RE: FLASH: Best way to learn Actionscript??

[Damien Morton]

First, learn how to program in the general. Dont learn ActionScript until

you can program another language. Actionscript is an awkward, overly-simple,

and soon to be discarded programming language. Instead of rushing off to

learn a proprietary language, learn one thats going to be around for a

while. In this case JavaScript, fast becoming the lingua franca of interface

designers, is probably the language you should learn.


There arent any "programming for complete and utter novices using

javascript" type of tutorials around. The best teaching materials I have

found are for programming in Python, which is similar enough to Javascript

that you might want to consider learning Python first, and then Javascript.


One piece of advice: avoid any materials that promise to turn you into a

programmer in a finite amount of time.


http://wdvl.com/Authoring/JavaScript/Tutorial/ is a good tutorial, but

assumes you know something about programming.


http://members.xoom.com/alan_gauld/tutor/tutindex.htm is a better tutorial

for complete beginners, but focuses on Python as a programming language.


http://yhslug.tux.org/obp/thinkCS is a good tutorial, and has c++, java and

python versions


http://yhslug.tux.org/obp/livewires/index_html is a collection of teaching

materials used at a computer summer camp.


You should also probably learn something about computer graphics. "Computer

Graphics" by Foley & Van Dam is the cannonical textbook for this.


http://www.alice.org/ is a programming environment for 3d which aims to

teach non-computer literate people python and 3d programming. Some of what

you might learn from this would be applicable to Flash.




> -----Original Message-----

>

From: ownerchinwag [dot] com [ownerchinwag [dot] com]On">mailto:ownerchinwag [dot] com]On Behalf Of Flash

> Gordon

> Sent: Friday, July 21, 2000 9:17 AM

>

To: flasherchinwag [dot] com

> Subject: FLASH: Best way to learn Actionscript??

>

>

> Hello List...

> Me again with another question...

> What is the BEST way to learn Actionscripting from scratch?

> I'm talking about learning for a RANK amateur at it. I can make

> some boffo

> sites, but I want to know how to Actionscript AND understand what

> the hell I

> am doing when I am doing it. Sure - I can steal scripts and alter

> them, but

> I don't understand what I am doing when I alter them.

> What I don't get is how someone can come up with a concept and then pluck

> the way to Actionscript it out of thin air. That's what I want to do.

> I have the design, I have the 3D, this is the only thing I need...

> Thanks again as always...

> -oneflashtwelve

>

oneflashtwelvehotmail [dot] com

> ________________________________________________________________________

> Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com

>

>

> flasher is generously supported by...

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>      flashforward2000 and the Flash(tm) Film Festival

>  July 24-26, 2000, NEW YORK CITY, Hammerstein Ballroom

>                   www.flashforward2000.com

>    Produced by United Digital Artists and lynda.com

>  Sponsored by Macromedia, Adobe Systems, Fusion, Inc, AtomFilms,

>            shockwave.com and Electric Rain.

>  1.877.4.FLASH.4  or (1.805.640.6679 outside the US and Canada)

>  Register before June 30 and save $200!!-- www.flashforward2000.com

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

> To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

>

http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email helpchinwag [dot] com

>

>



flasher is generously supported by...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     flashforward2000 and the Flash(tm) Film Festival

 July 24-26, 2000, NEW YORK CITY, Hammerstein Ballroom

                  www.flashforward2000.com

   Produced by United Digital Artists and lynda.com

 Sponsored by Macromedia, Adobe Systems, Fusion, Inc, AtomFilms,

           shockwave.com and Electric Rain.

 1.877.4.FLASH.4  or (1.805.640.6679 outside the US and Canada)

 Register before June 30 and save $200!!-- www.flashforward2000.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email

helpchinwag [dot] com