Here the garage is a symbol for losing yourself in work, creating, and playingaround. A garage is the ultimate safe place, where you are your own boss andyour own client.Actionscript is powerful, fun and you can do cool, useful stuff with it.Actionscript is enveloped by Flash -- a huge hunk of software that seems to getsmarter and cooler as time goes on. Flash has an amazing set of tools, a userfriendly, accessible combination of an animation front-end with a scriptingengine. With the presence of Actionscript and accompanying componentsFlash is launched into a full-fledged application development platform (well,mostly-fledged, Actionscript isn’t Java).Flash MX 2004 contains a new Actionscript component architecture, whichallows for relatively simple use of advanced functionality. This book describesthose changes and how to use them. Designed for intermediate to advancedFlash designers and programmers who want to learn Actionscript; Livingstonshows them how to create robust, enterprise-worthy applications.

Enter your ActionScript 2.0 Garage -- where you kick your ActionScript 2.0 skills into high gear!

Find the code, master the skills, inflame your passion

Create Flashware built for speed and performance

Built to do the impossible… built to take their breath away

Where you become a lean, mean, ActionScriptin’ machine

Strap in. Meet your driver: Dan Livingston, ActionScripter to the stars (Apple, Charles Schwab, PacBell…)

Watch, do, learn–fast:

- forms and validation, styles and skins

- data in detail, XML and RSS

- classes and objects, events and listeners

- menu systems, stylesheets, masks, preloaders

- ActionScript 2.0 architecture, new UI components, and loads more

All with no-faking, real-deal, serious downloadable code

Welcome to ActionScript 2.0 Garage . The goal of this book is to make learning ActionScript more fun. A lot more fun. Okay, it’s not a big dream, but it’s my dream. I’m not kidding. The goal of this book is to show beginning to intermediate ActionScript programmers how to take their skills to the next level and blast out some amazing code. The code samples in here are actual working chunks of code, not just-for-computer-books-but-no-one-would-EVER-use-this-in-the-real world stuff. That, and I attempted to have something of a (gasp) personality (shriek) while talking about code. I’m aiming for "helpful smart-alec" (or "chaotic good" if you’re old-school). Who This Book Is For This book is for beginning to intermediate ActionScript programmers who want a quick, friendly way to get deeper into ActionScript code. If you don’t know what trace() is, put this book down right now before you hurt somebody. I’m not kidding. Right now! Who This Book Isn’t For Junkies. Heiresses. Shepherds. I make fun of George Lucas a few times, and maybe Orlando Bloom too--I can’t remember for sure. (He was great in Troy , you know. He did a wonderful job in the role of Helen.) What’s in the Book This book has everything from arrays to objects to how to manipulate components: Component skins. Styles. Functions. Best practices. Lots and lots of code and working examples. You can download everything from www.wire-man.com/garage. What’s Not in the Book Data components don’t really involve ActionScript, so I left them out. I don’t cover advanced object-oriented anything or how to use the animation bits of the Flash program. About the Attitude You may notice this tome’s tone is a little rougher than other computer books you’ve read. That’s because we want this book to make learning fun , so we decided to spice it up a bit. If you go through the book and don’t learn a thing about ActionScript, I hope you’re at least a little entertained. (Update: I just got word that my editor has toned down the profanity and numerous pornography references, so perhaps it’s a tad less entertaining now.) 0131484753P01212005

Warning
Pretty good book, but many of the explainations for the code are said to be on the author’s website, but this website no longer exists, and I could not find any web presence of this author any longer.

I am offended that they actually are trying to sell this book!
This has got to be the worst book I have ever read. In some cases, it seems as if the author doesn’t even know what he is talking about. This book is plagued with so many mishaps, innacurate code examples and worst of all, plain outright lies.

This book has innacurate code examples in most of its chapters and it doesn’t have a website with errata or downloadable code examples even though they say that there is (i.e. - lies). The website that they offer does not exist and it kind of makes you wonder [gives you an insight as to] what state of mind the author/publisher is in. If I have ever read a book that needs an errata section on the web, it’s this one. This book makes me embarrased to be a flash developer.

