====== Flash - Action Script ======

===== Basic syntax =====

<code actionscript>
//variable
var varName:String="valueData";
// type: Number, Interger, Boolean
    
//function
function funName():void { }

//as3 only:events
objName.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, funName);
function funName(event:MouseEvent): void { }
// event type: keyboard event

// classes
package { 
import flash.display.MovieClip
public class MyClass extends MovieClip
{
public function MyClass() {}
}
}
// conditional statements
if (condition) { } else { }
// loops
for (var i:Number=0;i<10;i++) { }

</code>

===== Programming structure with ActionScript =====
  - (main stage) frame-label based state switch screen linear structure
    *hard to manage large amount of status
    *<code actionscript> on(click){_parent.gotoAndStop(theFrame)}</code> 
  - (button click) movieclip attaching structure
    * <code actionscript> on(click){_parent.attachMovie(theMC, "currentScreen",0);}
//overwrites, and with mc as export for actionscript</code> 
  - form based screen non-linear structure
    * only exists in Flash MX 2004, Flash 8, CS3 and CS4, CS5 has dropped it

===== Programming with interaction and game like feedback =====

  * hit test <code actionscript>if(mcA.hitTestObject(mcB)){ doFunHit(); }</code>
  * mouse hit test<code actionscript>//as 2
my_mc.hitTest(_root._xmouse, _root._ymouse)
// as 3 
my_mc.hitTest(mouseX, mouseY)
</code>
  * drag and drop example
    * as3: http://www.flashuser.net/flash-tricks/tips-tricks-10-using-drag-drop-in-actionscript-3-0.html
====== Element Scripting ======
===== button =====
<code actionscript>// actionscript 2.0
box_mc.onRollOver = function():Void
{ box_mc.gotoAndStop(2); };

box_mc.onRollOut = function():Void
{ box_mc.gotoAndStop(1);};

box_mc.onPress = function():Void
{ trace("Mouse was pressed down.");};

box_mc.onRelease = function():Void
{ trace("Clicked the button.");};

// actionscript 3.0
box_mc.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OVER, mouseOverHandler); // or MouseEvent.ROLL_OVER
box_mc.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_OUT, mouseOutHandler); // or MouseEvent.ROLL_OUT
box_mc.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOUSE_DOWN, mouseDownHandler);
box_mc.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, mouseClickHandler); // or MouseEvent.MOUSE_UP

box_mc.buttonMode = true; // enables use of hand cursor

function mouseOverHandler($e:MouseEvent):void
{  box_mc.gotoAndStop(2);}

function mouseOutHandler($e:MouseEvent):void
{  box_mc.gotoAndStop(1);}

function mouseDownHandler($e:MouseEvent):void
{  trace("Mouse was pressed down.");}

function mouseClickHandler($e:MouseEvent):void
{  trace("Clicked the button.");}
</code>

===== component flvplayer =====
<code actionscript>// change flv content, instance name as "flv_view"
// as2
flv_view.contentPath = "heart3d.flv";

// as3
flv_view.source = "heart3d.flv";
</code>
===== Drawing element =====

  * draw a dynamic line with action script 2 (ref: [[http://www.republicofcode.com/tutorials/flash/video/dynamic_lines.php|LearnFlash]]) <code actionscript>
// AS2
this.createEmptyMovieClip("line_mc", this.getNextHighestDepth());
function drawLine(){
  line_mc.clear();
  line_mc.lineStyle(5,0xBBBBBB);
  line_mc.moveTo(0, 0);
  line_mc.lineTo(100, 0);
  line_mc._x = 80;
  line_mc._y = 60;
  updateAfterEvent();
}
this.onMouseMove = function(){
  drawLine();
}
</code>
  * action script 3 version (ref: [[http://drkgodz.hobo-studios.org/blog/?p=132|updateAfterEvent]])<code actionscript>
var line_mc:MovieClip = new MovieClip(); 
this.addChild(line_mc);
function drawline(){
  line_mc.graphics.clear();
  line_mc.graphics.lineStyle(5, 0x990000, .75);
  line_mc.graphics.moveTo(0, 0);
  line_mc.graphics.lineTo(100,0);
  line_mc.x = 80;
  line_mc.y = 60;
}
</code>

