Actionscript 1 user feels left behind...

[itsallgood]

Hi guys,

I've made a few games, and wouldnt say im a newbie in flash.

I've been reading about the new version of flash coming out soon -- Flash CS3 -- and it looks great, but its all actionscript 3.

I've never even tried actionscript 2.

I've always been able to do everything i want in 1, so never found the need.


How had have you found it to move to version 3? Do all the old commands still work to hide the mouse / on enter keyframe and everything?

any info would be great, I plan on learning it, and i have done OO in uni, but it made little sense (i noticed a "class" in the demo on the adobe screen, so im gussing its all OO now?) -- do you have to use objects/classes/etc -- it just seems to take longer to do anything.


Cheers for any help.

Regards.

[senocular]

Will it take longer? Yes, in many cases theres more work to do the same thing. In the end, though, its more organized and the extra work is usually the result of more flexibility.

And yes, AS3 is also entirely class based. However, a lot of that is hidden from the user when working in the Flash IDE. For example, you can write code on the timeline and not in class files and Flash will automatically create the classes for you when you publish the SWF. So though you don't need to know anything about classes, it would help... and it is especially helpful in understanding that process of converting the timeline script to a class since much of what you could do in AS2 no longer applies (such as creating a named function twice in the same timeline, even if on different frames).

That being said, much of the ActionScript has not changed at all. goto commands, for example, are exactly the same. You could have a flash movie in AS2, publish it, have it work, and then publish it to AS3 without any errors if you're using basic commands like stop()'s and gotoAndPlay()'s.

Of course one of the biggest changes is event handling. That might take a while to get used to, and chances are its not something you will pick up right away. You'll need to take some time to sit down and try to figure it out. This might help you get started
http://www.adobe.com/devnet/actionsc...dling_as3.html

Given that you haven't used AS2, you might find it a little more difficult to work with. I have a bunch of tips that might be helpful in making the transition or at least giving you an idea of what AS3 is like:
http://www.kirupa.com/forum/showthread.php?t=223798

And of course you have the forums to help you with any problems you have

[VENGEANCE MX]

AS3 is HARD. I've been using Flash for somewhere in the region of 6 years now, and nothing I did could've prepared me for AS3. It's staggering just how difficult it is to get anything working in this language, I spent hours just trying to figure out how to change one line of code, and many more hours trying to make a preloader (only for it to break the rest of my movie). Be prepared for every line you write to throw up an error, because IT WILL. Gah!

[senocular]

That is true, too. AS3 is much less forgiving than previous versions of ActionScript. You try to do one thing you shouldn't and Flash will let you know - even if its as simple as trying to access a property from a variable that hasn't yet been defined or something - things you would expect to slip by in AS1 or AS2, you now have to account for.

[VENGEANCE MX]

It's not so much a case of whether or not it tells me there's a problem; it's the fact that it always manages to find something to complain about, no matter how thoroughly I've checked to make sure there was nothing I'd overlooked.

[Cimmerian]

'error blablabla:some term is undefined and has no propertys"
Get this error hundreds of times,if flash sayd WHAT term it would save me a lot of time

you can write code on the timeline and not in class files and Flash will automatically create the classes for you when you publish the SWF

You mean, it would be a waste of time to convert the code you put on stage to a document class?
Besides that, i didnt find it that hard...but maybe cos i like to do things my own way... for example if i know that something that i like is bad practice (but is not slow), i dont give a damn
The code is not a goal in itself.

[itsallgood]

Thanks for these replies guys, they are great!


@senocular i will check them links now.


It looks like AS3 is going to be a pain in the arse -- i hate declaring varibles. Being someone who works in AS1, PHP, and VB6, i've never needed too.

classes just seem to make things soo complicated. i never did pick them up at uni. Then it gets harder with interfaces, concrete, and all that

I'd rather make my game fast, and know what I did in the code, then make neat and nice code, and take 5x longer to make the game.

Cheers for all the help.

[senocular]

You mean, it would be a waste of time to convert the code you put on stage to a document class?