I bought this book even after reading the negative reviews because I own almost every other book on ActionScript for MX and/or MX/Pro 2004 (this one is the worst by far) and I thought I might be able to squeeze a few droplets of information out of it. I thought to myself, "how bad could it be?". I didn’t really think that any established company could actually put out such a horrible book. How wrong I was. As a matter of fact, if I read this book on line or from a PDF I would think that this was an attempt by a first year(semester even) colledge student in a design (not development) program who was tasked to write a paper on what they *think* ActionScript is.

I would advise anyone trying to learn actionscript to stay away from this one because most likely, you will come away from it confused and less advantaged than before you ’tried’ to read it. I personally would suggest that a beginner should read "Sam’s Teach Yourself ActionScript MX in 24 Hours". Even though it is for Flash MX, it is still very valuable and plenty useful. I have become to love and cherish most Sam’s books. Also another great book for beginners and intermediate developers alike is Colin Mook’s "ActionScript for Flash MX ’Definitive Guide’ 2nd/Edition" from O’reilly. This book is a must have for any ActionScript developer. Again, although this book is for MX, the same principles apply and all code WILL work. This book will be very valuable for many years to come, no matter how good your AS kung foo skills become.

To sum it all up, I would stay away from this book if you know what is good for you. This book can only do harm as it is misleading. Don’t let the author/publisher rob you out of your money especially when there are so many other great books out there. If you ever take the advice of reviewers, take this advice. I am trying to save you a lot of late night cursing sessions, headaches, confused dumbfounded looks and discouragement.

No Code (Un)Happy Typing and Debugging!
The missing script examples make this a very frustrating book. Accessing the nonworking website purporting to have the code makes you feel duped.

I don’t mind having to re-type the book half as much as not being able to see the samples work. You will not know when code doesn’t work due to your lack of knowledge or inaccuracies. And I’m not a beginner.

The editor and publisher are the real culprits. Good luck trying to get in touch with either Eben Hewitt the series editor or Prentice Hall PTR. It "ain’t" easy! Obviously, I’m now suspicious of the entire series.

I was so looking forward to this book. The informal and humorous approach is a great method. Unfortunately, lacking useful content to back it up invalidates the whole thing. Do not buy this book!

Web designwe
Just wanna tell you that "ActionScript 2.0 garage" author, Mr Dan Livingston, is cheating the customers or users of his book, as open codes for this book can not be downloaded from www.wire-man.com/garage as he informed or suggested. When you click on above site, it will show you some silly stupid site, which has nothing to do with ActionScript/garage.
Amazon.com, please contact the author and try to verify it. Could you reply me then. I couldn’t find by any means to write dierctly to the author of this book. I’m totally unsatisfied with this garag book and therefor this book can let rotton in garage foreever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks lot in advance.
Sincerely,
Ramesh

Entertaining and inaccurate
These days, with the vast array of technical books available to readers, every book and its publisher is trying to achieve some angle that will entice potential buyers. "ActionScript 2.0 Garage", as the name implies, is no exception. From the book’s introduction, where the author states he is aiming for an attitude of "helpful smart-alec (or ’chaotic good’ if you’re old-school)", through to its lack of a conclusion or wrap-up, the tone is informal and chatty.

Dan Livingston’s book covers several important topics such as drawing with ActionScript 2.0, the Flash IDE (focusing on the Actions Panel), Preloading and Event Handling. However, he fails to cover several topics which I would have liked to see explained. Event scope delegation and important classes such as DepthManager, alternative component sets, open source Flash and alternative compilers are completely left out.

To give Livingston his due, the section "Classes and Objects: An Introduction" is brilliantly thought out. If you struggle with this concept, the book almost redeems itself in these two short pages, as the author uses what was to me an entirely new metaphor to describe classes and objects. This metaphor works extremely well and avoids the overly theoretical and academic discussions so common in other introductions to Object Oriented Programming. However, the next section ("Your First Class") immediately disappoints, containing an example class whose code will not even compile.