  * more reference on AS 2.0 vs AS 3.0 on MovieClip creation:
    * http://blogs.adobe.com/pdehaan/2006/07/creating_new_movieclips_in_act.html
  * draw line and curve
    * http://flashexplained.com/actionscript/the-basics-of-drawing-with-actionscript/
  * draw shape
    * http://www.flashandmath.com/basic/linesegment3/index.html
  * simple drawing app
    * http://www.actionscript.org/resources/articles/10/1/Creating-a-Dynamic-Drawing-application-in-Flash/Page1.html
===== actionscript 2 =====
==== external script loader ====
<code actionscript>
#include "externalfile.As"
</code>

==== XML loader ====
<code actionscript>
var myXML:XML = new XML();
myXML.ignoreWhite = true;
myXML.onLoad = function (success:Boolean):Void{
	var colors:XML = this.firstChild;
	for (x=0;x<colors.childNodes.length;x++){
		var node:XMLNode = colors.childNodes[x];
		yourActionFun({label:node.attributes.label, data:node.attributes.data});
	}
}
myXML.load("colors.xml");
</code>
==== text field ====
<code actionscript>
// ActionScript 2.0
createTextField("theTextField", 0, 10, 10, 100, 100);
theTextField.type = "input";
theTextField.border = true;
theTextField.multiline = true;
theTextField.wordWrap = true;
</code>

===== actionscript 3 =====
==== difference in ActionScript 3 ====
  * object oriented design structure applied
  * based on that structure, ActionScript no longer can be stored on object, it must be in main timeline
  * centralized coding

==== external as loader ====
<code actionscript>
include "scripts/myscript.as"
</code>
==== xml loader ====
<code actionscript>
var myLoader:URLLoader = new URLLoader();
myLoader.load(new URLRequest("data.xml"));
</code>

==== FLV loader ====

<code actionscript>
// load flv function

</code>
==== text field ====
<code actionscript>
// ActionScript 3.0
var theTextField:TextField = new TextField();
theTextField.type = TextFieldType.INPUT;
theTextField.border = true;
theTextField.x = 10;
theTextField.y = 10;
theTextField.multiline = true;
theTextField.wordWrap = true;
addChild(theTextField);
</code>

==== image loader ====
<code actionscript>
var myholder=new Loader();
myholder.load(newURLRequest("Photo1.jpg"));

//add to stage at position
myholder.x=20;
myholder.y=20;
myholder.name="test";
addChild(myholder);

//change holder content
myholder=new Loader();
myholder.load(newURLRequest("Landscape1.jpg"));

//update
myholder.x=30;
myholder.y=30;
addChild(myholder);
</code>

==== movieclip control ====

  * play/stop nested movieclip: http://edvardtoth.com/flash/flashfun/controlling-animation-nested-movieclips/

==== fk/ik animation control ====

  * IK in flash: http://edvardtoth.com/flash/flashfun/procedural-manipulation-of-flash-cs4-ik/

====== Common js_fl_script for flash UI interaction ======
Common config: 
  * shortcut <code>%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Adobe\Flash CS3\en\Configuration\Keyboard Shortcuts</code>
  * workspace <code>%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Adobe\Flash CS3\en\Configuration\Workspace</code>
  * swf <code>%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Adobe\Flash CS3\en\Configuration\WindowSWF</code>
  * cmd <code>%userprofile%\AppData\Local\Adobe\Flash CS3\en\Configuration\Commands</code>

===== get js_fl interaction script from history panel =====

Display the commands
  - open "history panel"
  - right on panel > view > "JavaScript in panel"
  - note: what you see in history panel is what the command drives

Execute the commands
  - copy the command to a text file, save as "Name.jsfl"
  - go to Command menu > Run command ... (load that file) to run

===== jsfl script =====

  * ASnow.jsfl <code javascript>//
// First Frame Now
//
// Shining Camera January:14:2009
//
// get my first frame, so i can directly go to script it

var tl = fl.getDocumentDOM().getTimeline();
var frameArray = tl.layers[0].frames;
var n = frameArray.length;

// go back to first frame
fl.getDocumentDOM().getTimeline().currentFrame = 0;
fl.getDocumentDOM().getTimeline().currentLayer = 0;</code>

===== SWF UI created in Flash for Flash =====
  * Flash Mac location: <code>~/Library/Application Support/Adobe/Flash CS3/en/Configuration/WindowSWF></code>
  * Flash win location: <code>%userprofile%\Local Settings\Application Data\Macromedia\Flash CS3\en\Configuration\WindowSWF
%usserprofile%\AppData\Local\Adobe\Flash CS3\en\Configuration\WindowSWF</code>

reference: http://www.gotoandlearn.com/play.php?id=66 ([[http://blog.theflashblog.com/?p=332|source]])

