I am learning ActionScript and am brand new to making Flash movie clips. Overall it seems pretty easy but I have discovered that there is a huge difference between AS2 and AS3, and that components built in one will not run with code written in the other.
This makes for some big obstacles for me, I have a reason to develop in AS2 but everything on the net is geared around AS3, even the latest versions of Flash Professional are full of components and examples in AS3. (I am using CS5 right now). I tried to use the components from the library and they do not work when building an AS2 project, the compiler errors all complain about "The class or interface 'xxx' could not be loaded" where xxx is referring to some part of the component object from the library.
Any advice here would be much appreciated. I am sure experienced developers have had issues when trying to 'bridge the gap' between old code and new code, if there is a web resource or some sort of advice then that would help.
Well, AS3 was introduced 9 Years ago! AS2 is deprecated and you really should write any code in AS3 for serveral reasons. The mysterious AS2 class that you need, may exist in AS3 or can be somehow adapted to AS3, if you tell us more about it maybe you get a proper solution.
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This is my first post on Stack Overflow.
Are there any IDE's for ActionScript 3 which can provide the following:
-Graphical Interface for drawing
-Writing code with good debugging, dynamic feedback, refactoring etc
I have recently rekindled programming flash games in ActionScript 3 and am using Flash CS3
as it provides means of drawing my graphical objects and writing the code.
I have noticed that:
1. Debugging is not particualr great
2. No dynamic feedback whilst programming (suggestion or auto populate)
3. No refactoring etc
I have looked into other IDEs such as Flex Builder and even looked at plugins for my favorite
IDE's such as Eclipse and IntilliJ but have not found my answer. They tend to talk heavuly about
how they provide good coding tools but not much, if any, tools on the graphical side of things.
It would also be ideal for me if what ever IDE I use I am still able to migrate the entire project
so that it can still be opened usign CS3. Additionally, I am a Windows user.
At the moment I am contemplating drawing my sprites in CS3 and doing the code in another but
surely there must be an easier, perhaps more sensable approach?
Many thanks in advance for any help.
No, there is no IDE like that, and given the decreasing popularity of Flash it's unlikely that something like that will ever be developed.
The coding environment has improved quite a bit in newer versions of Flash Pro, but it still doesn't approach anything like Flash Builder or FlashDevelop. It's not uncommon for people to create graphics in Flash Pro and do coding in another editor.
This is easy. FlashDevelop for code. Flash IDE for graphics. You may want to graduate to CS5.5 or CS6 (if you can find a copy)if you want to go mobile. Otherwise CC.
I would like to know if you have ideas about the LIMITATION of AS2.0? I've done some research about the difference of AS2.0 and AS3.0 but I need to have a clear understanding about the limitation of AS2.0 in order for me to confirm that AS3.0 is superior than its predecessor before I continue my study in AS3.0. Thank you.
I used to develop games in ActionScript 2. I was very resistant to ActionScript 3 when it came out - I didn't even touch it until about 2 years after it was released.
When I finally did make the effort to learn it, I became frustrated with myself for not learning it sooner. It was so much cleaner and more powerful. I was able to create actual libraries for future projects as I worked, and download libraries for things that I didn't have the brain to develop myself, like physics.
It is extremely beneficial for you to learn ActionScript 3 - first off, lets look at what's happening with the two:
AS2 is being removed from future releases of Flash.
AS3 is still being worked on. A noteworthy example of this is the recently developed Stage3D API, which grants extremely efficient rendering for Flash.
Here are some core advantages of AS3 vs AS2:
It's object oriented. This is almost mandatory when working with large applications or games.
Because of this, there are hundreds of libraries available for AS3 that cover things like physics, particles, animation, MVC concepts, rendering improvements, etc.
Much nicer to use.
Easier to extend your knowledge once you get a grasp of the basics of object oriented programming.
It performs a lot better.
Easier to recycle code for future projects.
Learning ActionScript 3 will greatly improve your chances of being able to pick up additional popular languages like C#, Java, PHP and so on.
Much easier to find support - take a look at the quality of answers on Stack Overflow between AS2 and AS3.
You can create AIR applications, which can be built for iOS and Android devices.
The only reason you need to care about is that it's an obsolete language. Don't waste your time with AS2. There's a quantum leap from AS2 to AS3, not only in terms of what you can do, but in terms of the quality of the language itself.
As someone who made the transition in 2007 to AS3 (after using AS2 since 2000) here are the main advantages:
Speed. When it was released, AS3 was 10 times faster than AS2. Today considering all the new features Adobe is introducing like Native Extensions, it's a lot faster than that.
Publishing to mobile or dekstop apps. Face it: browser Flash is slowly dying.
New features such as Stage3d or StageVideo.
Learning AS3 will make you a better coder
AS2 is no longer supported in Flash Professional, so if Flash Pro is part of your design cycle or you ever want it to be, that's obviously a big limitation. (Adobe has said that the Flash Player will continue to support AS2, though, so if you don't use Flash Pro to develop you can still get by).
In terms of functions/behaviors that exist in AS3 but not AS2, Stage3D is one. I'll leave it to someone else to make a list, but basically, AS3 is the better (and definitely faster) choice for any situation I can think of.
