Flash Basics > Using the library

A library in a Flash movie stores symbols, including those created in Flash and those imported into Flash, and allows you to view and organize these files as you work. The Library window displays a scroll list with the names of all items in the library. An icon next to an item's name in the library window indicate the item's file type.

When you select an item in the Library window, a thumbnail preview of the item appears at the top of the Library window. If the selected item is animated or is a sound file, you can use the Play button in the Library preview window or the Controller to preview the item.

You can organize library items into folders. The Library window columns list the name of an item, its type, the number of times it's used in the file, its linkage status (if the item is associated with a shared library), and the date on which it was last modified. You can sort items in the Library window by any column. The Library window also contains an Options pop-up menu with options for modifying library items.

To edit library items, including imported files, you choose options from the Library Options menu. You can update imported files after editing them in an external editor, using the Update option in the Library Options menu.

You can open the library of any Flash FLA file while you are working in Flash, to make the library items from that file available for the current movie.

You can create permanent libraries in your Flash application that will be available whenever you launch Flash. Flash also includes several built-in libraries containing buttons, graphics, movie clips, and sounds that you can add to your own Flash movies. Built-in Flash libraries, and permanent libraries that you create, are listed in the Window > Common Libraries submenu. See Working with common libraries.

You can export a library to a URL to create a shared library, allowing you to link to the library assets from any Flash movie. See Using shared libraries.

To display the Library window, do one of the following:

	Choose Window > Library.
	Click the Library button in the Launcher bar at the bottom of the application window.

To use a library item in the current movie:

Drag the item from the Library window onto the Stage. The item is added to the current layer.

To open the library from another Flash file:

1	Choose File > Open as Library.
2	Navigate to the Flash file whose library you want to open, and click Open.

The selected file's library opens in the current movie, with the file's name at the top of the Library window. To use items from the selected file's library in the current movie, drag the items to the current movie's Library window.

To resize the Library window, do one of the following:

	Drag the lower right corner.
	Click the Wide State button to enlarge the Library window so that it displays all the columns.
	Click the Narrow State button to reduce the width of the Library window to the Name column only.

To change the width of columns:

Position the pointer between column headers and drag to resize. You cannot change the order of columns.

To use the Library Options menu:

1	Click the triangle in the Library window's upper right corner to view the pop-up menu.
2	Click an item in the menu.