===== jsfl api reference =====

  * flash cs3 jsfl api pdf: http://livedocs.adobe.com/flash/9.0/main/flash_cs3_extending.pdf
  * jsfl intro: http://www.adobe.com/devnet/flash/articles/jsapi.html

====== Flash - Online Application Development ======
===== embed flash in html ======
<code html>
<object width="550" height="400">
<param name="movie" value="somefilename.swf">
<embed src="somefilename.swf" width="550" height="400">
</embed>
</object>
</code>

===== XML server communication =====

Flash -> data.xml -> PHP <PROCESS XML> PHP -> data.xml -> Flash 

  * post var method <code actionscript>// actionscript 3.0
var xmlResponse:XML = new XML();
var xmlListener:Object = new Object();
xmlResponse.addListener(xmlListener);
xmlListener.onLoad = registrationResponse;

submit_btn.onRelease = function():Void{
	var userNameVal:String = username_ti.text;
	var emailVal:String = email_ti.text;
	var passwordVal:String = password_ti.text;
	
	xmlResponse.sendAndLoad("http://localhost/my_path_to_the_php_file/register.php?user="+userNameVal+"&email="+emailVal+"&pass="+passwordVal, xmlListener);
}

function registrationResponse(success){
	if (success) {
		// do something wtih the XML
	}else{
	trace("something bad happened with the PHP");
	}
}
</code><code php>
<?php
$username = $_GET['user'];
$email = $_GET['email'];
$password = $_GET['pass'];

//now do something with those values
$someValue = "some value here";
// and echo out some XML that you want flash to deal with

echo "<node>";
echo "<firstChild>".$someValue."</firstChild>";
echo "</node>";
?> 
</code>
  * post XML method <code actionscript>// actionscript 2.0
// flash xml holder
var myXML:XML = new XML();
myXML.ignoreWhite= true;
myXML.onLoad = function(success){
	if(success){
		trace(this); //or process
	}
	} else{}	
}
// xml info trigger and picker
var msgXML:XML = new XML("<data><tableName attr1='old'>user_info</tableName></data>");
msgXML.sendAndLoad("http://lucy/dev/fl_data_process.php",myXML);
</code><code php>
<?php
// flash xml msg picker
$raw_data = file_get_contents("php://input");
// process xml msg
$xml = new SimpleXMLElement($raw_data);
$data=$xml->tableName;
// print $data; // got the table name

//--------------conditioning & send xml msg back to flash
if($data == "user_info"){
print "<?xml version='1.0'?><pack><rec id='110' name='bill' note='user' /></pack>";
}
else{
print "<?xml version='1.0'?><pack><rec id='111' name='gates' note='guest' /></pack>";
}
?>
</code>

===== flash data driven app structure =====

  * Data structure
    * xml connector
    * data set
    * data grid
  * Data binding
    * connection between data sources (in Component Inspector panel)

  * Flash app example,
    * dynamic charts in Flash: http://webkoof.com/tag/action-script-30/
====== Flex - development environment ======

  * [[http://www.pyoix.com/a/123.html|Flex open source development on Linux platform (CN)]]
  * [[http://www.gaiaflashframework.com/|Gaia Framework]]
  * [[http://www.gotoandlearn.com/|GotoAndLearn()]]


====== Flash Open Component ======

  * [[http://teethgrinder.co.uk/open-flash-chart/|FLash Chart]]
  * [[http://www.superalerts.com/|Flash desktop alert]]
  * [[http://www.moviemasher.com/demo/|Flash Video Editor]]
  * [[http://osflash.org/swfmill|Flash xml to swf generator - swfmill]]
  * [[http://osflash.org/flashmyadmin|Flash My Admin]]
  * [[http://osflash.org/kaltura|Kaltura - flash and php]]
  * [[http://edvardtoth.com/flash/flashfun/aurora-membrane-sound-visualizer/|Edvard Toth's flash audio visualizer]]

====== Best Flash Game I like ======

  * Canabalt (single): http://www.adamatomic.com/canabalt/
  * RoboKill (single): http://www.rocksolidarcade.com/
  * BoxHead 2 Play (2 player): http://www.crazymonkeygames.com/Boxhead-2Play-Rooms.html
  * Bubble Tanks 2: http://armorgames.com/play/1920/bubble-tanks-2

====== Flash Developer Blogs ======

  * Valentin Simonov's Flash Blog (scripted graphics and Interactive GUI): http://va.lent.in/blog/
  * Summit Projects Flash Blog (Code and Projects): http://summitprojectsflashblog.wordpress.com/