Some cool actionscript 1-liners. Add yours!

[jbum]

A list of cool 1-3 line actionscript tricks. Add yours to this thread!

Try to keep them to 3 lines or under...

// In a string, replace all occurences of '[' with '<'.
txt = txt.split('[').join('<');

// Randomly shuffle an array:
myArray.sort(function(a,b){return random(3)-1;});

// Randomly shuffle an array and get M items from it.
myArray.sort(function(a,b){return random(3)-1;});
mySubset = myArray.slice(0,M);

// Swap two variables, x and y
var tmp = x;        
x = y;        
y = tmp;

// Swap two integers (no temporary value needed)
x ^= y;   
y ^= x; 
x ^= y;

// Create an array of N numbers from 1 to N.
myArray = new Array();	
for (var i = 1; i <= N; ++i)	
    myArray.push(i);

// Convert r,g,b values to a single color value.
myColor = (r << 16) | (g << 8) | b;

// Make a random color
myColor = random(0x1000000);

// Lighten a dark color
myColor |= 0x808080;

// Darken a light color
myColor &= 0x7F7F7F;

- Jim

[Xurion_Flash_Man]

Here's some duplicating code:

mcnum++;
duplicateMovieClip(this, "newname" + mcnum, mcnumn);
_y = Math.random() * Stage.height;

XFM

[jbum]

From some recent posts...

// Reverse the lines in a text field named myTextField
myTextField.text = myTextField.text.split("\r").reverse.join("\r");

// Shrink a movieclip 'mc' to a box the size of SQUARE x SQUARE
mc._xscale = mc._yscale = 100*SQUARE/Math.max(mc._width,mc._height);

- jbum

[jbum]

Generate an X coordinate in a random range with a gap in the middle. In this example, mc is placed either from 60-120 or from 330-390. Note: You don't need a loop to do this.

Method 1:

var r = random(120);
mc._y = r + ((r > 120)? 330 : 60);

Method 2:

var r = random(120);
mc._y = r + 60 + 110*(r > 120);

Randomly position a movieclip within a rectangle from 10,5 to 200,120. Make sure entire movieclip fits within this area. Note that width of this rectangle is 190 and the height is 115.

  mc._x = 10 + random(190 - mc._width);
  mc._y = 5 + random(115 - mc._width);

[mkantor]

Place movie clip number i at the ith place in a rectangular array. Running off the end of the first row puts you into the second row, etc.

code:

---

mc._x = (i % rowLength) * horizontalSpacing;

mc._y = Math.floor(i / rowLength) * verticalSpacing;

---

----------------------------------------

A lifesaver when you have trouble finding out what the exact path to a movieClip is:

code:

---

on(press) { trace(this); }

---

Attach this to your movie clip, test the movie, and press on the movie clip to see its full name.

----------------------------------------

Set the squares of a chessboard to alternating colors. Here, the square is in row i, column j.

code:

---

var c = new Color(this);

c.setRGB( (i+j) % 2 ? 0xFFFFFF : 0);

---

[gotoAndLearn()]

learnt this one from "a_modified_dog";
It is an itenary toggle switch.

code:

---

toggled = (pressed = !pressed) ? trace("on") : trace("off");

---

[mneil]

This is from the help files, not that complicated but can be useful. A function that returns a random number between a set minimum and maximum number.

function randRange(min:Number, max:Number):Number {
var randomNum:Number = Math.floor(Math.random() * (max - min + 1)) + min;
return randomNum; }

[ugoDesigns]

A great little scripted motion spring effect to be placed within a movie clip

var moveY:Number = 0
this.onEnterFrame = function() {
	moveY += (0-this._y)/3;
	moveY *= 0.8
	this._y += moveY;
}

[ugoDesigns]

Check if a number is odd or even

var evalNumber:Number = 3
if ((evalNumber%2) == 0) {
		//even
	} else {
		//odd
}

