Thank goodness for the current rash of books about all aspects of Flash. It is incredible to reflect on the fact that the phrase “yet another Flash ActionScript book” can be uttered with justification now, given how sparse any kind of book on the subject was a year ago.

How It Is Unique
      Drag, Slide, Fade is not just yet another Flash ActionScript book. It is the one I would recommend that visually-oriented web designers consider as a fast first intro into ActionScript.
      That may come as a surprise to regular readers of these reviews, given how I usually prefer friends of ED’s excellent books on Flash and related matters. But Drag, Slide, Fade has the advantage that it will quickly get you up and running with some very attractive effects that have great value in real web projects whereas FoED’s project-based approach works best when you work through the whole of the book. Stun yourself with how easy Brendan Dawes proves it can be to build some impressive interface effects, then having got over the hump spend some serious quality time with Foundation ActionScript and Flash 5 ActionScript Studio before going further again.

How Do I Like Thee?
I like the way Dawes communicates in this book. Its layout, featuring plenty of step-by-step full-colour screenshots, code listings and 1, 2, 3 text explanations is the next step beyond the method used in Peachpit Press’ Visual QuickStart Guides.
      The book’s landscape format is well suited to its visually-literate approach. The mini-projects Dawes has chosen to write about provide lots of learning opportunity, with plenty of variations that you can explore later or dream up yourself. He manages to find plenty of nuance in topics other authors tackle in more obvious manners.
      For instance, I have a particular interest in controlling sound effectively within Flash. It is something that far too often is done crudely, and with little deference to the site’s users’ needs or desires. How many times have you been to a Flash website where a pounding techno beat suddenly starts up, and there is no sound off button? That’s the last thing you need in a crowded cubicle office environment.
      If you are going to provide sound, then at least do it well, and give people an on/off button and a volume control. Then while you are at it, consider adding a pan slider and some sound effects, say reverb or echo. Then how about a delay? All this can be done in Flash 5, with its sound objects, and Brendan Dawes ably shows you how it is done with ActionScript.
      There is plenty more in the way of animation, type manipulation, loading external movie clips and more, and it is all damned good stuff. Flash ActionScript for Designers: Drag, Slide, Fade is a winner and the next book I am going to be working through, just as soon as I have all these other reviews written for you!

The Book:

• Title: Flash ActionScript for Designers: Drag, Slide, Fade
• Author: Brendan Dawes
• Publisher: New Riders
• Publication Year: 2001
• Pages: 278
• Illustrations: Colour
• CD: No. Download code from the book’s website.
• ISBN: 0735710473
• Rating: 5

• Release
• Drag
• Slide
• Fade
• Listen
• Capture
• Build
• Type
• Choose
• Calculate