Re: [Flashcoders] RE: Best way to learn OO Analysis and Design with ActionScript
I battled furiously to get my head around Object-Oriented Programming with Actionscript http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735711836/sr=8-2/qid=1156121055/ref=sr_1_2/103-4690969-4407040?ie=UTF8 only to find that looking back a lot of the explanations largely added to my confusion. IMHO your recommendation wasn't hard to follow but it did lack depth. To be honest since recommending it I found out there are errors in some code examples, and the site specially made to download corrections: http://www.oopas2.com is not available.at least not on my internet :-) I agree with your statement that any in-depth treatment of the subject of OOA/OOD/OOP will not be written for ActionScript. As I understand it, in a similar way to the motivation for making PHP5 much more Java like (in terms of OOP features) ActionScript 2.0 was made Java like in order that serious development tools such as UML and design patterns could be applied to the language, and so Java/C++/C# developers could easily migrate to using Flash. It makes sense that Flash developers travel that line in the other direction and use some of the resources that Java/C++ coders have, such as design patterns and UML. James ___ Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com To change your subscription options or search the archive: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders Brought to you by Fig Leaf Software Premier Authorized Adobe Consulting and Training http://www.figleaf.com http://training.figleaf.com
Re: [Flashcoders] RE: Best way to learn OO Analysis and Design with ActionScript
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735713804/104-7942318-0256721?v=glancen=283155 Sorry authors... but I found this book to be a waste of space. Too much sucking up, too little content. Maybe, if you already know about OOP it doesn't really help bring anything new to the table, It is clearly a book about Object Orientated Programming, which uses AS2 as it's example language, rather than a book about Flash/AS2 if that;s what you mean - I think that's why it's titled 'Object Orientated Programming with ActionScript 2.0' and on the cover the 'with ActionScript 2.0' part is almost a subtitle, I found the bits I read on OO principles to be accurate and well explained. also, I came to Flash recently (as in about 6 weeks ago) and I found it very useful to get all the information in one place, i.e. does AS2 have abstract interfaces?, is there try...catch construct for unit testing with assertions?, are classnames treated as types, can you override the constructor of a superclass in the subclass? This book collects this information together in the context of OO principles, rather than in some alphabetical AS2 dictionary. I'm not recommending it over any other book, because I don't know all the books (being a newbie) but I found it less 'sucking up' then most computer books I have read, and I must have read at least 5 this week. Ultimately the bible of OO analysis and Design is Applying UML and Patterns: An Introduction to Object-Oriented Analysis and Design and the Unified Process by Craig Larman but I guarantee you will be asleep before you finish chapter 1. :-) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0130925691/104-7942318-0256721?v=glancen=283155 James ___ Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com To change your subscription options or search the archive: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders Brought to you by Fig Leaf Software Premier Authorized Adobe Consulting and Training http://www.figleaf.com http://training.figleaf.com
Re: [Flashcoders] RE: Best way to learn OO Analysis and Design with ActionScript
I am very interested in this topic since I really need to adopt OOP and UML to get a better overview of the tasks I am trying to code for.The books look very useful.This article is really good on UML... http://bdn.borland.com/article/0,1410,31863,00.html I am trying to create a math's Fraction object that can relate to various realities in which in can apply itself. Does anyone know of any detailed examples of state diagrams and activity diagrams? Under images on google I have searched for State Diagram etc but I need deep, practical examples if I am going to understand how to create my classes. John - Original Message - From: james [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Flashcoders mailing list flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com Sent: Sunday, August 20, 2006 11:42 AM Subject: Re: [Flashcoders] RE: Best way to learn OO Analysis and Design with ActionScript http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735713804/104-7942318-0256721?v=glancen=283155 Sorry authors... but I found this book to be a waste of space. Too much sucking up, too little content. Maybe, if you already know about OOP it doesn't really help bring anything new to the table, It is clearly a book about Object Orientated Programming, which uses AS2 as it's example language, rather than a book about Flash/AS2 if that;s what you mean - I think that's why it's titled 'Object Orientated Programming with ActionScript 2.0' and on the cover the 'with ActionScript 2.0' part is almost a subtitle, I found the bits I read on OO principles to be accurate and well explained. also, I came to Flash recently (as in about 6 weeks ago) and I found it very useful to get all the information