Unfortunately, the inaccuracies are not limited to the syntax of some of the book’s examples. In the author’s explanations of important concepts, such as static vs dynamic typing, it is clear that he lacks precise understanding. There is no excuse for such inaccuracy in a technical publication, given the fact that there are so many other works available in this area that do not suffer from these problems.

Finally, the book suffers from a lack of consistent target audience. The author claims in his introduction that the book is for beginning to intermediate ActionScript developers, yet he insists on giving indepth explanations of simple statements, such as the ActionScript "if( form.myText.indexOf(’@’) )".

Dan Livingston’s humorous devices could have done a great job of encouraging readers new to programming. Possibly, this will still happen. Unfortunately, readers who are unable to correct Dan’s often confusing and inaccurate examples will rapidly become discouraged, most likely assuming that it is they who are in error when in fact it is this book.

In conclusion, ActionScript 2.0 Garage’s chatty style would have been relaxing and enjoyable if I wasn’t nervous about the author’s technical know-how. To anyone who knows Dan Livingston, congratulations for he would be a great guy to have at a party. But this book needs revision.

Good Premise, not much else.
This book has a lot of quick tips which are fairly useful and good to know, but when it comes to the examples and code given, assumes a great deal.

The disclaimer at the beginning says "if you’re a complete newbie with Actionscript, you should put this book down before you hurt yourself", and yet those readers comfortable with the pace of the authors’ notes and coding are probably not going to need the book in the first place.

Which leaves those interested ’newbies’ reading from a book filled with hastily written tutorials and a lot of ’attitude’. Leave this one alone.

Livingston I presume...
As the (not so) proud owner of over 30 books relating to Flash and Actionscript, I can safely say that I’ve pretty much seen them all. But "Actionscript Garage" by Dan Livingston is a refreshing "stand-out from the crowd" book.

Intermediate users (like myself), rejoice! Your ship (or in this case book) has come in! Livingston’s book is a perfect quick reference source for when your trying to beat a deadline or an excellent guide to review and practice your skills.

But the best part is that Livingston makes learning dry code fun! This book contains the perfect mix of humor and education and is full of techniques that you’ll use everyday as a Flash Designer. It is extreamely well organized and thought out, and designed to give you information that you need to know quickly.

This book is a must have in your library if you’re doing Flash.

A great quick reference
Review: ActionScript Garage

This little book, is one of a kind. Humorous, to the point and packed with so much knowledge you might think you are the king of Flash after reading it. This book is ideal when you have an idea of what you are looking for and need a fast answer. Just search the book’s TOC, find what you need, read a couple of pages and you are done. Instead of reading through lengthy and regurgitated verbiage, you learn what you needed to know in 3 pages or less. That is what it is all about.

I love the way the author keeps you entertained with silly remarks. He gives you enough to get you started and the rest he figures you can deduct on your own. And I agree. Think of this book as a "Flash For Dummies" kind of book, but better. Let me give an example of how concise and to the point this book is. The history of Flash is written in 3 lines of text. How is that for short? Even better, the section on skinning components finally made the process make sense. The author is trying to be brief and may not elaborate on any specific subject. Despite the lack of detail, I had a blast reading this book. It’s not "The Definitive guide", but it does a great job when you need a quick and accurate answer.

Robert Ramirez

Too thin
Some few tricksin 300 pages and 60 blank pages. Unfortunately it doesn’t worth the price...

disappointing
I loved Dan’s Flash 5 and MX "Actionscript in action" books ! It was compact and precious references.
But I’m disappointed with his last book as it hardly target intermediate level users. Too many chapters and too many trivial code descriptions.

Better wait for an "MX 2004 AS in action".

Worth actual cash money
Now this is an awesome book. Informative, exceptionally useful, incredibly relaxed, fun writing style. Has just about everything I’m looking for in an AS book. Lots of solid code, covering just about everything I’ve used Flash for in the past year. No CD, but can download everything on the web site. Just read what I wrote, and it sounds a little gushy, but, well, I liked it.