[RESOLVED] case Keyboard.ENTER works, why not case Keyboard.anyletter?

[brainSalad]

Hi gang, first off I want to say that I completed my app development program certificate through the University of Washington this past week, and I got through a couple of sticky areas thanks only to the helpful members of Flashkit boards. I am very thankful.
With 9 months of curriculum in my head, it seems that I've really only scratched the surface of AS.

My current project, one I came up with after being inspired by this fellow's drum playing app (http://travisroof.com/coastdrums.html) is to let the user strum notes in a guitar A minor pentatonic scale. I've recorded the notes and have progressed to the point where I'm programming the actual note playing.

I've decided that while playing a guitar via mouse click may sound cool I think it'd be better to wire the notes up via keyboard. And I have hit a snag that I don't understand.

loA.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, playLowA);
loC.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, playLowC);
loD.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, playLowD);

etc...

function playLowA(evt:MouseEvent):void{
    if(channel){
        channel.stop();
        channel = blLowA.play();
    } else {
    channel = blLowA.play();
    }
}

function playLowC(evt:MouseEvent):void{
    if(channel){
        channel.stop();
        channel = blLowC.play();
    } else {
    channel = blLowC.play();
    }
}

etc...

That's how the mouseclick function/events work. No problem. Having 12 separate notes as their own functions may seem belabored, but it satisfies Programmers Rule #1: It Works.

Here's how I'd like to have it set up:

stage.addEventListener(KeyboardEvent.KEY_DOWN, playKeyboardNote);

function playKeyboardNote(evt:KeyboardEvent):void
{
    switch(evt.keyCode){
        case Keyboard.ENTER:
        if(channel){
        channel.stop();
        channel = blLowA.play();
        } else {
        channel = blLowA.play();
        }
        break;
        case Keyboard.BACKSPACE:
        if(channel){
        channel.stop();
        channel = blLowC.play();
        } else {
        channel = blLowC.play();
        }
        break;
    }
}

But instead of ENTER and BACKSPACE I want to use my own key assignments, namely Q W E R T Y U I O P[ ]

And the 'intellisense' capability in Flash CS4 shows that it is a possibility: when typing

case Keyboard.

dozens of key choices are available, including regular ol' letters...
So why doesn't

case Keyboard.Q:
        if(channel){
        channel.stop();
        channel = blLowA.play();
        } else {
        channel = blLowA.play();
        }
        break;

work for me in this script?
If Keyboard.ENTER is a valid option, why isn't Keyboard.Q?
And yes, when testing the movie, I do choose 'Disable keyboard shortcuts.'
And, though i don't know if it's important, I include this at the top:

import flash.ui.Keyboard;

This is gonna be one howling cool app. I've recorded the pentatonic scale in a regular bluesy amp effect, and I've got a shredding metal-like amp effect recorded ready to go, as well. I also plan to have a backing track option, so the user can play out their own little guitar solo.

Thanks very much
Don

[5TonsOfFlax]

For some absolutely infathomable (to me) reason, the letter constants on Keyboard are AIR-only. Except for G. Seriously.

But you can use the charCode or keyCode properties of the KeyboardEvent to get the letter which was pressed.

You can take a look at my SpecificKeys class for an example. Or just use it.
http://cosmodro.me/blog/2008/sep/2/specific-keys/

[brainSalad]

Thanks flax. What is the .me extension on your url?

[5TonsOfFlax]

Technically, .me belongs to Montenegro. But it's one of those open country code top-level domains that sell to anyone. I just liked having "cosmodrome" for a url. I also got "gimmegimmegim.me", but haven't done anything with it and it's going to expire soon.

[brainSalad]

I found a way to easily make individual letters/keys wired up as event listeners/triggers for actions. I didn't come up with this myself, I found it listed on a website...somewhere... i really should find out exactly where to give them credit.

Anyway...

import flash.ui.Keyboard;
import flash.events.KeyboardEvent;

stage.addEventListener(KeyboardEvent.KEY_DOWN, functionName);

function functionName(keyEvent:KeyboardEvent)
{
switch(keyEvent.keyCode){
case keyEvent.keyCode = 81:
** Insert your action here **
break;
}
}

Now, this keyCode = 81 translates to the letter 'Q' key.
The top row keyCodes are:
Q, W, E, R, T, Y, U, I, O, P

81, 87, 69, 82, 84, 89, 85, 73, 79, 80

[brainSalad]

here's the URL that showed me how to assign keyboard presses as event triggers:
http://www.kirupa.com/developer/as3/...yboard_as3.htm