ActionScript was originally based on Java-Script and is the scripting language embedded into Flash. The flexibility of ActionScript is the power behind the interactive nature of Flash, allowing it to become an extremely viable gaming platform. ActionScripts.org - A huge collection of utorials on learning ActionScript ranging from beginning to advanced use

ActionScript and JavaScript are based on the same ECMA-262, 3rd edition language standard, but the libraries supporting ActionScript and JavaScript are different. For example, JavaScript is generally used within a browser and its Document Object Model (DOM) is browser window-, document-, and form-centric, while also supporting XML, event handling and Ajax.

No, they are distinct. The ActionScript Virtual Machine is responsible for executing the operations and semantics defined by the ActionScript language.

A developer can use the free Adobe Flex™ SDK (http://www.adobe.com/products/flex/sdk/), Flex Builder, or Flash® Professional to compile ActionScript source code into a Flash file (SWF). The SWF file may then be distributed via the web or as a standalone application and is executed by Adobe Flash Player.

Yes. Adobe will continue to invest engineering resources in the ActionScript Virtual Machine and will be working in the open with the Mozilla community to improve the Tamarin code. Adobe's contributions to Tamarin will play an important role in the development of future versions of the ActionScript Virtual Machine. Future updates to ActionScript are planned to be based on the ECMA-262, 4th edition that is currently being standardized by the ECMA TC-39/TG-1 working group.