Flash MX ActionScript Reference Guide

Contents......Page 3 Using the documentation......Page 9 Additional resources......Page 10 Welcome to ActionScript......Page 11 New and changed language elements......Page 13 New security model and legacy SWF files......Page 14 ECMA-262 Edition 4 compliance......Page 15 Cross-domain and subdomain access between SWF files......Page 17 HTTP to HTTPS protocol access between SWF files......Page 19 Server-side policy files for permitting access to data......Page 20 ActionScript editor changes......Page 21 New object-oriented programming model......Page 22 Differences between ActionScript and JavaScript......Page 25 Terminology......Page 26 Case sensitivity......Page 29 Slash syntax......Page 30 Semicolons......Page 31 Comments......Page 32 Constants......Page 33 String......Page 34 Boolean......Page 35 Undefined......Page 36 Automatic data typing......Page 37 Strict data typing......Page 38 Casting objects......Page 39 About variables......Page 40 Scoping and declaring variables......Page 41 Timeline variables......Page 42 Using variables in a program......Page 43 Numeric operators......Page 45 String operators......Page 46 Equality operators......Page 47 Assignment operators......Page 48 Dot and array access operators......Page 49 Specifying an object’s path......Page 50 Defining a function......Page 51 Using variables in a function......Page 52 Calling a user-defined function......Page 53 Writing and Debugging Scripts......Page 55 Repeating an action......Page 56 About the ActionScript editor environment......Page 58 Managing scripts in a FLA file......Page 60 Writing code that triggers code hints......Page 61 Using suffixes to trigger code hints......Page 62 Using code hints......Page 63 Using Escape shortcut keys......Page 65 Checking syntax and punctuation......Page 66 Formatting code......Page 67 Debugging your scripts......Page 68 Debugging a SWF file from a remote location......Page 69 Displaying and modifying variables......Page 72 Using the Watch list......Page 73 Setting and removing breakpoints......Page 74 Stepping through lines of code......Page 75 Listing a SWF file’s objects......Page 77 Displaying text field properties for debugging......Page 78 Updating Flash Player for testing......Page 79 Handling Events and Creating Interaction......Page 81 Using event handler methods......Page 83 Using event listeners......Page 85 Using button and movie clip event handlers......Page 87 Event handler scope......Page 88 Scope of the “this” keyword......Page 90 About events and interaction......Page 91 Playing and stopping movie clips......Page 92 Jumping to a different URL......Page 93 Creating a custom mouse pointer......Page 94 Getting the mouse position......Page 95 Capturing keypresses......Page 96 Setting color values......Page 100 Creating sound controls......Page 101 Detecting collisions......Page 105 Creating a simple line drawing tool......Page 107 Deconstructing a sample script......Page 108 Working with Objects and Classes......Page 111 Using the Built-In Classes......Page 113 About class (static) members......Page 114 Core classes......Page 115 Movie classes......Page 116 Client-server classes......Page 118 Authoring classes......Page 119 About controlling movie clips with ActionScript......Page 121 Calling multiple methods on a single movie clip......Page 122 Specifying a root Timeline for loaded SWF files......Page 123 Loading JPEG files into movie clips......Page 124 Dragging movie clips......Page 125 Duplicating or removing a movie clip......Page 126 Attaching a movie clip symbol to the Stage......Page 127 Adding parameters to dynamically created movie clips......Page 128 Managing movie clip depths......Page 129 Swapping movie clip depths......Page 130 Drawing shapes with ActionScript......Page 131 Handling movie clip events......Page 132 Assigning a class to a movie clip symbol......Page 133 Initializing class properties......Page 134 Using the TextField class......Page 135 About text field instance and variable names......Page 136 Using the TextFormat class......Page 137 Default properties of new text fields......Page 138 Formatting text with Cascading Style Sheets......Page 139 Creating a style sheet object......Page 140 Loading external CSS files......Page 141 Combining styles......Page 142 Styling built-in HTML tags......Page 143 An example of using styles with HTML......Page 144 Using styles to define new tags......Page 145 An example of using styles with XML......Page 146 Overview of using HTML-formatted text......Page 147 Font tag ( )......Page 148 Italic tag ( )......Page 149 Text format tag ( )......Page 150 Underline tag ( )......Page 151 Controlling embedded media with ActionScript......Page 152 Creating scrolling text......Page 153 Creating Classes with ActionScript 2.0......Page 155 Inheritance......Page 156 Creating a class file......Page 157 Creating an instance of the Person class......Page 160 Creating properties and methods......Page 161 Creating subclasses......Page 162 Constructor functions......Page 163 Controlling member access......Page 164 Creating class members......Page 165 Using class members: a simple example......Page 166 Creating an interface......Page 167 Interfaces as data types......Page 168 How the compiler resolves class references......Page 169 Modifying the classpath......Page 170 Importing classes......Page 171 Implicit get/set methods......Page 172 Creating dynamic classes......Page 173 How classes are compiled and exported......Page 174 Working with External Data and Media......Page 175 Sending and loading variables to and from a remote source......Page 177 Checking for