by Jed Clampett

June 1, 2001

I'm a big fan of the Foundation Flash and Foundation ActionScript books. I review a lot of books and these two are the ones I recommend time and time again for people who are just learning Flash or are new to ActionScripting. I am not knocking other Flash books, far from it, I think most of them have their "niche". There are plenty of good Flash books to get started quickly or to take your skills to higher levels.

I found Foundation ActionScript to be a well rounded and thorough book for those beginning with ActionScript. I loved the introduction to programming concepts. For us non programmer types (I'm sure there are plenty of us out there using Flash) it's an important aspect to understand.

In this book you will gradually build your skills as you learn not only the steps to take but the "why" of those steps. You will build a large ActionScript project, use the new Flash 5 dot notation syntax, learn about dynamic animation for interactive games and learn how to use sound. You can begin to push your skills to the next level by the time you near the end of the book with the higher-level topics.

This book is for anyone who has basic Flash under their belts (if not pick up Foundation Flash 5), if you are new to programming or if you are ready to add interactivity to your designs. If you are already quite good with ActionScript then this isn't for you, hence the title "Foundation". As with any building, the foundation is the support for longevity. If you want to learn ActionScripting and become proficient with an understanding of how it works then run and get this book. The price is very good as well, you can pick it up at Amazon for $23.99.

This book literally takes you step by step through each aspect of using ActionScript and gradually builds your skills with each chapter. The building process is not simply a do this then do this process, but one that thoroughly explains why you should do and then how to do it. It isn't vague or ambiguous but clear and concise, explaining tough topics so you can understand the concepts--not just the techniques.

Some of the contents are:

Making Plans
Timeline Actions
Basic Interactivity
Navigation Tricks
Variables
Looping and Decision Making
Sound
Advanced Interactivity
Modular ActionScript
Sprites

Copyright 2001, Jed Clampett, All Rights Reserved