1. ActionScript Basics 2016 (2.0 – 3.0)
An Introduction

2. NOTE: Key information is in red.
Agenda
What is ActionScript?
ActionScript Statements
Mouse / Keyboard Events
Frame Events
ActionScript Syntax
Actions
NOTE: Key information is in red.

3. ActionScript Basics What is ActionScript?
ActionScript is the scripting language for Flash
Action Scripting is based on statements
A statement is an instruction given to an .fla file to do something
Convention for writing: One statement per line

4. ActionScript Statements
Statements are composed of events and event handlers
Action script code is executed when an event (an action by the user) occurs
Event Types
Mouse events
Keyboard events
Event Handler (Action): what happens after an event is triggered

5. Mouse / Keyboard Events
Mouse / keyboard events occur when the user uses the mouse or the keyboard
Rollover event: when the mouse rolls over a button
On Release event: when the mouse is clicked and released
On Keypress event: when a key is pressed and released on the keyboard

6. Frame Events
Frame events are actions that take place when the playhead reaches a certain frame on the timeline
A frame script is a script attached to a frame. The most commonly used frame script is a stop action: stop();
Clip events are events that happen within a movie clip

7. Review In action script, what are statements composed of?
Name some event types.

8. Review Answers What are statements composed of? Name some event types.
Events and handlers
Event - what the user does
Handler - what the computer does in response
Name some event types.
Mouse / keyboard events
Clip events

9. Syntax Most Common Functions: “on,” “stop” and “play”
Event Target: Triggers function (written in parenthesis)
Event Handler Function (Action):
How do you want the playhead to respond and where do you want the playhead to go?
{how – written inside of curly brackets (where – written in
parenthesis)}
English sentences end with a period; ActionScript statements end with a semicolon
on (release) { on (keypress “<Home>”) {
gotoandplay(5); gotoandplay(1);
} }

10. Syntax Examples on (release) { on (keypress “<Home>”) {
gotoandplay(5);
gotoandplay(1); }
Functions – on, stop, play
Function?
Event Target – triggers function
Event Target?
Event Handler (Action)
Event Handler (Action)?
How should the playhead respond?
How?
Where?
Where do you want the playhead to go?
Statement End?
End of statement (semicolon)

11. Actions Actions are used for playhead control
Common Action Event Types
Frame Actions
Stop();
Play();
Button Actions
Goto();
Gotoandplay();
Gotoandstop();

12. Syntax
Frame actions are events that occur when the playhead reaches the frame.
Function ();
stop ();
Button actions are events that occur when a button is pressed and released.
Function (Event Target) {
How (Where); }
on (release) {
gotoandplay(1);

13. Review How is the end of an action script statement signified?
What syntactical elements must be included for a statement to be executed?
HINT: on (release) {
gotoandplay(5); }
What are actions used for?
Name a common frame action.
Name 2 button actions.

14. Review How is the end of an action script statement signified?
With a semicolon
What syntactical elements must be included for a button statement to be executed?
HINT: on (release) { Function (Event Target) {
gotoandplay(5); How (Where);
} }
What are actions used for?
Playhead control
Name a common frame action: stop();
Name 2 button actions: gotoandstop(); gotoandplay()

15. Summary
ActionScript is Flash’s programming language. In this presentation we defined and examined ActionScript, how to compose it’s statements and their syntax. We also discussed mouse, keyboard, frame and clip event types.