ActionScript 4.0

Report · Oct 15, 2008

Hi,

Are Adobe jumping a head of it's clients, by bringing out AS4 just when folks got to grips with AS3?

Can anyone shine a light, as to how different AS4 is from AS3? Is it another big learning curve? And who thinks it's worth an upgrade price of £180.00?

Goddam all those books and CD-ROMS I purchased, already outdated?

Kind Regards,

Boxing Boom

Report · Oct 15, 2008

fairly certain that cs4 does not include a new version of AS. Far as I know it is still AS3 so you should have no worries

Report · Oct 15, 2008

Hi,

Oh ya check this out:

http://moock.org/lectures/newInECMAScript4/

If Moock is giving a lecture on it, it goes without saying ;)

Kind Regards,

Boxing Boom

Report · Oct 15, 2008

Boxing Boom,

> Oh ya check this out:
>
> http://moock.org/lectures/newInECMAScript4/

That's a discussion on the ECMAScript 4.0 specification.

> If Moock is giving a lecture on it, it goes without saying ;)

ECMAScript is an Ecma International specification on which JavaScript
and ActionScript are based. The version numbering for ECMAScript doesn't
correspond to the version numbering for JavaScript or ActionScript (for
example, JavaScript hasn't even reached 2.0 yet).

Hope that clears it up. Seriously, you're still cool with AS3.

David Stiller
Adobe Community Expert
Dev blog, http://www.quip.net/blog/
"Luck is the residue of good design."

Report · Oct 15, 2008

Boxing Boom,

>> Are Adobe jumping a head of it's clients, by bringing out AS4
>> just when folks got to grips with AS3?

Flash CS4 supports ActionScript 3.0, 2.0, 1.0, and a few other flavors,
like Flash Lite. In regard to supported languages, CS4 doesn't differ from
CS3. I'm wondering, actually, if you're confusing the name of the product
with the name of one of the languages it supports? When Flash CS3 first hit
the streets, for example, I noticed that a number of people seemed to equate
CS3 with AS3 (which is understandable).

>> Can anyone shine a light, as to how different AS4 is from AS3?
>> Is it another big learning curve? And who thinks it's worth an
>> upgrade price of ?180.00?

If you're interested in the language itself, keep in mind that Adobe
offers the Flex command line compiler free of charge. That allows you to
build AS3 SWFs without spending a dime on Adobe.

http://www.adobe.com/products/flex/flexdownloads/index.html
(Look for Flex 3 SDK)

Flex doesn't have drawing tools or a Timeline panel, but again, if your
interest lies in the programming aspect only, working AS3 is free. I can't
predict the future, but I'm comfortable assuming AS4 will also be free ...
whenever AS4 is ready. (Probably a few years yet, but that's just my
guess.)

>> Goddam all those books and CD-ROMS I purchased, already
>> outdated? WTF?

Easy, Killer! They're still useful. 🙂 If if Flash CS4 did support
AS4 -- which it doesn't! -- you can still use Flash CS4 to publish content
for AS3 and any other version of the language.

David Stiller
Adobe Community Expert
Dev blog, http://www.quip.net/blog/
"Luck is the residue of good design."

Report · Oct 15, 2008

Hi,

Thanks for your feedback David; I feel better now knowing that Flash CS4 doesn't support AS4.

As for costing me a dime; I will always purchase the Flash Application, money well spent ;)

Guess, it's just that when I see AS4, I thought "Goddam this", because I have really put time and money into learning AS3. Ok, so no worries ;)

Speaking of upgrades - have you upgraded that bike of yours yet? ;)

Damn fine job your doing at:

http://www.quip.net/blog/

Kind Regards,

Boxing Boom

Report · Oct 15, 2008

Boxing Boom,

> Thanks for your feedback David; I feel better now knowing
> that Flash CS4 doesn't support AS4.

Sure thing. 🙂 By the way, I can definitely empathize with your
frustration ... not sure if that came through in my other replies.
Sometimes I just want to hang tight with what I *do* know, instead of
feeling compelled to always try the latest, bleeding-edge thing.

For what it's worth, the major differences between between AS3 and AS2
are the result of the new virtual machine introduced in Flash Player 9.
There are now two virtual machines: AVM1 for AS1/AS2 (for legacy support)
and AVM2 for AS3. That was a huge undertaking on Adobe's part, and isn't
likely something they want to repeat any time soon. Whenever AS4 *does*
happen, chances are really good it's going to be a close outgrowth of AS3,
rather than something entirely new. Sure, every new version of Flash Player
adds APIs (there's IK stuff and basic 3D stuff now), but those APIs follow
the rules established by the language itself. It's a bit like when
McDonald's comes out with a new sandwich: the kitchen assembly line doesn't
fundamentally change ... they just have a couple new bins with additional
ingredients.

> Speaking of upgrades - have you upgraded that bike of yours yet? ;)

Heh ... every time I buy a complete bike, one of the wheels falls off!

David Stiller
Co-author, The ActionScript 3.0 Quick Reference Guide
http://tinyurl.com/2s28a5
"Luck is the residue of good design."

Report · Oct 15, 2008

http://www.reference.com/search?q=Actionscript
http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/ECMAScript

^^ More info (in case there is any lingering confusion)