First fundamental rule

I think the comments below are very well written... I know I make lot's of mistakes each day; and learn from all of them.

"First fundamental rule; programming languages, especially ActionScript, are designed for YOU to use. They are not just for the scary smart folks, and you don't need a degree in computer science to become a good programmer. This seems a simple concept but I assure you that the assumption that you can never learn something or that it is not designed for ���people like you��? can be more of a barrier to your success then anything else."

"Second rule; most programming books are thick and not really designed for you to read them cover to cover. Think of them is instructions broken up in to sections. Like the manual you get for a new car. The car is designed for you to drive it. You only need the manual to learn about a particular feature or maintenance. You will use the book as a reference and jump around from section to section to learn about when you need as you need it. Taking a similar approach to your programming books can make them far less intimidating."

Third rule; start small. Give yourself the chance to learn to walk before you run! I can't count the number of times a brand new Flash user boldly enters the user forum with a URL to a professional website built by a team of 5-12 experts and asks ���can someone tell me how they built that site. That is exactly what I want to do!��? Sorry, but few things in life work that way. There is a reason most coding platforms and language manuals start with the ���Hello World��? program and it is not because programmers find it amusing."

So you are new to ActionScript by Ken Toley