in one place, i.e. does AS2 have abstract interfaces?, is there try...catch construct for unit testing with assertions?, are classnames treated as types, can you override the constructor of a superclass in the subclass? This book collects this information together in the context of OO principles, rather than in some alphabetical AS2 dictionary. I'm not recommending it over any other book, because I don't know all the books (being a newbie) but I found it less 'sucking up' then most computer books I have read, and I must have read at least 5 this week. Ultimately the bible of OO analysis and Design is Applying UML and Patterns: An Introduction to Object-Oriented Analysis and Design and the Unified Process by Craig Larman but I guarantee you will be asleep before you finish chapter 1. :-) http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0130925691/104-7942318-0256721?v=glancen=283155 James ___ Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com To change your subscription options or search the archive: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders Brought to you by Fig Leaf Software Premier Authorized Adobe Consulting and Training http://www.figleaf.com http://training.figleaf.com ___ Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com To change your subscription options or search the archive: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders Brought to you by Fig Leaf Software Premier Authorized Adobe Consulting and Training http://www.figleaf.com http://training.figleaf.com
Re: [Flashcoders] RE: Best way to learn OO Analysis and Design with ActionScript
I am trying to create a math's Fraction object that can relate to various realities in which in can apply itself. Does anyone know of any detailed examples of state diagrams and activity diagrams? Under images on google I have searched for State Diagram etc but I need deep, practical examples if I am going to understand how to create my classes. John I know state diagrams have been used longer that many other UML diagrams since they are applicable to non OOP - I have a old C book which I found in the basement which has a state chart for 'writing ascii to a magnetic drive' program. the UML book I have 'Appying UML and Patterns' (link in previous email) calls them 'statechart diagrams' and has 10 page chapter which goes through a couple of examples, an EPOS system and a telephone exchange. there are some links at the bottom of this page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_diagram Are you saying your object would have a sort of intellegence as to when it is needed? Happy to talk more, but maybe this is not actionscript related enough for the list, does anyone know of a UML and Flash list?, I can set one up at Yahoo groups, that way we could use the images section on the web page to upload UML diagrams... James ___ Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com To change your subscription options or search the archive: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders Brought to you by Fig Leaf Software Premier Authorized Adobe Consulting and Training http://www.figleaf.com http://training.figleaf.com
Re: [Flashcoders] RE: Best way to learn OO Analysis and Design with ActionScript
also, I came to Flash recently (as in about 6 weeks ago) and I found it very useful to get all the information in one place, i.e. does AS2 have abstract interfaces?, is there try...catch construct for unit testing with assertions?, are classnames treated as types, can you override the constructor of a superclass in the subclass? This book collects this information together in the context of OO principles, rather than in some alphabetical AS2 dictionary. Hi James, I was not trying to hose your review, but if you're not a hobbyist then there are better books out there. I've read a lot of flash books over the years, the only ones that really stuck with me where green and white with an animal on the front. ie. O'Reilly. The only exception was Robert Penner's first book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0072223561/sr=8-1/qid=1156120988/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-4690969-4407040?ie=UTF8 I battled furiously to get my head around Object-Oriented Programming with Actionscript http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735711836/sr=8-2/qid=1156121055/ref=sr_1_2/103-4690969-4407040?ie=UTF8 only to find that looking back a lot of the explanations largely added to my confusion. IMHO your recommendation wasn't hard to follow but it did lack depth. The Head First books are excellent. The Java book is not a waste of time either. If you're trying to get your head around OOP it helps enormously to get the information first hand and the best references will always give Java and/or C++ examples. Tony ___ Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com To change your subscription options or search the archive: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders Brought to you by Fig Leaf Software Premier Authorized Adobe Consulting and Training http://www.figleaf.com http://training.figleaf.com
Re: [Flashcoders] RE: Best way to learn OO Analysis and Design with ActionScript