I've recently purchased some beginner books on basic ActionScript animation and also downloaded the flashDevelop IDE. I've taken a couple Java classes and have a VERY basic understanding of coding and at that, computers in general. I'm having a difficult time figuring out this IDE (eclipse was setup for me). I've downloaded the file and installed the IDE. I made a file and wrote some code but when trying to compile I get some sort of pathway error and also an SDK error. I'm completely lost on how to fix these issues as the results I've found through Google and stackoverflow are not simplified enough. I'm also confused about how this ActionScript code will be turned into, say, a ball jumping around the screen. Could I please get a VERY simple, borderline special needs explanation of how to setup this IDE and also any info on additional programs needed to actually turn the code into an animation? Forgive me for my ignorance, but I'm starting from the ground up and any help will be much appreciated. Thank you
You may try Flash Builder, and you could change different version of sdk in flash builder. http://www.adobe.com/cn/products/flash-builder.html
I have got an assignment in which I have to implement a AS3 wrapper for any FLV player and I have to expose actionscript functions (External Interfaces?) so that other can be used in other different applications via CallFunction API. I have few questions regarding this -
Are the tools for this are freely available? I know Flex SDK is but I want standalone swf (I means Flash Player 10) that can be used anywhere without any dependency and should contain FLV player embedded or should be able to load it from a particular location by supplying the URL.
Is it possible only with an ActionScript compiler (or any free tools?). My problem is that I don't have flash or flex builder and I don't want to spend money on these because I don't work on it.
As I have almost zero knowledge about it. Can you guys please explain me (if possible with details) that what I need to do. Any resoures on how to create and compile?
If any of you have ever done this it would be really great if you guys can share samples. I've heard that many people have done the same thing for video players.
I can share a bit of my setup
I use Flash (CS5) for creating assets
I use FlexSDK as the compiler
And do all the code in FlashDevelop
Flashdevelop is for PC only for now, it's free and comes since the last few versions now with a debugger
I use FlexSDK to compile and Eclipse with AS IDE or something along those lines, and then preview things in a web browser using an html page with the swf file embedded.
check out projectsprouts. its a pretty nice Flash (as2/3/Flex/AIR) generation tool that can help you stub out your project, compile it, and even create unit tests if you want. pretty simple ruby install (i am a ruby newb, and got is running pretty easily). It was a pretty good support base, and an active mailing list where people will be happy to help you along.
It is important to note that the FlexSDK has very little to do with Flex unless you are linking against classes that are Flex specific. mxmlc does not have anything to do with MXML even though it will also compile MXML.
Here is an article that describes Flash development on Linux. It is pretty old, but the principles are the same. With an Actionscript 3 Compiler (contained in the FlexSDK) and a text editor, you are off to the races. It is a lot easier with Flash Builder 4, FDT 4, Intellij IDEA, Flash Develop, etc ;)
Similar question: Best Resources for Learning AS3
I am interested in learning AS3 and have downloaded FlashDevelop and played around with it a bit, learning some of the fundamentals. However, when I attempt to start on any relatively simple project (eg. a multipage document) I get completely lost and have no idea how I should build my project. Are there any resources, tutorials, 'cookbooks' etc. that teach actionscript 3 through example projects. I keep finding books that explain the fundamentals of the actionscript syntax or tutorials that explain how to use actionscript to complete a task in the Flash IDE but this is not what I am after.
Where can I learn how to create projects in pure AS3 without the aid of the Flash IDE or Flex? I don't mind if I have to create assets in the Flash IDE that I then compile to .swf or .swc for use in my actionscript code.
My advice is: learn Flex focusing strongly on MXML, or learn Haxe.
AS3 is verbous, unexpressive and unproductive compared to those two.
edit: you can check out the AS3 cookbook. nonetheless, after rereading your post, I've come to understand, that your problem is not learning AS3, but you're rather having design problems. Am I correct?
edit2: "Is it uncommon for people to work in pure AS3?"
I wouldn't say, it's uncommon. I'd say it's even common, i.e. a common mistake. Why? It's inefficient. I think, I can tell, because I did that a lot.
the main role of pure AS3 is to create libraries and frameworks. To create actual apps, it is really the hardest way one can choose. In all handmade apps, GUI turns out to be the most time consuming part. Laying out GUI using code is a nightmare.
Now MXML is really great for normal GUIs (a graphical editor is even better of course). And the Flash IDE is great for creating funky animated things. The best thing you can do with AS3 is take ASWing and their GUI-editor. As nice as ASWing is, its ugly and a pain in the arse to skin. But, you can.
The advantage of Haxe is, that its a more powerful language than AS3. You effectively write less code, and its signifficantly more typesafe, so you run into less errors and spend less time debugging. Also, another advantage is, that you can use the same language for creating a serverside backend for the app and pass objects transparently to it, using Haxe remoting, which cuts the transport layer down to nothing. All validation and business logic can run both on client or server. Plus it's open source and it evolves very fast. AS3 was a great thing when it came, but it has stalled eversince, which is nearly 4 years now.
So while there's nothing wrong using pure AS3 per se, you always have to compare it to the alternatives. Pure AS3 is inefficient and for geeks. Flex is highly efficient. Haxe is more efficient than AS3, and is for the really cool geeks.
Have you checked out Essential ActionScript 3.0 by Colin Moock that was in the other question? here is a preview on google books