Flash CS4 All-in-One For Dummies®

Chapter 3. Formal Features and Structures

In This Chapter

• Checking out basic ActionScript 3.0 structure

• Typing data

• Adding instance names for stage objects

• Using components in the Library panel

• Ogling variables, constants, and objects

• Importing packages

• Setting access

• Working with operators

• Commenting and uncommenting code

• Understanding logical operations

Up to this point in this book we really haven't discussed the general features of ActionScript 3.0. Usually, discussions of the new ActionScript begin with explanations of all of the different parts and structures. Thus far we've decided to choose the road less traveled and discussed several key features and structures and asked you to use clip code with the promise that everything will be explained in good time. Well, now is that good time, and so in this chapter we'll explore the groundwork for the code we've been using in earlier chapters. By understanding the structures and features, you will become less dependent on clip code and can start developing your own code to create whatever you want.

Checkin' Out the Basics: "My, My, I Declare!"

One of the most important basic structures in ActionScript is the variable, which is simply a temporary storage place where you can put data. To make life interesting, the data within a variable can change. For example, suppose you have a variable that stores the current temperature — tempNow. As the day ...