Changing a Variable name

[Fragtagonal]

var fish:Number = 2;
for (i=1; i<=fish; i++) {
var xdir:Number = Math.random()*100;
var ydir:Number = Math.random()*100;
if (xdir<50) {
_root.fish_(i.valueOf).xspeed=5

} else {
_root.fish_(i.valueOf).xspeed=5
}
if (ydir<50) {
(fish_(i.valueOf())).yspeed = -5;
} else {
(fish_(i.valueOf())).yspeed = 5;
}

}

The part that isnt working is the value of part, im trying to make it so that the loop adresses both fish by changing the name of the variable.
So there is fish_1 and fish_2 and i want to loop twice and pick either negative 5 or positive for x and y speed but how do i change the name of the variabel fish_...???

[Quixx]

Try using eval() to create a variable that will point to each fish. In the example below, the variable "wf" is assigned to point to either "fish1" MC or "fish2" MC on the stage. Then each MC is given an "xspeed", "yspeed", and onEnterFrame function, and has it's x scale changed to point the way it is going to move, by using the "wf" variable to point to it.

var fish:Number = 2;
for (i=1; i<=fish; i++) {
	var wf:MovieClip = eval("fish"+i);
	wf.xspeed = random(2)%2 == 0 ? dir=-5 : dir=5;
	wf.yspeed = random(2)%2 == 0 ? dir=-5 : dir=5;
	wf._xscale = 20*wf.xspeed;
	wf.onEnterFrame = function() {
		this._x += this.xspeed;
		this._y += this.yspeed;
	};
}

[Fragtagonal]

neato! Thanks

Ehhh...Not so neato, that totally screwed my collision affect where i have the3 two fish "bounce" off each other, now its like an orbital sling shot lol

[Boris the Frog]

you can keep your old code the same with:

var fish:Number = 2;
for (i=1; i<=fish; i++) {
	var myFish:MovieClip = ["fish"+i];
	var xdir:Number = Math.random()*100;
	var ydir:Number = Math.random()*100;
	if (xdir<50) {
		myFish.xspeed = -5;
	} else {
		myFish.xspeed = 5;
	}
	if (ydir<50) {
		myFish.yspeed = -5;
	} else {
		myFish.yspeed = 5;
	}
}

Although Quixx's use of :

wf.xspeed = random(2)%2 == 0 ? dir=-5 : dir=5;
wf.yspeed = random(2)%2 == 0 ? dir=-5 : dir=5;

shortens up the code you have used considerably

so....

var fish:Number = 2;
for (i=1; i<=fish; i++) {
	var myFish:MovieClip = ["fish"+i];
	myFish.xspeed = random(2)%2 == 0 ? dir=-5 : dir=5;
	myFish.yspeed = random(2)%2 == 0 ? dir=-5 : dir=5;
	//myFish._xscale = 20*myFish.xspeed;
	//myFish.onEnterFrame = function() {
		//this is where your fish were speeding up -it's adding the new speeds
		//to their current position on every frame - so they get faster!!!!
		//this._x += this.xspeed;
		//this._y += this.yspeed;
	//};
}

[Quixx]

Thanks for assist Boris the Frog. My apologies Fragtagonal. I should've explained that the code I posted was only an example of how you would use the variable created using eval(["MC"+i) (or in Boris the Frog's example, ["MC"+i]). I didn't intend for you to be able to drop everything there into your clip.