Expert Coder Take A Look: Duplicate scripts?

[Liquid Genius]

Are these scripts the same? They are to pass a code to another MC.

tellTarget ("_root.Controller") {
    Gotojail = 0;
}

and

_root.Controller:Gotojail = 0;

or maybe this one

tellTarget (_root.Controller:Gotojail = 0);

I dont know if I need the quotations around the address. Any knowledge you have on this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
JZ

[swampy]

yes they are the same except fo one slip up . use the second one with a dot instaed of a colon thus :

_root.Controller.Gotojail = 0;

"tell target" is depreciated syntax and may not survive the next version of flash

[stork1515]

swampy-

does : do anything in AS?

[Liquid Genius]

So would this also be ok using the same type of syntax? It originates in another MC off the main timeline.

If (_root.Controller:Gotojail = 0){
         gotoAndPlay ("Jail");
      }

[Liquid Genius]

Hmmm Im passing the variable to MC instance Controller and the variable in it is called Gotojail. In order to reference the variable it should be:

_root.Controller:Gotojail = 0

or

_root.Controller.Gotojail = 0

My Flash 4 book (sorry I havent saved enough for a Flash 5 one yet) tells me that it used to be the : method to reference a variable in a MC. But it is . method now in Flash 5??

[stork1515]

yes you must use the period instead of the colon.


....this is starting to sound like high school sex ed class

dan

[Liquid Genius]

LOL

Sorry Im still trying to adjust to Flash 5 scripting.

So I take it that when you use the . method Flash 5 automatically looks for a variable named whatever comes after the . What if you have a variable and a child MC both named the same thing, inside that MC?? How does it know which one?

Thanks,
JZ
[Edited by Liquid Genius on 06-15-2001 at 04:39 PM]

[swampy]

broken down it means

_root go up to the main timeline

.controller look in the controller mc

. Gotojail look in the Gotojail variable

= 0

all the dots do is seperate the objects and variables.

[stork1515]

They should have different names, right. It makes for more readable and understandable code anyway. In version 5 it could be a variable, movieclip, or text box. They are all targeted the same way.

Dan

[Liquid Genius]

Thats great guys! Thanks for the help. It is all starting to make sense now.

John

[Liquid Genius]

Not to bother you anymore than I have, but......


When do I use the single = and when the == ?

[stork1515]

i think the single = is to assign value to something like:

var number = 5;

and the two == is to determine equality:

if ( number == 5 ) {
movieOne.gotoAndPlay ();
}


dan

[swampy]

single are for when you assign a value to a variable:

ie

_root.Controller:Gotojail = 0

and == for comaprison i.e

if( _root.Controller:Gotojail == 0) {

do this

}

beat me to it !

[Liquid Genius]

Awesome! Well thats all the questions I have for now...youve helped me immensely!

JZ