ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition

vii

Table of Contents

Foreword

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xiii

Preface

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xvii

Part I. ActionScript Fundamentals

1. A Gentle Introduction for Nonprogrammers

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3

Some Basic Phrases 5

Further ActionScript Concepts 13

Building a Multiple-Choice Quiz 22

2. Variables

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38

Creating Variables (Declaration) 38

Assigning Values to Variables 42

Changing and Retrieving Variable Values 44

Types of Values 45

Variable Scope 47

Loading External Variables 59

Some Applied Examples 60

3. Data and Datatypes

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63

Data Versus Information 63

Retaining Meaning with Datatypes 63

Creating and Categorizing Data 64

Datatype Conversion 67

Primitive Data Versus Composite Data 73

Copying, Comparing, and Passing Data 74

viii | Table of Contents

4. Primitive Datatypes

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