerpts: OOP overview, display list, and programmatic motion

Rich Shupe and Zevan Rosser (June 23, 2008)
Begin using ActionScript 3.0 for practical, everyday projects by reading these three chapters from O'Reilly Media.

Essential ActionScript 3.0 excerpt: Display and interactivity

Download two complete chapters from this updated reference by Colin Moock to learn about the core of the ActionScript 3.0 language, as well as the new Flash Player API.

ActionScript 3.0 Cookbook excerpts: From custom classes to the rendering model

Download five complete chapters from this coding how-to book from O'Reilly Media to get the most out of this new programming language.

Understanding the changes in the display API in ActionScript 3.0

Take this guided tour through two code samples to learn how the display API differs from ActionScript 2.0 to 3.0.

Introduction to event handling in ActionScript 3.0

Interactivity, the core of any Flash application, is handled through events. Trevor McCauley shows you how to use the EventDispatcher class to track mouse interactions and more.

Adobe AIR

Sudoku on AIR: Taking a Flash app to the desktop

Giorgio Natili (Feb. 25, 2008)
Discover how you can turn your browser-based Flash application into a desktop application built on Adobe AIR.

Flex

Handling cue points for audio files in ActionScript 2.0 and ActionScript 3.0

David Stiller (Dec. 3, 2007)
Create a custom Sound class that makes it easy to use cue points for internal sound assets or external MP3s in Flash or Flex apps. (Updated for CS3)

ActionScript 3.0 Design Patterns excerpt: Factory method and MVC

Download two complete chapters from this hands-on introduction by William B. Sanders and Chadima Cumaranatunge to learn how reusable design patterns solve common problems in Flash and Flex applications.

Profile: Programmers adopt Flex and migrate to ActionScript 3.0

Phil Brock (Jul 30)
Learn how introNetworks implemented its desired architecture and application features with Flex to build applications that look, feel, and perform like desktop applications.

Unit testing and Test Driven Development (TDD) for Flex and ActionScript 3.0

Learn about using FlexUnit to code your Flex apps more efficiently.

ActionScript collections and functional programming

Bruce Eckel (June 23, 2008)
Understand the creation and use of shared libraries and the basics of prototypes.

Tips for tuning ActionScript 3.0 performance for Flex and Flash developers

Learn about the Flash Player architecture and AVM2, and improve performance through typing and data binding in your Flex and Flash application development.

In LiveDocs: Programming ActionScript 3.0

Build a foundation for developing Flex applications in ActionScript 3.0 by learning about specific usage of the language and core Flash Player API.

ActionScript 3.0 examples

Adobe Labs provides (beta quality) utilities to help you build Flex applications:

flex2_actionscript_examples.zip (ZIP, 476K)

Creating liquid GUIs with Flash and ActionScript 3.0

James O'Reilly (Updated Apr. 21, 2008)
Build dynamic RIA user interfaces that size themselves intelligently to the screen's dimensions.

Flash

Saving Flash graphics as image files at runtime

Clive Goodinson (Sept. 29, 2008)
Learn how to programmatically generate static image files using the graphic content in a Flash project.

Six reasons to use ActionScript 3.0

Lee Brimelow (Aug. 18, 2008)
Find out about the benefits of using ActionScript 3.0 in your Flash projects.

New Flash ActionScript 3.0 samples

Learn about Flash by doing: These samples demonstrate features common in Flash development. Investigate how each was constructed, explore the graphics and timelines in the FLA files, and examine the ActionScript code in the associated AS files.

Using ActionScript to pause and loop the timeline in Flash

Tom Green and David Stiller
Learn two practical uses for ActionScript 3.0: pausing the main timeline for a certain amount of time, and looping a movie a number of times before stopping at the end.

ActionScript 3.0 for developers and designers – Part 1: Creating a preloader

Build a simple, multipurpose preloader in Flash CS3 that both designers and developers can easily reuse and reskin.

Creating ActionScript 3.0 components in Flash – Part 1: Introducing components

Jeff Kamerer (Sept. 28, 2007)
Get an overview of Flash components, including how they are structured and how they can be deployed to the Components panel.

Creating liquid GUIs with Flash and ActionScript 3.0

James O'Reilly (Updated Apr. 21, 2008)
Build dynamic RIA user interfaces that size themselves intelligently to the screen's dimensions.

Creating the kuler panel for Flash CS3 Professional

Ben Pritchard (Aug. 13, 2007)
Examine how this panel, based on the online color theme-sharing tool, is constructed; and learn how the panel uses kuler APIs to extend the Flash authoring environment.

Object-oriented programming with ActionScript 3.0

Learn about the concept of classes and how ActionScript 3.0 helps you write more portable, reusable code for your web applications.

Formatting text for localized Flash projects using CSS, HTML, and ActionScript

Dan Carr (June 18, 2007)
Learn how to create Flash applications that display multiple languages using ActionScript and text formatting techniques.

Deconstructing the ActionScript 3.0 Flash video gallery application

Dan Carr (April 30, 2007)
Examine the inner workings of an application designed to display a collection of FLV files with thumbnails for easy navigation and playback.

