Glossary of Terms

Term	Definition
Actions	Commands in ActionScript that are used to create scripts to control a Flash movie.
ActionScript	A scripting language used to add interactivity to buttons and other media that a user can click or select to control a Flash movie.
Animation	A graphic element consisting of a series of still images that when displayed in sequence gives the illusion of motion.
Bandwidth	Refers to the amount of data that can be transferred in a given timeframe.
Bitmap animation	An animation that consists of bitmap still images.
Bitmap graphic	A graphic that is stored as a row-by-row listing of every pixel in the graphic, along with each pixel’s color.
Broadband connection	Connecting to the Internet using a DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) connection or a cable connection. A broadband connection offers faster access than a dial-up connection
Browser	A program designed to retrieve, display and enable a user to navigate Web pages. Microsoft Internet Explorer and Netscape Navigator are two popular Web browsers.
Client	Individual computer connected to a network that accesses information from a server.
Client/server architecture	One of the most common configurations for a computer network. Typically in a client/server network, one computer is the server, and acts as the network’s central controller. Individual computers connected to the server are considered the clients.
Compression	A process that is applied to files in order to make them smaller so that they take less time to transfer over the Internet.
Dial-up connection	Connecting to the Internet using a modem and a phone line.
Domain names	IP addresses consisting of letters instead of numbers.
FLA file	The native format of a Flash document. This file contains the elements of a Flash document and has the file extension .fla.
Fills	Refer to the painted areas within a Flash graphic. Fills are often enclosed by strokes.
Frame	Represents a unit of time within the Timeline.
Home page	A Web site’s main or initial Web page which contains links to the rest of the Web site. A home page also refers to the Web page that the browser is set to open when the program is first started.
Hyperlinks	Words, phrases, or graphics that target a location in the same Web page or in another Web page.
HyperText Markup Language (HTML)	A special language used to create Web pages. A Web page, or HTML document, contains a combination of Web page text along with markup codes called tags. A browser interprets the HTML tags to determine how to display a Web page.
HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP)	A communications protocol used for transferring Web pages over the Internet.
Internet	A vast Web of networks and subnetworks connecting millions of individual computer users to each other around the world.
Internet Protocol (IP) address	A unique number consisting of four sets of 3-digit numbers from 000 to 255 separated by periods that identifies the specific server or client computer.
Layers	Used to organize the images, animations and other objects that are part of a movie. The layers are organized within the Timeline.
Lossy compression	Lossy compression throws away information and reduces the level of detail from the original media.
Macromedia Flash	A program developed by Macromedia, Inc. that was initially developed as a way to create small, fast-loading animations that could be used in Web pages. It is now a full Web page authoring tool that allows developers to create interactive media ranging from animated logos to Web site navigational controls and even entire Web sites.
Media player	A program or plug-in that is used to play media files such as videos and music.
Media’s weight	A media’s weight refers to its size in bytes. The file type and format is directly related to the media’s weight.
Movies	A file created in Flash and published for use on a Web page.
Network	Formed when two or more computers are connected together for the purpose of sharing information and resources. Networks connected together are known as an internetwork, or internet.
Non-lossy compression	Non-lossy compression employs programming techniques that maintain the level of detail of the original media while processing it to reduce file size.
Panels	Contain controls for viewing and changing the properties of objects.
Pixel	The smallest picture element on the monitor screen that can be controlled by the computer.
Playhead	A marker within the Timeline that indicates which frame is currently selected.
Plug-in	Software that is capable of reading and displaying specific media file formats thereby extending a Web browser’s capabilities.
Progress bar	A common feature of media player interfaces used to indicate the status of the download process.
Property inspector	A special panel that provides easy access to the most common attributes of the currently selected tool or object.
Protocol	A standardized procedure that computers use to exchange data.
Scrubbing	Using the mouse to drag the playhead back and forth through the frames to play the animation. This is useful when testing the movie during development.
Server	The server, or host, stores and distributes information and resources across the network to individual computers.
Stage	The central area of a Flash program window where you assemble and position all the elements of your Flash graphic.
Streaming	A technique that allows files to begin playing before they are fully downloaded. This allows end-users to begin viewing or listening to media files before they are completely downloaded, and while the remainder of the file continues downloading in the background.
Strokes	Refer to the lines that make up a Flash graphic.
SWF file	A finished Flash file that has been published for use on a Web page. A published file has the .swf extension and is played using the Flash Player.
Timeline	Used to control and coordinate the frames and layers that make up a Flash movie.
Toolbox	Contains the tools that let you draw, paint, select, and modify Flash graphics. The Toolbox is divided into the Tools, View, Colors, and Options areas.
Uniform Resource Locator (URL)	A Web page’s address. It identifies where the Web page is stored on the Internet.
Vector animation	An animation that consists of a listing of shapes and their transformations.
Vector graphic	A graphic that is stored as a set of mathematical instructions that describe the color, outline, and position of all the shapes of the image.
Web media	Elements such as text, graphics, animations and sounds that may be part of a Web page.
Web pages	Electronic files that contain text, graphics, and hyperlinks.
Web server (or host)	The computers on the Internet that store Web pages.
Web site	A collection of hyperlinked Web pages stored on a Web server belonging to an organization or individual.
Work Area	Gray area surrounding the Stage. The Work Area is a convenient place to store elements until you are ready to add them to the Stage, or for storing notes and other information you want to refer to as you develop a movie.
World Wide Web	A collection of Internet servers that store a system of hypertext documents called Web pages.