Actionscript2 vs Actionscript 3

[falkencreative]

Quick question for those who use Flash... Looks like my Flash course I was going to take this semester only covers Actionscript 2, rather than AS3. AS3 was released in 2006, so it seems like that is really what I should be learning. Any suggestions? Comments? Just wondering if I should drop the current class and switch to something else.

[Guest UnknownFury]

It depends to what extent you're going to be using AS. If you're using it for simple things then you're probably fine with sticking with your current course and just riding it out with AS2. But if you're looking to use it more intensely then you should definitely consider going for AS 3.0.

 

AS3.0 makes simple things such as buttons a little bit more difficult for the beginner but any use more than that and you'll feel the benefits of AS3. It really is a lot faster. If you want any sort of career involving the use of AS they'll be looking for proficiency in AS3 as opposed to 2, especially in years to comes.

 

To sum that up, my advice would be if you're going to be using AS for simple uses then you should be fine with your current course, but anything more then look for something with AS3.

[falkencreative]

Yeah, that's basically along the lines of what I ended up deciding. After looking at the course more, it appears it is less about Actionscript and more about using the Flash program itself. While we will cover some Actionscript, it isn't the primary focus of the course, and realistically, I can't see myself using Flash that much in my current job, beyond basic animated banners or slideshows.

 

Thanks for the comment!