In the olden days of computing, software companies provided nice, thick paperback manuals with their programs. They weren't always well-written, and sometimes they were downright wrong, but at least you could read them on the bus or train on the way to work or school. These days companies, including Adobe, provide book-length help files either in the program, online, or both. If you want printed pages, crank up your printer and load up a ream or two of paper. The online descriptions are more up to date and accurate than they were in those old printed volumes, but they're often a bit cryptic, as if they were written by the software engineers who designed the programs. Funny, that.
On the positive side, electronic help documents let you use your computer's search capabilities to hunt down an answer. Flash stores some help files on your computer when you install the program. However, if your computer is connected to the Internet, Flash automatically shows you web-based help files, since they're likely to be the most current.
The help page lets you search the Flash and ActionScript documentation.
To use the help page:
Select Help→Flash Help or press F1.
The help page shown in Figure A-3 appears. This first help page provides links to several different help resources:
ActionScript 3.0 Reference for the Adobe Flash Platform. This reference includes specific information about ActionScript classes and components.Use it when you're writing ActionScript code and need to look up the properties and methods for specific ActionScript classes.
Using Flash Professional CS5. The help system for using the Flash authoring system. The major sections of this reference are displayed when you first open help.
Links on the right side of the help window lead to the Flash Developer Center, where you can find tutorials, components, and other materials. If you want to share experiences and learn from others, click the Forums link.
In the Search box, type the word or phrase you need help with.
To fine-tune your search, use the drop-down menu to the right of the text box to select the Adobe application you're using. To limit your search, expand Search Options and then use the menus to choose the locations searched. For example, you can limit the search to Adobe's website or community help, which includes forums. With the Filter Results menu, you can zero in on specific topics like Adobe AIR or the Flash Player.
Press Enter (Return) to start the search.
Matching topics appear in the Search pane.
Click the topic that looks like the closest match to what you're searching for.
Flash displays the text for that topic on the help page's right-hand side. You may have to repeat this step several times to zero in on the information you want. Use the navigation arrows at the top of the help window to move back and forth through though pages you've viewed.
When you're writing ActionScript code, it's not just helpful to have a reference close at hand, it's often necessary. Even experienced ActionScripters need to look up the class definitions for new objects. You'll often come across a class, property, or method that you haven't used before.
Select Help→Flash Help or press F1.
Flash opens your web browser and displays the help page shown in Figure A-3.
Select ActionScript 3.0 Reference for the Adobe Flash Platform.
The help window displays the ActionScript 3.0 Language Reference (Figure A-4). The table of contents are displayed in three panes. In the upper-right corner, you see a list of the packages (classes grouped by type and function).
Click on a package like flash.geom or flash.display.
The classes in the selected package appear in the pane at bottom right.
Click on a class such as Point or Rectangle.
The large content window displays the reference details for that class, including the properties, methods, and events. Most classes have inherited properties and methods. Click show inherited public properties to see all the properties of a class. Likewise for inherited methods.
Making good use of its own tools, Adobe serves up Adobe TV, where you can find video tutorials for Flash and other Creative Suite 5 programs. The company adds new programs, tutorials, and demonstrations all the time. Go to http://tv.adobe.com, and you'll see a page like Figure A-5. You can use the search box to hunt down videos on a particular topic, or you can select an index based on specific Adobe products. For beginners, the series "Flash in a Flash" is a good place to start.
Figure A-5. Go to Adobe TV (http://tv.adobe.com) for demonstrations and tutorials on Adobe products.