loaded data......Page 178 Using HTTP to connect to server-side scripts......Page 179 Using the LoadVars class......Page 180 Using the XML class......Page 181 Using the XMLSocket class......Page 184 Sending messages to and from Flash Player......Page 185 Using fscommand()......Page 186 About Flash Player methods......Page 187 Flash Player security features......Page 188 About allowing data access between cross-domain SWF files......Page 189 About allowing cross-domain data loading......Page 190 About compatibility with previous Flash Player security models......Page 191 Overview of loading external media......Page 193 Loading external SWF and JPEG files......Page 194 Loading external MP3 files......Page 195 Reading ID3 tags in MP3 files......Page 196 Playing back external FLV files dynamically......Page 197 Preloading external media......Page 198 Preloading SWF and JPEG files......Page 199 Preloading MP3 and FLV files......Page 201 Reference......Page 203 ActionScript Dictionary......Page 205 Entry title......Page 206 Contents of the dictionary......Page 207 Method summary for the Accessibility class......Page 266 Property summary for the Arguments class......Page 272 Array class......Page 273 Constructor for the Array class......Page 274 Boolean class......Page 289 Constructor for the Boolean class......Page 290 Property summary for the Button class......Page 293 Event handler summary for the Button class......Page 294 Property summary for the Camera class......Page 312 Constructor for the Camera class......Page 313 Color class......Page 331 Constructor for the Color class......Page 332 ContextMenu class......Page 335 Constructor for the ContextMenu class......Page 336 Method summary for the ContextMenuItem class......Page 341 Constructor for the ContextMenuItem class......Page 342 Method summary for the CustomActions class......Page 347 Date class......Page 349 Method summary for the Date class......Page 350 Constructor for the Date class......Page 351 Property summary for the Error class......Page 377 Constructor for the Error class......Page 378 Property summary for the Function class......Page 389 Property summary for the Key class......Page 408 Listener summary for the Key class......Page 409 Event handler summary for the LoadVars class......Page 425 Constructor for the LoadVars class......Page 426 Method summary for the LocalConnection class......Page 434 Constructor for the LocalConnection class......Page 435 Math class......Page 445 Method summary for the Math class......Page 446 Property summary for the Math class......Page 447 Method summary for the Microphone class......Page 461 Constructor for the Microphone class......Page 462 Listener summary for the Mouse class......Page 476 Method summary for the MovieClip class......Page 482 Property summary for the MovieClip class......Page 484 Event handler summary for the MovieClip class......Page 486 Method summary for the MovieClipLoader class......Page 544 Constructor for the MovieClipLoader class......Page 545 Constructor for the NetConnection class......Page 555 NetStream class......Page 556 Event handler summary for the NetStream class......Page 557 Constructor for the NetStream class......Page 558 Number class......Page 569 Constructor for the Number class......Page 570 Property summary for the Object class......Page 574 Constructor for the Object class......Page 575 Constructor for the PrintJob class......Page 595 Selection class......Page 607 Listener summary for the Selection class......Page 608 Local disk space considerations......Page 617 Event handler summary for the SharedObject class......Page 618 Constructor for the SharedObject class......Page 619 Method summary for the Sound class......Page 624 Constructor for the Sound class......Page 625 Event handler summary for the Stage class......Page 640 Method summary for the String class......Page 649 Constructor for the String class......Page 650 Event handler summary for the System class......Page 661 Property summary for the System.capabilities object......Page 666 Method summary for the System.security object......Page 675 Property summary for the TextField class......Page 680 Listener summary for the TextField class......Page 682 Method summary for the TextField.StyleSheet class......Page 703 Constructor for the TextField.StyleSheet class......Page 704 TextFormat class......Page 715 Property summary for the TextFormat class......Page 716 Constructor for the TextFormat class......Page 717 Method summary for the TextSnapshot object......Page 725 Property summary for the Video class......Page 744 XML class......Page 751 Property summary for the XML class......Page 752 Constructor for the XML class......Page 753 XMLNode class......Page 773 XMLSocket class......Page 774 Constructor for the XMLSocket class......Page 775 Error Messages......Page 783 Operator Precedence and Associativity......Page 787 Letters A to Z and standard numbers 0 to 9......Page 789 Keys on the numeric keypad......Page 790 Function keys......Page 791 Other keys......Page 792 About targeting older versions of Flash Player......Page 795 Using Flash MX 2004 to open Flash 4 files......Page 796 Using slash syntax......Page 797 About ActionScript 1......Page 799 Creating a custom object in ActionScript 1......Page 800 Assigning methods to a custom object in ActionScript 1......Page 801 Defining event handler methods in ActionScript 1......Page 802 Creating inheritance in ActionScript 1......Page 803 Using Function object properties in ActionScript 1......Page 804 Specifying the object to which a function is applied using Function.apply() in ActionScript 1......Page 805 Index......Page 807