Man, where were all you people when I asked a similar question a few months back? :-) I think I have a couple of good project ideas to build classes for, but I just don't know where to begin. I want to make a video player, complete with a seperate browser component to view/select different categories of video. Would any of you pros be able to point me down the right path in terms of structure? I'd prefer to build it all out, without using the FLVPLayer component or anything. Any suggestions would be great! On 8/18/06, dave matthews [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: welcome to the party, The basics of design patterns evolved from the timeline for me. Flash is an 'object oriented language' - that is each symbol is an independent 'thing' in the library. Learning the time line and how to do a tween came first, oooh, a moving thing on the screen. Next, we learned how to make a 'stop/start' button. A 'control' for the movement. Thus two segments of the proverbial 'design pattern - the controller and the content. Learning how to load another clip into the content makes that section of the pattern a bit more complex, but does not affect the 'controller button' in any way. Changing the button so it is a slider makes that section of the pattern a bit more complex without changing the content or it's payload, except that now with the control acting as a slider we have more fine grained interaction with the content. Knowing only Flash, this all seems quit natural, but these types of programming feats are quit difficult in most other programming systems. Separating what we do to the content from what the content is allows us to - say load different source text into the content object without mangling our control button. This 'design pattern' also allows us to create another button that adjusts the scale or rotation of the content object while also leaving the original 'on/off' function of the first button undamaged. That's all there is to it. Of course it can be far more complex. Say we want to change the content loaded into the content object based on a user name, or day of the week... none of the new abilities should mess with the existing controls we already made. And a sequence of decisions must be made before loading any content into the content container - This then calls for a new type of object/function - a load sequencer that acts without damaging the existing working set up. I am not quit sure of the specific terms of the formal vocabulary, but the idea of keeping different aspects of the project 'compartmentalized' is what design patterns are all about. The separation of the general areas of the project keep us organized and help avoid damaging sections that are working correctly as we add new abilities to any given project. As projects become more complicated groups of similar types of activities in the program will naturally be in one part of the interaction 'pattern' and that is why everyone says take it easy and don't push too hard to get it all into a predefined 'pattern' too soon because that will make a person crazy... :) hth, Dave_Matthews http://www.2GoTo.com -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:flashcoders- [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David Bellerive Sent: Friday, August 18, 2006 9:41 AM To: flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com Subject: [Flashcoders] Best way to learn OO Analysis and Design with ActionScript Hi everyone! I'm having real difficulty understanding how to properly architect and structure Flash applications using ActionScript 2.0. I've read Colin Moock's excellent Essential ActionScript 2.0 and several other books and articles on the topic and while I can safely say that I do understand the syntax, I can't seem to write an entire application using OO design mainly because I can't figure out what should be in a class, which class should do what, which class should extend MovieClip, which class should use composition instead, which class should start the application, etc. I'm sure a lot of excellent Flash developpers in this mailing list didn't have previous coding experience before they started Flash (like myself) and managed to become the ActionScript 2.0 OO pros aroud here. Any help / tips ? __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com To change your subscription options or search the archive: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders Brought to you by Fig Leaf Software Premier Authorized Adobe Consulting and Training http://www.figleaf.com http://training.figleaf.com -- ___ Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com To change your subscription options or search the archive: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders Brought
Re: [Flashcoders] RE: Best way to learn OO Analysis and Design with ActionScript
I found the combination of these 2 books useful http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596007124/sr=8-1/qid=1155996611/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-7942318-0256721?ie=UTF8 even though this book is for Java, it can be simply converted to any other OO language, e.g. PHP5, AS2, C# and this book http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735713804/104-7942318-0256721?v=glancen=283155 I have been using OO design/programming principles for 7 years off and on, but until I understood the way they are used within the context of patterns I only had part of the story, the design patterns book was like flicking a switch on in relation to how good architecture and planning leads to reuse leads to less bugs leads to rapid application development. hth James Man, where were all you people when I asked a similar question a few months back? :-) ___ Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com To change your subscription options or search the archive: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders Brought to you by Fig Leaf Software Premier Authorized Adobe Consulting and Training http://www.figleaf.com http://training.figleaf.com
