[F9 AS 2.0] BIG function access problem

This happens in F8 as well, so its a macromedia thing

OK i have a huge problem:
A while back while learning about how functions work in AS 2.0 i understood that i can call a function before declaring it and it should work.

This works within the same frame:

Code:

---

test_function();

function test_function() {
  trace("test");
}

---

What i dont get is if i have 2 layers and i declare the function on the bottom layer and call it in the top layer (the one above), it doesn't work.
I have to switch the layer order to get this working

Is this a bug i have or just macromedia stupidity?

How can flash not recongnize a function if its on the same frame in the timeline, just a different layer?

Flash runs actionscripts in the frames in the order: top to bottom.

So it will parse and run your top frame actions, then parse the lower layer actions and run them and so on...

So in the above case since flash hasnt already parsed the function (in the bottom layer) it will not work..

heres an example which may make it clearer, put this in your top frame:

trace("top");
for (var i:Number = 0; i<10; i++) {
trace(i);
}

and put this in your bottom layer:

trace("bottom layer");

Well i got the idea.
What seems strange to me is this:

Inside a single frame, even though flash reads one line at a time, and the following code

Code:

---

trace("A");
trace("B");

---

will have the following output

Code:

---

A
B

---

if i call a function that has not yet been declared, it works, so flash reads ahead inside a single frame and this outputs correctly

Code:

---

test(5);
function test(i) {
trace(i);
}

---

traces:

Code:

---

5

---

So in this case, flash does not read top to bottom, it kinda reads all ahead and then starts compiling.
It seems strange that it does not do that for different layers also.
It would be more logic, if it does read ahead, to read ahead everything, including other layers, initiate all the functions and then start the linear compiling.

Am i wrong?

I know what you mean ..

but actually flash doesnt actually read ahead as such.. when you define a function in this format

Code:

---

test();

function test(){
 trace("in test")
}

---

it parses these functions before executing any code, so all the functions are 'ready' when called...

on the other hand if you define the function using this format (even on the same frame)

Code:

---

test();

test = function(){
  trace("in test");
}

---

it will not trace out, because flash does not parse functions defined in this way initially...

anyway i would recommend not to split your actionscript across different layers (it will most definitely cause complications)

P.S (although i know what you mean..it would be good if at compilation, the layers were 'flattened w.r.t the AS' and the actionscript read from top-down across the layers)

Thanks alot for the replies silentweed

Will remeber the function format issue, as i may run into it in the future. I guess you saved a few hours of banging my head against the desk with that.

Thanks
Cheers

your welcome, glad i could help