ActionScript Overview

Pythagorean's via ActionScript... (Thanks Keith!)Image by nikrowell via Flickr

What is ActionScript?
  • ActionScript is the programming language for the Adobe® Flash® Player and Adobe® AIR™ run-time environments.
  • ActionScript is executed by the ActionScript Virtual Machine (AVM), which is part of Flash Player and AIR.
  • ActionScript code is typically compiled into byte code format (a sort of language understood by computers), The byte code is embedded in SWF files, which are executed by Flash Player and AIR.
  • ActionScript 3.0 supports object-oriented programming.
Whats New in ActionScript 3.0 ?
  • ActionScript 3.0 uses a new ActionScript Virtual Machine, called AVM2, that uses a new byte code instruction set and provides significant performance improvements
  • ActionScript 3.0 comes with a modern compiler that performs deeper optimizations
  • ActionScript 3.0 includes an expanded and improved application programming interface (API), with low-level control of objects and true object-oriented model.
  • ActionScript 3.0 includes an XML API based on the ECMAScript for XML (E4X) specification (ECMA-357 edition 2). E4X is a language extension to ECMAScript that adds XML as a native data type of the language.
  • ActionScript 3.0 provides an event model based on the Document Object Model (DOM) Level 3 Events Specification

Why do I use ActionScript 3.0?
  • ActionScript 3.0 goes beyond its scripting capabilities to facilitate the creation of highly complex applications with large data sets and object-oriented, reusable code bases.
  • ActionScript 3.0 provides performance improvements that are only available with the new virtual machine AVM2.
  • ActionScript 3.0 code can execute up to ten times faster than legacy ActionScript code.
How to use ActionScript 3.0 ?
ActionScript 3.0 can be written and compiled in a number of ways, including:
  • - Using the Adobe Flex Builder 3 development environment
  • - Using any text editor and a command-line compiler, such as the one provided with Flex Builder 3.
  • - Using the Adobe® Flash® CS4 Professional authoring tool
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