An XML-Based Navigation System Figure 14-1. A simple navigation system that loads button properties from an external XML file This simple navigation system brings a lot of power to a project because it allows you to quickly and easily change the main and submenu button names, modify project descriptions, and update what’s loaded from each button—all by configuring an external XML file. In other words, you don’t have to edit and republish the SWF every time you want to make a change. N OT E The companion website contains additional examples that use XML for a variety of tasks, including driving an image gallery,. | An XML-Based Navigation System Figure 14-1. A simple navigation system that loads button properties from an external XML file This simple navigation system brings a lot of power to a project because it allows you to quickly and easily change the main and submenu button names modify project descriptions and update what s loaded from each button all by configuring an external XML file. In other words you don t have to edit and republish the SWF every time you want to make a change. NOTE The companion website contains additional examples that use XML for a variety of tasks including driving an image gallery and populating text fields. Chapter 14 XML 19 Download from Wow eBook What s Next What s Next A nice rest and a beverage that s what. Reward yourself for all the progress you ve made learning a new language. You ve made your way through 14 chapters of new material you ve earned a break. Then after putting your feet up for a while get back to work. Spend 15 minutes a day experimenting. Adapt every exercise in the book to accomplish something new Create miniprojects that combine topics using the skills you ve learned in each area to create something new For example create a particle system of text fields or use the microphone activity level to start playing a video. Write a class for every timeline example. Start just by converting each timeline script to document classes and compare your efforts to the supplemental source files provided. Then start writing classes that you can reuse. Don t forget the companion website Start reading its posts and explore the additional resources. Visit those and other ActionScript-related websites regularly and subscribe to their news feeds if available. Finally look for a bonus chapter on the companion website. In it we ll examine the basic 3D capabilities that are integrated into ActionScript as of Flash Player 10 and later. In the bonus chapter we ll discuss rotating and translating moving objects in 3D space