Using ActionScript 3.0 to retrieve MySQL data using a server-side ASP script

Craig Simmons (Nov. 19, 2007)
Discover how you can build a Flash application that pulls data from a MySQL database using XML and a server-side ASP script.

Creating animation in ActionScript 3.0

Jen deHaan (April 16, 2007)
Learn how to programmatically create motion effects to move, resize, transition, and fade movie clips easily in your Flash projects. (Updated for CS3)

Handling cue points for audio files in ActionScript 2.0 and ActionScript 3.0

David Stiller (Dec. 3, 2007)
Create a custom Sound class that makes it easy to use cue points for internal sound assets or external MP3s in Flash or Flex apps. (Updated for CS3)

ActionScript 3.0 Design Patterns excerpt: Factory method and MVC

Download two complete chapters from this hands-on introduction by William B. Sanders and Chadima Cumaranatunge to learn how reusable design patterns solve common problems in Flash and Flex applications.

Essential ActionScript 3.0 excerpt: Display and interactivity

Download two complete chapters from this updated reference by Colin Moock to learn about the core of the ActionScript 3.0 language, as well as the new Flash Player API.

Creating movie clips with reflections in ActionScript 3.0

Ben Pritchard (July 23, 2007)
Apply reflections to movie clips in your Flash projects and modify them using a custom ActionScript 3.0 class.

Filtering XML data in Flash applications using ECMAScript for XML

Andrew Muller (July 2, 2007)
Build an application that utilizes E4X to parse and display multilingual captions from an XML source for a video.

Flash Media Server

Beginner's guide to using ActionScript 3.0 with Flash Media Server 3

Tom Green (June 2, 2008)
Stream an H.264 video from both the default vod folder and your own application.

Creating a video player using the state design pattern and ActionScript 3.0

William B. Sanders (May 23, 2007)
Learn about design patterns from this simple state machine that starts and stops a video, and then adapt it to run on Flash Media Server 2 by adding more states and player controls. (Updated for CS3)

Engineering documents

Tamarin project (Mozilla Foundation)

Get involved in this new open source project, hosted by the Mozilla Foundation, that uses code powering the ActionScript Virtual Machine.

What Tamarin means to developers

By partnering on the Tamarin open source project, Adobe and Mozilla hope to accelerate the adoption of a standard language for creating applications, content, and video.

ECMAScript 4 Committee Wiki

To see where ActionScript 3.0 is heading, check out the public wiki for the ECMAScript 4 committee.

In LiveDocs: Flex 3 language reference

Check out the general language reference for MXML and ActionScript 3.0 for Flex 3.

In LiveDocs: Flex 2.0.1 language reference

Check out the general language reference for MXML and ActionScript 3.0 for Flex 2.0.1.

In LiveDocs: ActionScript 3.0 language specification

This document defines the ActionScript 3.0 language, including the complete syntax and high-level semantics of the language.

In Labs: ActionScript 3.0 libraries

Use this set of free and open ActionScript 3.0 APIs to get started building Flex 2.0 applications.

Adobe ActionScript Virtual Machine 2 (AVM2) Overview (PDF, 400K)

The AVM2 Overview describes the instructions, associated data structures, and file format supported by the AVM2.

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ActionScript 2.0 is an object-oriented programming (OOP) language that includes full support for classes, inheritance, interfaces, and other common OOP concepts. It features variable data typing, function parameters and return types, and comprehensive debugging information.

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Check out these websites—many of them maintained by the developer community—to learn how people learn and work with Flash, Flex, and ActionScript in the real world:

ActionScript 3.0 speed tests: Speed optimization techniques for use with ActionScript 3.0
ActionScript 3.0 Design Patterns blog: Companion website to ActionScript 3.0 Design Patterns by Bill Sanders and Chandima Cumaranatunge (O'Reilly Media, 2007), which steps readers through the process of integrating design patterns into ActionScript applications.
ActionScript RSS feed: Up-to-the-minute blog postings about ActionScript programming in the real world
ActionScript code search via Google: Public source code search
ActionScript on Flash Kit Community Forums: Resource site for the Flash and multimedia community
del.icio.us/tag/actionscript and del.icio.us/tag/as3: Blog posts and web pages tagged with "ActionScript" and "AS3"
Google Code: Projects on Google Code tagged with "ActionScript"
Flex Coders Yahoo! group: Mailing list for enterprise software developers developing RIAs using Flex and ActionScript
Flashcoders: Mailing list for programmers using Flash
Flex cookbook: Share knowledge and expertise with the Adobe designer and developer community
Flash and ActionScript tutorials on Kirupa.com: Community site run by Kirupa Chinnathambi
Foundation Flash: ActionScript tutorials presented by Leon Aves and Harry Burt, who run this small web design firm
RIAForge: Open-source projects built on Adobe technology, including Flash and ActionScript
Yahoo! Developer Network – Flash: Collection of Flash tools, resources, and information about Yahoo! data APIs, Flash components, and more
ActionScript.it: Italian community site
ActionScript.es: Spanish community site

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