Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

ActionScript 3.0 is a huge upgrade to Flash's programming language. The enhancements to ActionScript's performance, feature set, ease of use, cleanliness, and sophistication are considerable. Essential ActionScript 3.0 focuses on the core language and object-oriented programming, along with the Flash Player API.Essential ActionScript has become the #1 resource for the Flash and ActionScript development community, and the reason is the author, Colin Moock. Many people even refer to it simply as "The Colin Moock book."

And for good reason: No one is better at turning ActionScript inside out, learning its nuances and capabilities, and then explaining everything in such an accessible way. Colin Moock is not just a talented programmer and technologist; he's also a gifted teacher.

Essential ActionScript 3.0 is a radically overhauled update to Essential ActionScript 2.0. True to its roots, the book once again focuses on the core language and object-oriented programming, but also adds a deep look at the centerpiece of Flash Player's new API: display programming. Enjoy hundreds of brand new pages covering exciting new language features, such as the DOM-based event architecture, E4X, and namespaces--all brimming with real-world sample code.

The ActionScript 3.0 revolution is here, and Essential ActionScript 3.0's steady hand is waiting to guide you through it.

Adobe Developer Library is a co-publishing partnership between O'Reilly Media and Adobe Systems, Inc. and is designed to produce the number one information resources for developers who use Adobe technologies. Created in 2006, the Adobe Developer Library is the official source for comprehensive learning solutions to help developers create expressive and interactive web applications that can reach virtually anyone on any platform. With top-notch books and innovative online resources covering the latest in rich Internet application development, the Adobe Developer Library offers expert training and in-depth resources, straight from the source.

Table of contents provided by Syndetics

• 1 Core Concepts Tools for Writing Action
• Script Code Flash Client Runtime Environments
• Compilation Quick Review
• Classes and Objects Creating a Program
• Packages Defining a Class Virtual Zoo
• Review Constructor Methods Creating Objects
• Variables and Values Constructor
• Parameters and Arguments Expressions
• Assigning One Variable's Value to Another
• An Instance Variable for Our Pet
• Instance Methods Members and Properties
• Virtual Zoo Review Break Time!
• 2 Conditionals and Loops
• Conditionals Loops Boolean Logic
• Back to Classes and Objects
• 3 Instance Methods Revisited
• Omitting the this Keyword
• Bound Methods Using Methods to Examine and Modify an Object's
• State Get and Set Methods Handling an Unknown
• Number of Parameters Up Next
• Class-Level Information and Behavior
• 4 Static Variables and Static Methods
• Static Variables Constants
• Static Methods Class Objects
• C++ and Java Terminology Comparison On to Functions
• 5 Functions Package-Level
• Functions Nested Functions
• Source-File-Level Functions
• Accessing Definitions from Within a Function
• Functions as Values
• Function Literal Syntax
• Recursive Functions Using
• Functions in the Virtual
• Zoo Program Back to Classes
• 6 Inheritance A Primer on Inheritance
• Overriding Instance Methods Constructor
• Methods in Subclasses
• Preventing Classes from Being
• Extended and Methods from Being
• Overridden Subclassing
• Built-in Classes
• The Theory of Inheritance
• Abstract Not Supported Using Inheritance in the Virtual Zoo
• Program Virtual Zoo Program Code It's Runtime!
• 7 Compiling and Running a Program
• Compiling with the Flash Authoring
• Tool Compiling with Flex
• Builder 2 Compiling with mxmlc
• Compiler Restrictions
• The Compilation Process and the Classpath
• Strict-Mode Versus Standard-Mode
• Compilation The Fun's Not Over
• 8 Datatypes and Type Checking
• Datatypes and Type Annotations
• Untyped Variables, Parameters, Return Values, and Expressions
• Strict Mode's Three Special Cases
• Warnings for Missing Type
• Annotations Detecting
• Reference Errors at Compile
• Time Casting Conversion to Primitive
• Types Default Variable
• Values null and undefined
• Datatypes in the Virtual Zoo
• More Datatype Study Coming Up
• 9 Interfaces
• The Case for Interfaces
• Interfaces and Multidatatype Classes
• Interface Syntax and Use Another
• Multiple-Type Example
• More Essentials Coming
• 10 Statements and Operators
• Statements Operators Up Next
• Managing Lists of Information
• 11 Arrays
• What Is an Array?
• The Anatomy of an Array
• Creating Arrays
• Referencing Array
• Elements Determining the Size of an Array
• Adding Elements to an Array
• Removing Elements from an Array
• Checking the Contents of an Array with the toString( )
• Method Multidimensional Arrays On to Events
• 12 Events and Event Handling Action
• Script Event Basics
• Accessing the Target Object
• Accessing the Object
• That Registered the Listener Preventing
• Default Event Behavior
• Event Listener Priority Event
• Listeners and Memory Management Custom Events
• Type Weakness in Action
• Script's Event Architecture Handling Events
• Across Security Boundaries What's Next?
• 13 Exceptions and Error Handling
• The Exception-Handling Cycle Handling
• Multiple Types of Exceptions
• Exception Bubbling
• The finally Block Nested Exceptions
• Control-Flow Changes in try/catch/finally
• Handling a Built-in Exception
• More Gritty Work Ahead
• 14 Garbage Collection
• Eligibility for Garbage Collection
• Incremental Mark and Sweep
• Disposing of Objects Intentionally
• Deactivating Objects Garbage Collection
• Demonstration On to Action
• Script Backcountry
• 15 Dynamic Action