Re: [Flashcoders] RE: Best way to learn OO Analysis and Design with ActionScript
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0596007124/sr=8-1/qid=1155996611/ref=pd_bbs_1/104-7942318-0256721?ie=UTF8 Good book. Read it at Aral's recommendation. http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0735713804/104-7942318-0256721?v=glancen=283155 Sorry authors... but I found this book to be a waste of space. Too much sucking up, too little content. ___ Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com To change your subscription options or search the archive: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders Brought to you by Fig Leaf Software Premier Authorized Adobe Consulting and Training http://www.figleaf.com http://training.figleaf.com
[Flashcoders] RE: Best way to learn OO Analysis and Design with ActionScript
welcome to the party, The basics of design patterns evolved from the timeline for me. Flash is an 'object oriented language' - that is each symbol is an independent 'thing' in the library. Learning the time line and how to do a tween came first, oooh, a moving thing on the screen. Next, we learned how to make a 'stop/start' button. A 'control' for the movement. Thus two segments of the proverbial 'design pattern - the controller and the content. Learning how to load another clip into the content makes that section of the pattern a bit more complex, but does not affect the 'controller button' in any way. Changing the button so it is a slider makes that section of the pattern a bit more complex without changing the content or it's payload, except that now with the control acting as a slider we have more fine grained interaction with the content. Knowing only Flash, this all seems quit natural, but these types of programming feats are quit difficult in most other programming systems. Separating what we do to the content from what the content is allows us to - say load different source text into the content object without mangling our control button. This 'design pattern' also allows us to create another button that adjusts the scale or rotation of the content object while also leaving the original 'on/off' function of the first button undamaged. That's all there is to it. Of course it can be far more complex. Say we want to change the content loaded into the content object based on a user name, or day of the week... none of the new abilities should mess with the existing controls we already made. And a sequence of decisions must be made before loading any content into the content container - This then calls for a new type of object/function - a load sequencer that acts without damaging the existing working set up. I am not quit sure of the specific terms of the formal vocabulary, but the idea of keeping different aspects of the project 'compartmentalized' is what design patterns are all about. The separation of the general areas of the project keep us organized and help avoid damaging sections that are working correctly as we add new abilities to any given project. As projects become more complicated groups of similar types of activities in the program will naturally be in one part of the interaction 'pattern' and that is why everyone says take it easy and don't push too hard to get it all into a predefined 'pattern' too soon because that will make a person crazy... :) hth, Dave_Matthews http://www.2GoTo.com -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:flashcoders- [EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of David Bellerive Sent: Friday, August 18, 2006 9:41 AM To: flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com Subject: [Flashcoders] Best way to learn OO Analysis and Design with ActionScript Hi everyone! I'm having real difficulty understanding how to properly architect and structure Flash applications using ActionScript 2.0. I've read Colin Moock's excellent Essential ActionScript 2.0 and several other books and articles on the topic and while I can safely say that I do understand the syntax, I can't seem to write an entire application using OO design mainly because I can't figure out what should be in a class, which class should do what, which class should extend MovieClip, which class should use composition instead, which class should start the application, etc. I'm sure a lot of excellent Flash developpers in this mailing list didn't have previous coding experience before they started Flash (like myself) and managed to become the ActionScript 2.0 OO pros aroud here. Any help / tips ? __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com ___ Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com To change your subscription options or search the archive: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders Brought to you by Fig Leaf Software Premier Authorized Adobe Consulting and Training http://www.figleaf.com http://training.figleaf.com -- ___ Flashcoders@chattyfig.figleaf.com To change your subscription options or search the archive: http://chattyfig.figleaf.com/mailman/listinfo/flashcoders Brought to you by Fig Leaf Software Premier Authorized Adobe Consulting and Training http://www.figleaf.com http://training.figleaf.com