[a_modified_dog]

to toggle a Boolean value
for example the selected property of a Checkbox component

cb1.selected = true;
btn.onRelease = function(){ cb1.selected = !(a=!a); };

to compare two arrays -

if (Array1.join('')==Array2.join('')){ trace ('they are the same')}

to sort a numerical array

function lowToHigh(a,b){ return a>b; };  arr.sort(lowToHigh); 
function highToLow(a,b){ return a<b; };  arr.sort(highToLow);

to find numbers within a range of numbers -

function inRange(a,b,c){ var d = a-b; var e = (d != 0) ? d/Math.abs(d) : 1;
return (((c-b)-(d))*e>=0); };
for(var ii=0; ii<25; ii++){ trace(ii+": "+(inRange(ii,5,20))); }

to add a leading zero -

function pad(n){ return ("0"+String(n)).substr(-2, 2); };
for(var i=0; i!=11; i++){ trace(pad(i)); }
// for handling negative numbers -
function pad(n){ var str = String(Math.abs(n));
return (str.length >= 2) ? str : (n<0 ? '-' : '' ) +'0'+str; };
for(var i=-5; i<=5; i++ ){ trace(pad(i)) }

for more, visit the Code Bank link in my sig.

[gorlummeeguvnor]

flip a mc

mc._xscale*=-1;

[shavingcream]

pretty simple one put this on a mc and it will become the mouse

onClipEvent(enterFrame){
_y = _root._ymouse;
_x = _root._xmouse;
Mouse.hide();
}

[shavingcream]

very simple and yet extremely usefull if you want to place more than one mc w/out the first one dissapearing type this before you place it

var newDepth = ++depth;
var name = "ball"+newDepth;
var bullet = _root.attachMovie("ball", name, newDepth);

ball is what i named the mc when i exported it for actionscript

[shavingcream]

this one is to repeat music using actionscript

var my_music:Sound = new Sound();
my_music.attachSound("music");
my_music.onSoundComplete = function(){
my_music.start();
}
my_music.start();

to make this work import your music into the movie and right click (or control click) on it and select linkage then type in: music

[shavingcream]

not exactly 3 lines but this will allow you to draw


this.createEmptyMovieClip("myClip",1);

function changeColor(col){
myClip.lineStyle(2,col,100);

onMouseDown = function () {
myClip.moveTo(_xmouse, _ymouse);
onMouseMove = function () {
myClip.lineTo(_xmouse, _ymouse);};
};
onMouseUp=function(){
onMouseMove=null;
}
};

[shavingcream]

and to change the color put this script in

red.onRelease = function(){
changeColor(0xFF0000);
};

give your button and instance name on red

[shavingcream]

o and sorry the drawing one wont work unless you put this at the end

changeColor(0x000000);

and for those of you who just started to figure out the code for a color it will be shown when you change the color in the drawing tool next to the color at the top

[shavingcream]

put this on an mc and it will face the direction of your mouse


onClipEvent(enterFrame){
onMouseMove = function() {
updateAfterEvent();
xdiff = _root._xmouse-_x;
ydiff = _root._ymouse-_y;
angle = Math.atan2(ydiff, xdiff);
angle = angle*180/Math.PI;
_rotation = angle;
}
}

[designforce]

For the type of projects I work on this is very helpful. In the example below I am disabling _items 1 - 100. Can also use it for _visible, alpha, etc etc etc.

function whatEverYouWant() {
for (var i = 1; i<100; i++) {
this["_item"+i].enabled = false;
}
}
function whatEverYouWant2() {
for (var i = 1; i<100; i++) {
this["_item"+i].enabled = true;
}
}

Cheers

[mneil]

gravity function that will make the item fall depending on the size of the object. The bigger the object, the faster it falls.

function gravity(clip){
		clip._y += (clip._width+clip._height)/15
}

I just changed it to work with multiple clips. Still has a flaw as pointed out in the next post.