Macromedia Flash MX 2004 Killer Tips

Drag 'n Drop Coding?

When Flash 5 was released, ActionScript received its first major makeover, which took away the capability to apply scripts using drop-downs or drag-and-drop methods. This made some people very happy, while others were just freaked out. Luckily, the Actions panel always had the Normal mode setting for those who didn't know how or didn't want to deal with typing their code by hand. For you guys, there's bad news and good news. The bad news is that there is no more Normal mode for Flash MX 2004. The good news is that you can still drag and drop code.

Open the Actions panel and make sure the left frame of the panel is expanded to reveal a list of predefined actions. Now drag the desired action over to the script pane. You can also double-click the action to get the same result. If you need a slightly faster solution, you can always go to the + button at the top left of the Script pane of the Actions panel where you'll get the same list of actions in a menu style. Make sure that you have your cursor in the location you want the script to appear when adding any action this way.