Web Design in a Nutshell, 3rd Edition

ActionScript

Flash uses the robust ActionScript scripting language for adding behaviors and advanced interactivity to Flash movies . ActionScript is an object-oriented language based on a version of ECMAScript (the ECMA-262 Edition 4 spec, for those who need to know), so although it shares characteristics with the JavaScript we know and love, the two are not 100% compatible.

ActionScript, which was introduced in Flash 4, evolved into a much more powerful and useful tool in Flash 5, and later again with ActionScript 2.0 in Flash MX 2004 and Flash 8 to adhere more closely to ECMAScript standards. Not only is it responsible for controlling basic playback and user-triggered behaviors, it also enables Flash to integrate with JavaScript, XML, web services, and other server technology. If you are set on becoming a Flash power-user, you will definitely want to learn ActionScript 2.0. For a robust overview of ActionScript, check out Macromedia’s learning guides, http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/flash/actionscript/actionscript.html. The following gives a quick overview of their different features.