Start off by opening up Flash CS4 (also works with CS3) and click on "Flash File (actionscript 3)" under the "Create New" option or hit (on a mac). A blank canvas should appear.

Here are the steps to set up the scene:

-Grab the rectangle tool from the toolbar and draw a rectangle (any size will do) in the white space provided.

-Create some text and center it in the rectangle.

-Highlight the entire rectangle and the text and right click inside of it.

-click the "Convert to Symbol..." option at the bottom.

-A dialog box should appear; set its name to "Play button" and select its type as "Button".

-Hit Enter

As you can see, we have just created a symbol containing 2 different instances; a rectangle and a textbox.

Select The Symbol and look at the top right corner of the window in the properties panel.
(don't see it? press (if on a mac) or (if on a PC)

There should be a box that says "" and a dropdown box that should say "button" and below that, some text that says "Instance of: Play Button".

Click inside of the "" box and type: "play_btn"

we have just created the instance name of the button to which flash can now refer to it as; play_btn

Alright, we are ready to get coding! right-click on frame 1 of your project(down in the timeline) and select "actions".

Enter the code in the box provided:

play_btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, functionName);

function functionName(e:MouseEvent):void {
play_btn.visible = false;
}

now lets dissect this code:

play_btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, functionName);

is adding and event Listener to the instance "play_btn". MouseEvent is indicating that it is related to the mouse(others include: Event, Keyboard Event, etc.) and .CLICK is telling it that it is, well, a click. ,functionName is telling it to run the function: functionName when clicked.

function functionName(e:MouseEvent):void {

is creating the function we want to run when play_btn is clicked. simple, not much to it.

play_btn.visible = false;

is making the play_btn invisible(it also disables it.)

}

closes the function.

Well, You've created your first button and are well on your way to becoming a master in flash!

Thanks, Jackson Smith

//please leave comments!