The document compares ActionScript 2 (AS2) and ActionScript 3 (AS3). It discusses the top misperceptions about AS3, including that it is difficult to learn, only for object-oriented programming, and reduces the targetable Flash Player base. It also outlines the top benefits of AS3, such as improved performance, ability to leverage new Flash Player APIs, easier debugging, and future-proof development. The document provides examples of migrating common tasks like variables, functions, and event handling from AS2 to AS3.

1. AS2 vs AS3
Yash Mody
CTO | Tekno Point
yash@teknopoint.us
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2. Overview
ActionScript 3.0 Overview
Top Misperceptions
Top Bene ts
Migration Examples
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3. Top 5 Misperceptions
about ActionScript 3.0
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4. Misperception #1
ActionScript 3.0 is difficult to learn
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5. Misperception #2
ActionScript 3.0 is only for Class based
object-oriented programming
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6. Misperception #3
Using ActionScript 3.0 reduces the
Flash Player base that you can target
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7. Misperception #4
You can’t write code on the timeline
with ActionScript 3.0
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8. Misperception #5
ActionScript 2.0 development is faster
that ActionScript 3.0 development
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9. Top 5 Benefits of
ActionScript 3.0
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10. Benefit #1
Performance
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11. Benefit #2
Ability to leverage new Flash Player
APIs and technologies
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12. Benefit #3
Leverage Community Libraries and APIs
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13. Benefit #4
Easier and faster to debug code
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14. Benefit #5
Future proofed, multi-platform
development
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15. ActionScript 3.0
Gotchas
• Use of underscore
• Void / void
• Alpha value range
• Event Model
• Code and events on Symbols
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16. underscores
ActionScript 2.0 ActionScript 3.0
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17. void
ActionScript 2.0 ActionScript 3.0
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18. alpha
0-100 0.0-1.0
ActionScript 2.0 ActionScript 3.0
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19. Events
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20. no code on symbols
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21. Migration Examples
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22. Create a Variable
Create a Function
Create an if statement
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24. Loop Through an
Array
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25. _root
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26. Handling Button Clicks
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27. Opening a URL
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28. Dynamically Attach a
MovieClip
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29. Load an Image
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30. Play a Sound
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31. Load and Parse XML…
the E4X way
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32.  Some more stuff
 Runtime Exceptions - increase in conditions
 Sealed Classes - xed set of values - better
maintainability
 Method closures - The
mx.utils.Delegate not required
 Regular expressions - native
support for better string manipulation
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33. Get onto AS3 today
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