I'm not saying it would be a waste of time, just that it makes it easier for people who don't know much or anything about classes, or for people who simply like working with the timeline (or rely heavily on different frames for various actions and don't know about or like working with addFrameScript).

Mostly its about ease and accessibility. The timeline is easier to work with and much more accessible - less complication compared to creating a new AS file, setting up the class in a package block and saving it under the right name in the right directory etc. Instead just open Flash and start coding.

Again, though, I'm not saying the alternate is a waste of time, and I've even recently stripped out all the code I had in a timeline out to multiple classes for a project recently for the sake of organization. So really, given the choice, I would stay away from timeline scripts. But its there for people who need or want them.

[Cimmerian]

I like as files and the encapsulation concept,moving from timeline to as files would not be a pain.To me, their goal is very simple; take all the complication in the world, put inside a 'black box' so you know what must go in, what must go out, whats inside you can forget.That makes life easyer.However, since the main reason for me to use AS3 is speed, i wonder how much faster the code would run when using a document class vs let flash create one from the timeline.
Besides that, some things really looks like complication for nothing.I mean, they say you have to use the constant Event.ENTER_FRAME that will output "enterFrame", instead of just type "enterFrame" cos you may type it wrong...but so what, if you type wrong the constant it will not work also.Why the compiler dont check if 'enterFrame' is ok?Another useless complication is this event dispatcher thing, i was pleased to see that store the parameters in a object inside a stage and make everyone acess it is faster then follow all the correct event bureocracy
Besides that everything is ok.Time will tell if we gonna have a AS4 AS5 AS6...

[fantasio]

itsallgood, i am with you all the way.
i feel like as3 is just like a big bureaucracy.

but i perfectly well understand that for big software projects it is mandatory to have certain structures so that after you get fired and the company gets sold, another person can work on your job without needing to contact you

seriously i am trying to figure out how i can work with as1 and still benefit from as3's new features ... if this is possible

[senocular]

seriously i am trying to figure out how i can work with as1 and still benefit from as3's new features ... if this is possible

That won't be possible All of the new features for ActionScript will be AS3 only.

[fantasio]

oh, too bad,
my problem is actually that i don't find this strict programming very uncreative.
i feel more like a coding monkey.
i really like making mistakes, because very often they result in unpredictable results.

also more typing means more time, which i cant't charge my customers for...

well the web has definately lost the rock'n roll factor.

[Cimmerian]

Dont overcomplicate things, once you get your first steps its not that difficult at all
Besides that, i fell things will be like this forever, new stuff will always coming by default, nothing will evolve faster than the internet

[senocular]

You don't *have* to type. And many of the enhancements are supposed to improve productivity because real problems are easier to identify and fix. I think that is more important to most people than that occasional freak creative accident (I recently made a AS1 gallery and that was surprisingly difficult to debug compared to another AS3 gallery I made at the same time). In fact, coding in the timeline in AS3 is not that much more difficult than AS1 - or not too much more time consuming. Sure there are some additional typing for the same effect, but the flexibility pays off since you don't have to devise complicated workarounds for simple functionality - like being able to have two onEnterFrames for a movie clip. Not really possible in AS1, but easy in AS3. Little things like that make the little bit of extra work worth it.

[fantasio]

yes of course they will.
my problem is a personal one, it has nothing do with the software.

[fantasio]

oops a new post while i was typing.
maybe i just think different when i program but i never had an issue with debugging even when i did a multiplayer game from scratch.
but i also never had to work on someone elses code.
btw: i always used intervals so i never had the need for multiple onenterframe events

[senocular]

I never thought I had a problem either until I used AS3 then went back to AS1. You just don't realize the difference because you're doing what you know.

No one expects the transition to be easy, but its certainly not as bad as it seems once you get used to it. And it will take time; it just needs some patience (which is fine because adoption will be slow anyway).

btw: in AS3 you wont have to

[Cimmerian]

to?

[senocular]

have to use setInterval

[fantasio]

well i think it also always depends on why you program with flash, where you want to be in a couple of years and what your jobs are, doesn't it ?