On the back cover of Instant Macromedia Flash 5 is printed this statement—“The Ultimate Collection of Ready-to-Use Code and Expert Techniques”. I was intrigued, and just had to check it out.
      It takes a while after the introduction of a new technology for its most common uses start to become obvious. Luckily for web designers that means the books that solve your most common problems are imminent. Instant Macromedia Flash 5 is a cookbook of recipes for some of the most popular Flash website widgets, techniques and applications.
      As always there is more to the story of how this book was written, and who wrote it, than meets the eye. In his Introduction lead author Jim Caldwell tells the story of how he came to Flash, after years of writing off his talents as a motion graphics designer for lack of opportunity. The Flash appeared and he had the ideal outlet for the ideas he had been storing up for all those years.
      I can identify with that. The web gave me the chance to tell the stories I had stored up for what seemed like decades. But HTML text with pictures was not quite everything I had been waiting for, and neither were earlier versions of Flash itself. Flash 5 was the one I wanted and now I am relishing how so many designers are sharing their knowledge in such an unprecedented manner.
      The structure of Instant Macromedia Flash 5 is as straightforward as its writing style. Each chapter is a lesson in constructing a given effect, presented clearly and plainly in well-written text with just enough screenshots to make you feel comfortable. The files—.FLAs—are provided on the CD for your use in following the lessons.
      The chapter listing below is the best indication of the scope of Instant Macromedia Flash 5. The effects are applicable to many kinds of Flash websites, and having them all in this one location is invaluable.
     Work through the exercises, apply the effects to your own works-in-progress, and then with all you have learned you will be able to imagine wilder and more fantastic applications of Flash and ActionScript, then work out how to achieve them.

The Book:

• Title: Instant Macromedia Flash 5
• Authors: Jim Caldwell and Samuel Wan
• Publisher: Osborne/McGraw-Hill
• Publication Year: 2001
• Pages: 484
• Illustrations: Monochrome
• CD: Mac and Windows
• ISBN: 0072131446
• Rating: 4

• Designing in Flash
• Simulating an MP3 Player
• Real-Time Preloader
• Resizable Windows
• Drop-Down Menu Navigation
• Drag-and-Drop Navigation
• Picture Album
• Advanced Scrollbars
• Duplicating Movie Clips
• Swap Depths
• Flash JavaScript Interaction
• Corporate Intro Movie
• Sound Object
• Flying Through Time
• Map Interface
• The Links Generator Smart Clip
• XML Address Book
• Animating with ActionScript
• Programming a Game in Flash