Comprehensive Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0 (5 days)

Comprehensive Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0 Overview

This course is for Flash developers who wish to learn to create sophisticated scalable Flash applications using ActionScript 3.0. It focuses on using object-oriented programming rather than using procedural programming, which was typical of ActionScript 1.0 application. The ActionScript 3.0 course assumes some programming experience. It is less hands-on and more high-level than most of Webucator's courses.

Comprehensive Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0 Course Goals

• Learn the major differences between ActionScript 3.0 and ActionScript 3.0
• Learn the major differences between procedural programming and object-oriented programming
• Learn to work with datatypes in ActionScript 3.0
• Learn to define classes in ActionScript 3.0
• Learn to work with inheritance, interfaces, and packages
• Learn to handle exceptions appropriately
• Learn to work within the OOP Application Framework
• Learn to develop using design patterns

Comprehensive Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0 Course Prerequisites

Experience in the following areas is required:

• Flash
• Some programming experience

Comprehensive Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0 Course Outline

1. Part I. The ActionScript 3.0 Language
   1. ActionScript 3.0 Overview
      1. ActionScript 3.0 Features
      2. Features Introduced by Flash Player 7
      3. ActionScript 1.0 and 2.0 in Flash Player 6 and 7
   2. Object-Oriented ActionScript
      1. Procedural Programming vs. Object-Oriented Programming
      2. Object-Oriented Programming Concepts
      3. Applying OOP
   3. Datatypes and Type Checking
      1. Why Static Typing?
      2. Type Syntax
      3. Compatible Types
      4. Built-in Dynamic Classes
      5. Circumventing Type Checking
      6. Casting
      7. Datatype Information for Built-in Classes
      8. ActionScript 3.0 Type Checking Gotchas
   4. Classes
      1. Defining Classes
      2. Constructor Functions
      3. Properties
      4. Methods
      5. Completing the Box Class
      6. Putting Theory into Practice
   5. Authoring an ActionScript 3.0 Class
      1. Class Authoring Quick Start
      2. Designing the ImageViewer Class
      3. ImageViewer Implementation
      4. Using ImageViewer in a Movie
   6. Inheritance
      1. A Primer on Inheritance
      2. Subclasses as Subtypes
      3. An OOP Chat Example
      4. Overriding Methods and Properties
      5. Constructor Functions in Subclasses
      6. Subclassing Built-in Classes
      7. Augmenting Built-in Classes and Objects
      8. The Theory of Inheritance
      9. Abstract and Final Classes Not Supported
   7. Authoring an ActionScript 3.0 Subclass
      1. Extending ImageViewer's Capabilities
      2. The ImageViewerDeluxe Skeleton
      3. Adding setPosition( ) and setSize( ) Methods
      4. Autosizing the Image Viewer
      5. Using ImageViewerDeluxe
   8. Interfaces
      1. The Case for Interfaces
      2. Interfaces and Multidatatype Classes
      3. Interface Syntax and Use
      4. Multiple Type Inheritance with Interfaces
   9. Packages
      1. Package Syntax
      2. Defining Packages
      3. Package Access and the Classpath
   10. Exceptions
       1. The Exception-Handling Cycle
       2. Handling Multiple Types of Exceptions
       3. Exception Bubbling
       4. The finally Block
       5. Nested Exceptions
       6. Control Flow Changes in try/catch/finally
       7. Limitations of Exception Handling in ActionScript 3.0
       8. From Concepts to Code
2. Part II. Application Development
   1. An OOP Application Framework
      1. The Basic Directory Structure
      2. The Flash Document (.fla file)
      3. The Classes
      4. The Document Timeline
      5. The Exported Flash Movie (.swf file)
      6. Projects in Flash MX Professional 2004
      7. Let's See It in Action!
      8. Using Components with ActionScript 3.0
      9. Currency Converter Application Overview
      10. Preparing the Flash Document
      11. The CurrencyConverter Class
      12. Handling Component Events
      13. Components Complete
   2. MovieClip Subclasses
      1. The Duality of MovieClip Subclasses
      2. Avatar: A MovieClip Subclass Example
      3. Avatar: The Composition Version
      4. Issues with Nested Assets
      5. A Note on MovieClip Sub-subclasses
      6. Curiouser and Curiouser
   3. Distributing Class Libraries
      1. Sharing Class Source Files
      2. Sharing Classes Without Sharing Source Files
      3. Solving Real OOP Problems
3. Part III. Design Pattern Examples in ActionScript 3.0
   1. Introduction to Design Patterns
      1. Bring on the Patterns
   2. The Observer Design Pattern
      1. Implementing Observer in ActionScript 3.0
      2. Logger: A Complete Observer Example
      3. Memory Management Issues with Observer
      4. Beyond Observer
   3. The Singleton Design Pattern
      1. Implementing Singleton in ActionScript 3.0
      2. The Singleton Pattern in the Logger Class
      3. Singleton Versus Class Methods and Class Properties
      4. A Warning Against Singletons as Globals
      5. On to User Interfaces
   4. The Model-View-Controller Design Pattern
      1. The General Architecture of MVC
      2. A Generalized MVC Implementation
      3. An MVC Clock
      4. Further Exploration
   5. The Delegation Event Model
      1. Structure and Participants
      2. The Flow of Logic
      3. Core Implementation
      4. NightSky: A Delegation Event Model Example
      5. Other Event Architectures in ActionScript
      6. From Some Place to Some Other Place

Comprehensive Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0 Course Materials

Each student will receive a copy of Essential ActionScript 3.0 by Colin Moock, which will serve as a guide for the class.

Each student will also receive a one-year subscription to Webucator's online reference library, which contains hundreds of the most current electronic technology books - a $149.95 per student value.

Comprehensive Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0 Technical Requirements

1. Operating Systems Options
   • Operating System Options
     • Windows Vista
     • Windows XP with Service Pack 2
   • Macintosh
2. Adobe Flash CS3 Professional
   • Download - Please note: after downloading and decompressing the Flash Trial, review the README.txt file for an important additional step in setting up Flash.
   • System Requirements
3. Browser Options
   • Internet Explorer 6.0 or later
     • Download
   • Firefox
     • Download
   • Safari
     • Download

Class Files for Comprehensive Object-Oriented ActionScript 3.0

Downloadable