Author name:
Eric Dolecki,
Mike Grundvig,
Klaus Hougesen,
Allan Kennedy,
Jobe Makar,
Til Mauder,
Torben Nielsen,
Max Oshman,
Robertson Ramirez,
Oliver Shaw,
Geoff Stearns,
Michael Brandon Williams
Type of bind: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 006.7869
EAN num: 9780201771442
ISBN number: 0201771446
Label: Pearson Education
Manufacturer: Pearson Education
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 424
Printing Date: November 16, 2001
Publishing house: Pearson Education
Sale Popularity Level: 1380932
Studio: Pearson Education
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Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
UntitledMacromedia Flash is the industry standard for designing and delivering low-bandwidth animations, presentations, and Web sites. In this first-of-a-kind reference, todayÕs top Flash developers share secrets and strategies for creating dynamic Flash applications. Written by leading members of the Flash programming community, each chapter of Macromedia Flash: Super Samurai focuses squarely on programming technique. While each chapter can stand alone, together they comprise the most complete compendium of Flash programming practices and techniques available. Focusing on real world projects and applications, the chapters cover such topics as JavaScript and Flash; optimizing 3D; integrating databases through ActionScripting, XML and Flash, and much more. Aimed at the intermediate to advanced developer, Macromedia Flash: Super Samurai contains the most comprehensive set of Flash programming techniques ever assembled in one book.
Amazon.com Review:
Macromedia Flash: Super Samurai doesn't cater to new users of Macromedia's Web animation tool, so if you are just learning to wield Flash, skip this book. However, if the weight of Flash in your hands feels balanced and comfortable, perhaps it is time to learn how to make the blade sing like the rushing wind, making effort invisible.
Parallels to swords and samurai aside, Flash Super Samurai compiles the experience of 12 gifted Flash designers. Much more than a book on Flash animation, it shows the reader how to create interactive elements, how to create 3-D Flash elements, how to use XML and Flash together, discusses the intricacies and pitfalls of adding sound and how to make sound work for you, and much more.
Nine chapters and three appendices detail tricks and techniques for adding physics simulations to Flash animation (think bouncing billiard balls), programming sound, using XML and Flash together, using JavaScript and Flash together, and dynamic Flash pages created on the fly based on user input. Each chapter is well illustrated and heavily coded, and the accompanying CD-ROM includes all the necessary project files.
The way of the samurai is one of intense concentration and the constant search for wisdom, a description that fits the contributors to this rich, dense book for advanced Flash developers. Filled with ActionScripts and Flash animation that goes far beyond basic tweening, this book is invaluable for those looking to make the most of Flash as a tool for animation as well as for interactive site development. --Mike Caputo
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers 
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I have a total of 8 Flash books, 6 from friendsofed, two from Macromedia. This one from MM, Super Samurai, is actually the best in teaching me intermediate level Flash. For learning the basic principles of 3D, and using Flash with database, the relevant chapters in Super Samurai beat other books in my possession by miles. The explanations are clear and detailed, and the examples work. I especially love the shopping cart example used to demonstrate how to link Flash to a database using XML and ASP.
On 3D, there is simply no comparison between Super Samurai's chapter and Flash 5 Studio's chapter. Super Samurai's is easy to understand and detailed, while Flash 5 Studio just give you a few examples without much explanation. I wonder if the author of F5S really understands the examples. Even the 3D example in Flash MX Designers ActionScript Reference by Friendsofed looks muddled when compared with SS's. I have learned so much from this one book.
Strangely, when I looked for other books by the author of the chapter on XML, Michael Grundvig, the only other book that he co-wrote on this topic got a really lousy review. It just shows that publishers can give quite inconsistent quality books even with the same authors.
Rated by buyers 
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This book is hit and miss. Some chapters provide very useful information and reference, such as the physics modeling, while others seem to act as filler material. The subject XML and Flash, for example, can easily be found in greater depth on the net. Other chapters provide somewhat useful examples, but certainly not worth the paper they were printed on.
Another problem with this book is that most of the ActionScript is useless if you're coding with Flash MX. The chapter on using widgets, for example, is pointless, as Flash MX is now a functional OOP environment. Although the examples in the book give a general idea of advanced ActionScript--it's really geared for Flash 5--and a great deal of Flash 5 ActionScript has been replaced (depreciated).
Becuase the book is also from different authors, the writing is a bit hit and miss as well. One chapter, "Flash Interface Design", fills pages of code and screenshots, but fails to reveal the logic behind the code, or exactly how the code works at all. Instead, I'm left to hunt through the flash file on my own, and that's something I don't need a book for.
I think this has been a very popular book in the past, but with the release of Flash MX as well as the overall lack of effort on the authors part to make this more digestable, I would not recommend purchasing this book--borrow it if you need to.
Rated by buyers -
If you are an intermediate to advanced programmer in ActionScript and you are looking for a resource that provides basic recipes for for a lot of the "cool" things being done in Flash, then I would say this is a good buy. Some of the chapter are not very useful, but the 3D and audio sections are indispensable.
My chief complain is that some of the sections (like Component Architecture) discuss a single approach, but do not conisder alternative methods.
Rated by buyers -
When I bought this book about a month ago I wasn't so into actionscripting. Now that i've read all the juicy bits, i realize all the cool things i've been missing - i feel like i've wasted so much time! The chapter by Eric Dolecki on system architecture is stuff that i couldn't have imagined even needing to know just a few months ago. This book has taught me a lot! On a slightly negative side, if there has to be one, i'm not sure what level it's aimed at. It was good for me because i had the basics of AS down, but if you don't know any scripting i'd keep away for now and start with something more basic.
Rated by buyers -
Usually when I buy a book of this nature I like to sit down and read a couple of pages first. I went to Borders last week looking for a book on Flash and XML. There were numerous books with those words in their title and after reading a few and finding none that my mind could get a handle on I scanned the shelves. I eyes saw this flashy cover and name and decided to browse through it. To my surprise I found the portion on XML and flash very helpful. I ended up walking out the store with this book under my arm. I have not read the other chapters with the math sections in them and might never get round to doing it. I think the sound and 3D sections will be very useful.
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