Creating Flash Widgets with Flash CS4 and ActionScript 3.0

Creating Flash Widgets with Flash CS4 and ActionScript 3.0 is an introduction to developing widgets for the Internet using the features of Flash CS4 and ActionScript 3.0. Many social-networking sites, blogs, and personal home pages have adopted the use of widgets and Flash developers can create and distribute their own widgets for others to use. A step-by-step example demonstrates how to design and develop your own Flash widgets and integrate them with XML. In addition, publishing, promoting, and capitalizing on your Flash widgets is discussed.

What you’ll learn

• Using the tools in Flash CS4
• Basic differences of ActionScript 3.0
• Designing and developing widgets
• Utilizing XML with widgets
• Publishing widgets to the Internet
• Promoting and capitalizing on widgets

Creating Flash Widgets with Flash CS4 and ActionScript 3.0 targets novice to intermediate Flash designers/developers interested in learning how to create and publish widgets for the Internet.

Table of Contents

1. Introducing Flash Widgets
2. Migrating to Flash CS4 and ActionScript 3.0
3. Developing Your First Widget
4. Taking Flash Widgets to the Next Level
5. Publishing, Promoting, and Capitalizing on Your Widgets

Flash-Widgets-Social Networking—they’re all big and getting bigger. Together, they form a powerfully easy way to create custom user interfaces for social network developers.

John Arana is currently an Interactive Developer at TechnoCom Corporation, a provider of solutions to enable wireless location networks. Previously, John was Lead Flash Developer at Hekko Corporation, an educational software provider. He also runs his own business doing freelance Flash work involving web sites, games, rich Internet applications, desktop applications, and widgets.