# Flash programming

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-programming/58573>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 19, 2001, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-programming/58573 "2001-03-19T11:03:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 11:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-programming/58573/1 "2001-03-19T11:03:11Z")

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I know many of you out there are professional web programmers or have extensive experience in web programming. What I need to know is the following:

1. What’s a good book or web site to get me started on  
the basics of Flash programming?

2. How difficult is programming Flash? I really know very little about the programming end of this. My personal programming experience really ended with the Commodore 64, with fairly advanced BASIC and some easier machine language/assembler routines.

I’m not necessarily interested right at this moment in doing something like Flash games programming. Right now, I’d like to start with text animations and the like. Could anyone give me a helping hand on where to start. I’m a quick learner. 🙂

Thanks in advance,  
Pete

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**Author:** ![Francesca](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@Francesca](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Francesca)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-programming/58573/2 "2001-03-19T11:14:55Z")

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Flash itself has a very good tutorial - i’d recommend you have a go at that first. ActionScript (the programming language itself) is pretty difficult by all accounts although i haven’t got onto that yet. I’ve had the **SAMS** book recommended to me - i learned my HTML and Javascript using SAMS books - they’re in plain language and easy to follow.

Fran

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**Author:** ![unwashed\_brain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a9adbd/32.png) [@unwashed\_brain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unwashed_brain)\
**Post date:** [March 19, 2001, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/flash-programming/58573/3 "2001-03-19T14:23:10Z")

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Flash 5.0: Graphics, Animation, and Interactivity

> **[Flash 5.0: Graphics, Animation &amp; Interactivity: Mohler, James L.:...](https://www.amazon.com/Flash-5-0-Graphics-Animation-Interactivity/dp/076682909X)**
>
> Flash 5.0: Graphics, Animation & Interactivity \[Mohler, James L.\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Flash 5.0: Graphics, Animation & Interactivity

Foundation Flash 5

> **[Foundation Flash 5: Bhangal, Sham, Farr, Amanda, Rey, Patrick: 9781903450314:...](https://www.amazon.com/Foundation-Flash-5-Sham-Bhangal/dp/1903450314)**
>
> Foundation Flash 5 \[Bhangal, Sham, Farr, Amanda, Rey, Patrick\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Foundation Flash 5

for Actionscript, this is a good book:

Foundation ActionScript

> **[Foundation Actionscript: Bhangal, Sham: 0809971003221: Amazon.com: Books](https://www.amazon.com/Foundation-Actionscript-Sham-Bhangal/dp/1903450322)**
>
> Foundation Actionscript \[Bhangal, Sham\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Foundation Actionscript

ActionScript isn’t all that difficult once you get familiar with it.