Do readied actions always happen before the triggered action?

[Mromson]

I have a couple of questions regarding readied actions and how they work
1. Can you prepare an action against an attack, and thus act right before the attack occours?

Example:

PlayerA says "If PlayerB attempts to strike me, I will attack him."

- Who's strike goes off first?

a) Can you ready a spell against an attack, spesifically to avoid consentration checks?

Example:

PlayerA says "if PlayerB tries to strike me, I will cast Burning Hands" > PlayerB attempts to strike PlayerA and has his attack interrupted by Burning Hands.

- Does PlayerB get an AoO, or will PlayerB's attack go off before Burning Hands (given that casting Burning Hands casting time is simple standard action), or will Burning Hands simply go off before PlayerB's attack goes off - thus avoiding any Consentration Checks without needing to 5-foot step away or cast defensively.

b) Can you prepare an attack against an action, then take a 5-foot step away to prevent said action from ever hitting you?

Example:

PlayerA says "If PlayerB tries to strike me, I will attack him." PlayerB uses his move action to move 15 feet towards PlayerA and attempts to strike him, thus triggering the readied action. PlayerA attacks PlayerB while taking a 5-foot step away.

- PlayerB just got hit, but is too far away from PlayerA to strike him - and cannot take a 5-foot step, nor move, because he already used his move action on movement. Nor can he change his action, because his original action was interrupted, so he strikes the air infront of him. Essentially wasting his turn.

c) If you prepare an attack against a Charge, can you prepare the action for "when someone tries to strike you", then back up after attacking, thus avoiding the charge altogether?
- I'm assuming no. However, what if you take your 5-foot step into a location that PlayerB wouldn't have a clear charge path to you from his previous position?

2. Can you prepare an attack against a 5-foot step and strike before the 5-foot step is made?

Example:

PlayerA says "If PlayerB tries to take a 5-foot step away from me, I will first hit him with my pointy end!"

- A 5-foot step ain't an action, but it doesn't have to be performed with any other action, and the character is certainly doing "something" while using it (ie. moving :p). I suspect a "yes", I'm asking anyways.

[SlimGauge]

1.) Player A

1a. Player B still gets his AoO on Player A due to the casting of Burning Hands provoking.

1b. Yes, but see any one of the many, many threads on this and the counters to it.

1c. Yes, but as above, see any of the many, many threads about charging and readied actions.

Like this one. Or maybe this one.

2. Yes, but you have gained nothing over just hitting the stepper before he steps.