User Guide

11
CHAPTER 1
What’s New in Flash MX 2004 ActionScript
Macromedia Flash MX 2004 and Macromedia Flash MX Professional 2004 provide several
enhancements that make it easy for you to write robust scripts using the ActionScript language.
The new features, which are discussed in this chapter, include new language elements, improved
editing and debugging tools (see “ActionScript editor changes” on page 20 and “Debugging
changes” on page 21), and the introduction of a more object-oriented programming model (see
“New object-oriented programming model” on page 21).
This chapter also contains an extensive section that you should read carefully if you plan to
publish any of your existing Flash MX or earlier files to Flash Player 7 (see “Porting existing
scripts to Flash Player 7” on page 13).
Updating Flash XML files
It is important that you always have the latest Flash XML files installed. Macromedia sometimes
introduces features in dot releases (minor releases) of Flash Player. When such a release is
available, you should update your version of Flash to get the latest XML files. Otherwise, the
Flash MX 2004 compiler might generate errors if you use new properties or methods that were
unavailable in the version of Flash Player that came with your Flash installation.
For example, Flash Player 7 (7.0.19.0) contained a new method for the System object,
System.security.loadPolicyFile. To access this method, you must use the Player Updater
installer to update all the Flash Players that are installed with Flash. Otherwise, the Flash MX
2004 compiler displays errors.
Remember that you can install a Player Updater that is one or more major versions ahead of your
version of Flash. By doing this, you will get the XML files that you need but shouldn’t have any
compiler errors when you publish to older versions of Flash Player. Sometimes new methods or
properties are available to older versions, and having the latest XML files minimizes the compiler
errors you get when you try to access older methods or properties.