Actionscript isn’t exactly the language of choice among computer scientists. However, some of us who went through the algorithm-packed curriculum of the computer science major have somehow found ourselves enjoying Flash and it’s language. I believe there are a pretty decent number of artistically-inclined programmers out there with a creative side.

After seeing a bunch of sorting functions implemented in Actionscript today (you’ll see that in the list below), I took some time looking for some other concepts I studied in college. There’s something inherently interesting about seeing this stuff done in Actionscript. I’m not sure why. Maybe it’s because we’re not dealing with a hardcore language.

• Dijkstra’s Shortest Path Algorithm
• Several Sorting Algorithms
• Bresenham’s Line Algorithm
• Binary Search Tree
• Fibonacci generator
• LZW Compression
• AS2Lib has Lists, Queues, and Stacks

I spent several years diving head first into data structures, assembly language, finite state machines, and all sorts of interesting concepts like those. I tended to make it through some of the tough stuff by the seat of my pants. Sometimes I wish I had spent more time really getting to know some of these concepts better. Honestly, though, who’s gonna pass up all-night LAN parties and awesome house parties every weekend? Not me. Plus, I think I’ll enjoy this stuff more now that I’m learning it by choice rather than for the next exam.