Understanding ActionScript 3.0 Documents

It makes sense to first explore what was at one time the single target platform supported by Animate for most of its existence: Flash Player and the .swf file format. Since Flash Player is a runtime, it exists to execute a packaged set of assets and data in order to run a program. The .swf file format is basically a compressed little bundle of creative assets and code that Animate can publish for this purpose.

Note

ActionScript 3.0 used to be used to produce all sorts of rich, interactive content. With the deprecation of Flash Player in the web browser, however, the role of .swf has become more focused.

There is a bit of confusion around the naming of this document type within Animate, as you won't find a document type that targets "Flash Player" or "SWF" but rather "ActionScript 3.0" instead.

Figure 2.5 – The ActionScript 3.0 document type

Newcomers are often confused...