User Guide

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CHAPTER 1
ActionScript Basics
ActionScript has rules of grammar and punctuation that determine which characters and words
are used to create meaning and in which order they can be written. For example, in English, a
period ends a sentence; in ActionScript, a semicolon ends a statement.
The general rules described in this section apply to all ActionScript. Most ActionScript terms also
have individual requirements; for the rules for a specific term, see its entry in Part II, “Reference.”
Applying the basics of ActionScript in a way that creates elegant programs can be a challenge for
users who are new to ActionScript.
This section contains the following topics:
• “Differences between ActionScript and JavaScript” on page 10
• “Terminology” on page 11
• “Syntax” on page 13
• “About data types” on page 18
• “Assigning data types to elements” on page 23
• “About variables” on page 27
• “Using operators to manipulate values in expressions” on page 31
• “Using condition statements” on page 39
• “Using built-in functions” on page 41
• “Creating functions” on page 41