ActionScript

ActionScript is the programming language used to send instructions
to your Flash movie. It is how you “talk” to your Flash movie, telling it
exactly what you want it to do. The more effectively and fluently you
are able to communicate in ActionScript, the more effective you will
be in creating Flash movies that do what you want.

To help you understand what ActionScript is, it is helpful to understand
the similarities between ActionScript and something you
already know — human languages. Any human language is merely a
collection of symbols and sounds used to represent ideas. The same
is true of any programming or scripting language. ActionScript, for
example, is merely a collection of words and symbols with the purpose
of communicating instructions to the Flash movie. Additionally,
human languages have syntax and vocabulary that are specific to
that language, but not wholly dissimilar to those of other languages.

The same is true of scripting languages. Not only is ActionScript similar to other scripting languages in many ways, but you may also find that with the right perspective it is quite similar to the English language. Programming languages are in many ways remarkably similar to the languages humans use to communicate. Therefore, although hearing a foreign language might seem like gibberish at first, with a little training, you can begin to share your ideas with people in a language they understand. It is much the same with ActionScript. Think of this book as your language teacher. You’ll start in this chapter by developing an understanding of the ActionScript culture, the environment, and the tools you can use to begin your ActionScript journey. Then, in Chapter 3 you look at and investigate the parts of speech and the syntax and structure. With these fundamentals under your belt, you’ll be well on your way to communicating with Flash. ActionScript is based on the ECMA-262 specification, although it does not adhere to it fully. If you want to learn more, you can read about it at the ECMA web site