Programming language · 1998

ActionScript

Object-oriented programming language.

Official site ›

C++Written in

1998First released

Macromedia / AdobeDeveloper

gradualTyping

RuntimeInfluence

Replacedplain JavaScript for rich, animated Flash content

Being replaced byHTML5 and JavaScript, after Adobe Flash was discontinued in 2020

What is ActionScript written in?

Its runtime is implemented in C++ (reported).

Quick Facts

Designed by: Gary Grossman
Developer: Macromedia
First released: 1998
Typing: gradual
Website: www.adobe.com/devnet/actionscript.html

About ActionScript

ActionScript is an object-oriented programming language. It is a garbage-collected language that is just-in-time compiled to machine code as it runs. It supports object-oriented, prototype-based, and scripting programming. A just-in-time (JIT) compiler translates hot code paths to native machine code while the program runs, trading a slower start for faster steady-state speed.

ActionScript first appeared in 1998 and was designed by Gary Grossman at Macromedia / Adobe. Its popularity peaked around 2009. ActionScript is now used mainly in specialized niches and by dedicated communities.

How ActionScript is implemented

In the Language Lineage dataset, its runtime is implemented in C++.

ActionScript in the language family tree

ActionScript drew on ideas from JavaScript and went on to influence Haxe.

Sources: Wikipedia · Wikidata · Official site

Frequently Asked Questions

What language is ActionScript written in?

ActionScript is primarily implemented in C++. See the implementation section above for details and source references.

What languages influenced ActionScript?

ActionScript was influenced by JavaScript among others. See the influence section above for the full list.

Which languages did ActionScript influence?

ActionScript influenced Haxe among others.

When was ActionScript first released?

ActionScript was first released in 1998. It was designed by Gary Grossman.

Evidence Sources

Discover More

What is ActionScript written in? What are programming languages written in? ActionScript in the language family tree Interactive programming language graph Languages ActionScript influenced: Haxe Languages that influenced ActionScript: JavaScript

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Paste this iframe into any HTML page to show the ActionScript relationship graph.

<iframe src="https://www.languagelineage.org/embed?lang=actionscript" width="100%" height="500" loading="lazy" style="border:0" title="ActionScript relationship graph"></iframe>

Please attribute the visualization to Language Lineage and link to the ActionScript source record.

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