This SWF loads all the information about the books, including the cover images, via an external XML file. The SWF is 76 KB.
There is a PDF lesson for downloading: 19 pages (2011), 446 KB.
You need to upgrade your Flash player (v.10 or later) to view this tutorial.
The SWF below loads the same external XML file, but the script for getting the data is a little different. In this case the thumbnail buttons have been added to the Stage manually, and the dynamic text fields are inside a movie clip. The SWF is 112 KB.
You need to upgrade your Flash player (v.10 or later) to view this tutorial.
The pieces that make this work:
Adapting the script: You could use this FLA and XML to create a photo slideshow, a list of best DVDs, a presentation about a group of people (with mug shots), etc. The button can easily be changed to link to any Web pages.
URLRequest: The "Amazon" button uses the book's ISBN (from the XML file) to take you to an Amazon search page. Please note that the button script may work only when the SWF is on a Web server; it may not work from a local hard drive. The function that drives this button is the last thing in the script on frame 1.
DOWNLOADS Browse inside the directory to see or download the files.
Fonts have been embedded. That means the CS4 file will not work in CS5. There is a folder containing FLAs for CS5.
Education use: This package was created as an example for my journalism students. It is not intended to be used commercially.
Use and re-use:
XML Example with Flash CS4 and CS5 (AS3) by Mindy McAdams is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License.
Updated 19 April 2012