In Part 1 of our foray into programming, we will learn to fine-tune our initial setups and organize our files. We'll also explore techniques such as commenting out code, creating strings, and computing basic math through commands. Finally we'll introduce variables, which will be the focus of Part 2 of Coding Basics. Join us and learn how to program in ActionScript3 or for that matter learn the core of any language %u2013 in classic, fun 02geek style!

Learn how to program in Flash, Starting with the developer basics

Overview

Welcome to the developer basics! This is the second hour of the developer basics and the first title where we stop talking about it and start doing it. In this title we will jump in and start exploring the inner depths of the bigger steps you need to know to become a developer. This lesson is broken into two courses: we will soon explain what is in each, but the more important thing to note is that we're not starting from scratch. We're going to assume that you understand the content provided in the %u201Cstarting point%u201D course (file types, workspace, panels, publish settings and more.) If you haven't taken that course yet ( or even if you did, really!) you should take the test and confirm you really get it. Speaking of tests, you should take the one for this course before progressing further: it will filter out what you already know and display only the videos you need. (Better yet, when you take it at the end of the course, you'll see a huge difference in grades! Always fun :)

This hours objectives:

For your first programming task, we will experiment with the 'trace()' function and learn how to output data from your application. This skill is going to be used throughout the course and through the developer basics. Part of the skills we will be building include creating a rhythm of efficiently setting up your files so you can smoothly transition into writing code. Any application built in Flash needs to be compiled, so we need to spend some time looking into how to compile .swf files (what is SWF?) and how to generate .html files.

A big part of this lesson is learning how and from where to create your own applications from scratch, along with which files to use through the publishing process of getting your files up and running on the web. While learning we look into the concept of commenting lines instead of deleting them. After that we discover some basic math and mathematic equations using the 'trace()' function.

The Next hour

In the next hour we will be focusing on the output panel to make sure that you understand how to use it. It might seem a bit slow at times %u2013 don%u2019t worry, we're going to speed up as the videos go by! It%u2019s really important that you get the base ideas %u2013 skip them, you'll have a really large hole in your workflow. Many other sites, books and schools just blow by this base content %u2013 instead you get really cool-looking projects. Of course then you'll have a very big gaping hole in your understanding of the core building blocks for code and developing in Flash: it's like taking a photo of a gorgeous painting, and telling people %u201CLook! I'm a fabulous artist.%u201D Hey, it works for a while %u2013 until someone says %u201CYeah, you are! But that girl's eyes are the wrong color. Make them green, will you?%u201D Then you have a problem: you're screwed! Now, if you'd learned to actually paint in the first place, stroke by stroke...

Instead of running through content without comprehending it, our goal is for you to understand the core foundations of code. By understanding those foundations you'll be able to code your own super-creative applications %u2013 we save our creative projects until after you have completed the first 11 hours of training.

We only expect you to go through his relatively painful journey of "really getting" once. After completing our course work and exams, you'll have this core understanding for life. This knowledge will always be with you. Many of our students will once in a while take our test again just to refresh or ensure that they remember the material.

Unfortunately without this basic core understanding you can spend years sometimes feeling like you don%u2019t get it. All the more complex and fun things are derived from this basic foundation. The good news is that we will walk you through each step slowly and add exams along the way. We do expect and know that some students will have a better intuitive logic then others and even if you never programmed before, we encourage you to take the exam before watching a course to put you in the right frame of mind. When you complete the course take the exam again. Now our system will have a history of 2 exams for this course %u2013 this is really useful for us as we can now filter out content we know you understand %u2013 and store a list of content that you don%u2019t understand for later viewing.

In this hour we will also look into:

• How to add comments in as3 (same in javascript and many other languages.) Speaking of Javascript, you should check out our JavaScript Tutorials Much fun and very informative, as are all our courses.
• We will discover our first variables: namely create strings in Flash. It'll be the first time we store data!
• In the process we will evaluate what variables are and how to work with them.
• Review the structure of variables.
• After building a good foundation on what variables are and how to work with them, we'll introduce a new variable type: Number.
• Numbers and math go hand in hand and as such we will spend some time exploring some basic mathematical operations with numbers( all you need to know is basic math %u2013 quit worrying so much!)
• Our first scary moment: Errors! The life developer is full of errors %u2013 to many of them really. In average developer spend about 85% of their time fixing bugs so even though errors sound scary they are actually really helpful as its Flash%u2019s way of telling us what%u2019s wrong we just need to listen and we usually will be able to figure out a way out of our problems. %u2013 so we will for the first time see what an error is over time it will turn into a natural part of our development.

Why learn with us?

Learning fast isn%u2019t always better: actually it's usually the other way around. How many times have you seen a commercial that promised you would have a bigger... understanding of Flash overnight? You%u2019re a rational person: you know that to become a master of any art takes time. How can you tell if you are doing the right thing ? Common sense. If a thing looks too good to be true, it likely is. Our competitors focus on the shiny boxes: we focus on the interior, your true needs. Our target is on the less attractive things: we're teaching you how to learn instead of presenting you with a shiny package, so you can then make a real choice. We know that some people just want to play with cool things fast %u2013 well if that%u2019s your choice, then likely our site is not optimized for you. If you really want to understand how to create amazing things, jump in and try one of our titles: you'll get why we stand out from all our competitors. Learn to use Flash with us and know the difference yourself: that creative, shiny thing was built by you! Better yet, it inspired you to create an even cooler, shinier thing that no one has ever seen. Could you have done that the easy way? Not in this lifetime. It's called paying your dues: becoming a great programmer isn't accomplished overnight, nor is it simple. Worth it? You betcha!

Learning alone isn%u2019t always better. Actually for some learning on your own is a really great thing, but most people just need a mentor -- someone to help them understand the steps they need to take to get from where they are to where they need to be. I%u2019ll give you a simple example.

Many times students send me emails that they want to become iphone developers, game developers or 3d artists. They usually watch a few moments of the first title, see that it's not about gaming, and ponder if it will help them become a game developer. The truth is that without a solid core there really isn%u2019t any way you can explore and get results from leaping directly into a project directory.

However, many people will subscribe, go to classes, buy books and so forth %u2013 all directly related to the topic of their interest %u2013 but it seems to mostly fail. The key is to get from point 1 to the pinnacle 2, don't leave out those few steps in the middle. This is where we shine. Your membership to our school comes with live support as long as you are a member. Our school is not a bunch of videos: it%u2019s a team of trainers (um, brilliant, hilarious geeks) that are on standby to support your learning process and to encourage you as you grow into a knowledgeable developer, guiding you in the right direction and helping you attain your goals and objectives. Join us and learn flash %u2013 and have a lot of fun doing it! Learning the 02 style may not be the easiest, but we guarantee you'll have a blast.

That's one thing the bigger companies can't say! Learning with the big fellows isn%u2019t always better. The bigger the company the less time it has to personally invest in you. Learning is a very personal thing. Our best students are the ones who are the most active in our community: they interact with each other and reach out for our help as often as they wish, to solve their problems. Join us if you haven%u2019t already., and experience the 02 learning style for yourself.

Learn how to program with our other titles

• Have a look at our other developer basic courses- we're currently in the second hour of the Developer Basics.
• Starting point: the first title in the Developer Basics %u2013 this free Flash tutorial is the perfect starting point for those of you that have never used Flash before.
• Developer Basics 2 One step ahead in the basics
• Operators: In this tutorial we learn how to use operators. Variables helped us store information, taking our first step in a world where a variable contain dynamic content.
• Conditions - if statement: Conditionals enable our code to change direction based on an 'if' test. It enables our code to branch depending on the result of the test.

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