ActionScript Question

Summary:

Yes indeedy.

ActionScript Question

Linkage2 13 Sep 2007 07:53

Ok. Firstly, I'm trying to declare a 2D array with all its values predetermined. However, trying to declare it with the following code seems to leave all the values as undefined. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

var lvl:Number = new Number((0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0),
                           (0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0),
                           (0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0),
                           (0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0),
                           (0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0),
                           (0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0),
                           (0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0),
                           (0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0),
                           (1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1));

Also, if I try to declare a class like this:

class Walls {

}

I get an error message saying "Classes may only be defined in external ActionScript 2.0 class scripts." What does this mean?

Re: ActionScript Question

Anonymous (127.0.0.x) 13 Sep 2007 13:42

Ok, in flash, the variable types are Number, Boolean (maybe Bool), and Array. It's oversimplified. So it'd be like

myArray = new Array[[1,2],[3,4]];

I think that's right, I can't ever remember if it's [ or { for the array definition.

You can't define classes inside flash, you can, but they're just objects with functions and properties, not exactly a class, but it works as one.
Create a new .as file and put it in the same folder as your flash document, name it Walls.as , the name has to be exactly what the class name is.

public class Walls extends MovieClip
{
int width;
public Walls(int w)
{
this.width = w;
}
public void TraceSomething()
{
trace("Tear down the wall! Tear down the wall! Tear down the wall!");
}
}

Re: ActionScript Question

Anonymous (127.0.0.x) 13 Sep 2007 13:42

This is Woad, it says i'm logged in, but then it won't post with my username.

Re: ActionScript Question

hartnell 13 Sep 2007 14:16

As much as I hate to say it, I'm out of the flash arena until I can afford to buy a newer version of Flash. —hartnell

Re: ActionScript Question

Anonymous (202.182.65.x) 14 Sep 2007 01:29

(Linkage)

Yeah, that's one thing I don't like about ActionScript. If I try to access an undeclared array or try to declare an array the wrong way, it doesn't really say anything and just continues on. It's weird saying this, but I think I actually kind of miss getting "Array index out of bounds" and other such messages. :P

As for the classes, considering I only need to pair two variables together (AS doesn't seem to have structures) I may as well forget about defining classes for now.

Anyway, I'm at school at the moment so I can't try this out right now. But I'll try it out when I get home.

Re: ActionScript Question

Linkage2 14 Sep 2007 05:48

Ok, I'm at home now and I've just tried out what you said. The following code worked:

var lvl:Array = new Array([0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0],
                           [0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0],
                           [0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0],
                           [0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0],
                           [0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0],
                           [0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0],
                           [0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0],
                           [0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0],
                           [1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1,1]);

This basically backs up what I said about ActionScript not saying anything about some errors. To put it in a Hartnell-esque analogy, AS needs to stand up for itself. :)

Anyway, thanks for the help.

Re: ActionScript Question

Linkage2 22 Sep 2007 03:45

Alright, I've gotten around to needing classes and I've figured out how. It's not quite how you did it Woad, but I was getting error messages with that so I fiddled with it and it came out right. I also think you got some C++ mixed in there by accident. :P

But anyway, my question is about declaring an array of objects. In AS, when you declare an object, it expects to be passed the start-off values for that object which are then passed to the constructor, as it would seem. So, if you try to declare an array of objects like this:

var enemy:Enemies = new Enemies(500);

It won't declare an array but will instead assume that the 500 is a parameter to be passed to the Constructor. So, I've managed to fix that by doing this:

var enemy:Array = new Array(500);

for (g = 0; g < 501; g++) {
    enemy[g] = new Enemies(false, null, 0);
}

Which works fine, but I'm just wondering, is there a better way to do it? This way just seems unusual, although if there's no better way it's fine.

And for the sake of it, here's my Class declaration code:

class Enemies {
    public var sp, used:Boolean, eType:Number;
    private var dir:Number = 1;

    public function Enemies(used, sp, eType) {
        this.used = used;
        this.sp = sp;
        this.eType = eType;
    }
}

Well, that's the start of it anyway, it's just a generic enemy class (I plan on using Inheritance to declare individual enemy classes with those base properties).

Re: ActionScript Question

u9 22 Sep 2007 09:19

I don't know action script, but clearly 500 is a parameter to the constructor of the class in your first code-snippet. I can't imagine there is any other way then the one you do with the for-loop, although you should note that you are actually creating 501 Enemies.

Re: ActionScript Question

Linkage2 22 Sep 2007 10:28

Yeah, I know it's 501, I'm used to how B4GL declares arrays as including the 0 array (so by declaring var(1) you have var(0) and var(1)), and because AS doesn't say anything if you reference an undeclared variable I can't tell if AS does the same thing or not.

Re: ActionScript Question

u9 22 Sep 2007 21:47

I would expect AS to be like c++ or java, where, when you declare array(500), you get an array of 500 elements numbered from 0 to 499, but again, i don't know :$

Re: ActionScript Question

bmatthew1 22 Sep 2007 21:59

Yeah, you're right.

Read what it says here about Arrays in ActionScript starting at 0.

Re: ActionScript Question

Linkage2 23 Sep 2007 07:06

Ah, ok then.