Introduction

This lesson will focus on the why of ActionScript 3.0, not necessarily the how. I will discuss why ActionScript 3.0 is such an incredible language to work with, its trajectory and its uses/advantages. Like anything, ActionScript 3.0 also has a couple of cons but its redeeming qualities completely mask (excuse the pun :P ) the negative aspects.

Languages – Langues – Sprachen – Lingue – Idiomas

There are a myriad of computer-programming languages out there. Many have come and conquered and, just as quickly, faded and fallen into obscurity. There are a handful of languages out there that will stick around for ages, namely Java, C++ and C#, HTML, CSS, etc but is there really any room – or need, for that matter – for more languages these days? A resounding yes is my answer.

The gaping hole in the industry

In high school, i had the great privilege of working with Java for a good 3 years. I had many, many hours of fun and strife with Java. Look, Java is a fantastic, brilliantly designed and thought-out language, but for me – as a very impatient programmer – i found that creating GUIs and sleek, sexy-looking applications was very difficult, frustrating and, frankly, dissatisfying. Yes, i know that they released JavaFX, but it doesn’t even come close to Flash’s power.

I’ve seen quite a few gorgeous AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) implementations, but it still doesn’t compare to Flash’s wide-reaching APIs and power. Another problem i have with AJAX is that it works with HTML and its ugly sister CSS. Honestly, i don’t have the patience for either.

Microsoft have also been trying to create an answer to Flash. In typical Microsoft fashion, they’ve sat nice and comfortably on their laurels while everyone else did all the innovative work, and then jumped on the bandwagon (not before trying to dismantle, destroy or buy it!). Their answer is WPF (Windows Presentation Format) and, suprise surprise, it sucks! Haha. Typical Microsoft.

ActionScript – the godsend

If you’re looking for an aesthetically pleasing website or desktop/mobile application, Flash is definitely the answer! I’ve never much liked evangelists – but then again, i’ve never had enough enthusiasm about something to want to scream its name from the rooftops. When i first began developing Flash applications, i’d come from a short web-development background in HTML, CSS and PHP. I was extremely frustrated with HTML never-ending visual interface problems, rip-your-fucking-hair-out cross-browser-issues, boring static pages (albeit with dynamic content courtesy of PHP) and the love of my life – CSS.

In my career as an ActionScript developer, i’ve come across some incredible implementations of the language. Even without all the gilded bells and whistles of ActionScript 3.0, ActionScript 1.0 – the first and (let’s be honest) utterly horrendous instalment of the trilogy – had support for drag and drop, tweens and filters! From the ridiculously well-coded engines like APE, Sandy3D, Papervision, WOW, TweenMax and Tweener, to the rigorous and stringent frameworks such as Cairngorm and PureMVC, ActionScript 3.0 really has it all. It can be used on any desktop platform – thanks to Adobe AIR, mobile architecture – FlashLite, and obviously the web, with Flash and Flex.
My students and I are inexplicably excited about ActionScript 3.0, and you should be too!

In the next lesson

I’ll be introducing you to ActionScript 3.0′s beautiful syntax, comparing it to other languages’ syntaxes and showing you how to create your first ActionScript 3.0 application – the ubiquitous Hello World example.

Ciao for now :)

PS: Every lesson will be available for download in PDF format. Find the download box on the right and go into the Learning ActionScript 3.0 folder.

—–
Danny