publishing and books

I have recently entered the world of Flash 5 for building everything from banners, to animations to multimedia web pages. As a neophite to scripting languages and the immmense power of Flash, I was in need of a resource to help me to quickly get up to speed. I examined at least 10 different volumes from different authors devoted to learning Flash 5. Many of the other manuals had unique individual sections that had greater concentration in certain subject areas. The Flash 5 Bible was the only book available that seemed to combine all the information and elements into one central volume. It is easy to understand for the beginner but also progresses as you learn, taking you to intermediate and even advanced levels. It was the only resource I was able to find that answered the many questions I had regarding action scripting and communication techniques with other programs like Director. I am using Flash 5 in conjuction with Director 8.5 to build an interactive direct marketing cd rom. The Flash Bible was the only book I could find that clearly and concisely enabled me to understand the scripting required to to capitalize on the powerful combinations of Flash and Director in concert. In my humble opinion, it is the single best resource for anyone who wants to quickly learn Flash 5 and as you progress, still have the ability to contiually refer to the same resource for future questions and support. My hat is off to Robert Reinhardt for creating the Flash Bible and I look very much forward to picking up his next publication The ActionScript Bible which I understand is due out in the 1st qtr, 2002. You won't have to buy 5 different books to get your Flash questions answered, The Bible is the only one you'll need.

Riding the crest of the growing wave of Flash books is this latest offering from Rob Reinhardt and Jon Lentz. This version is twice the size of their Flash 4 Bible and reflects lots of new and revised content. I like how the book is organized - aimed both at beginning users and at people who just want to dive into the action scripting that Macromedia exposed in Flash 5.

The authors strengthen their book by bringing in other authors to do various "Expert Tutorials" and major content for chapters such as the Generator chapter. Colin Moock in a tutorial on pages 1186-1189 answers a question I've had for some time, which is why many Flash sites use frames (hey, you'll have to read it to find out, just like I did!). There IS a reason.

ActionScript is the strength of Flash 5 and this sets the expectation for how Macromedia intends to expand the programming capabilities of Flash. Although this volume doesn't cover ActionScript with the depth of a book that only focuses on ActionScript, it provides a good start for those wanting to become conversant with this technology.

The best web books contain a CD (this one does) and have a corresponding supporting web site, for errata, additional materials etc. Aof this writing (2-18-01) www.flash5bible.com is still "under construction." Hey guys, let's get it completed and up so we can use it with your book!

Joe Meboe

This books is fraught with errors that will drive you crazy if you're trying to learn Flash for the first time. It's a great example of what happens when a book needs to get to press before it's been thoroughly edited. I'm actually on Amazon.com to get another Flash 5 tutorial book to replace this monument to bad editing. In a word... don't waste your money. :)