newb question:What are Arrays?

[tongxn]

Quite Basic Questions I have, yet quite complicated answers I think I am gonna get from these newb questions.

What are Arrays? and How do you use them? and How to use a specific number to point into a variable in a array group?..

Regard,
Tongxn

p.s. Im just asking this coz i read this script about making an electric Clock in Flash...
p.s.s. Its impossible to search Array, so don't try.

[flashfixer]

http://www.flashkit.com/search.php?term=array

[walsher]

Arrays are kinda like variables but much bigger. Meaning that they hold alot information in them and can then be used to display that info or store it. Heres a small example:

code:

---

var aEmployees:Array = new Array(4);

aEmployees[0] = "Arun";

aEmployees[1] = "Peter";//these are what you start out on in the array

aEmployees[2] = "Chris";

aEmployees[3] = "Heather";

aEmployees.push("Billy");//this adds a new item to the bottom of the array

aEmployees.unshift("Bobby");//this adds new item to the top of the array

aEmployees.splice(2, 0, "Amy");//this adds to array, but anywhere

trace (aEmployees.String);

---

[tongxn]

oh so you set the array aEmployees and then you give something like a reference number to the thing..

//right?
aEmployees[0] = "Arun";
// so if there's a variable like -
description = aEmployees[0];
// is that how you call it up?

[whispers]

basically yes...then you have MULTI-DIMENSIONAL ARRAYS as well.. whre each element [x] in the parent/main array is an array itself..

example:

code:

---

var productName:String = prodNumber[1].prodName[0];

---

you'll like them..they are fun...

the real power comes from being able to use them with LOOPS...

[walsher]

Multi ah, haven't used them before. I'll have to experiment with it sometime. Do they work just a regular array, but instead hold another array?

[whispers]

exactly...just that each element in the MAIN array is also an arraywith its OWN elements..

Main[1].sub[4]

etc..etc..



if you know how to path/run through arrays..you'd have NO problem using XML now...

[walsher]

Ok, I gotcha. Doesn't sound to bad.

I'm not too sure if I'm ready for XML. But thanks for the input Whispers.

[whispers]

I think you are..you'd be surprised how EASY it is..once you walk through one ot two examples...

the only NEW thing you need to pick up is the XML commands.. (firstNode, childNode, parentNode..etc) all self explainitory...

you treat it the same way you would a larVars object..except its an XML object...and once loaded..you treat it like an ARRAY (XML is really just one big array)

[walsher]

I see, thats kinda cool. I wouldn't mind learning XML and possible php. But don't you need server stuff to work with either of them, or am I looking into something else?

[whispers]

for PHP you need to have your scripts on a web server..whether your web host or a personal Apache/IIS install on your machine (comes on XP Pro disk I believe)

XML you can test locally no problems...just like a .txt file. It bascially "IS" just a text file...except that theINSDIE contents..are parsed in as an ARRAY

[walsher]

Oh okay, i see. Just from hearing the guys at work talk about XML, it always sounded like they were talking about server stuff. Must have misinterpeted what they were say'n.

I'll have to find some tutorials on them now. At least XML.

[whispers]

XML itself it nothing.... EASY as pie... sorta like HTML...but you get the flexibility of making up your OWN tags names... it does NOTHING visually to you content.. its just a way of organizing it.

example: I want to make an XML file to organize a book content/data.
(and I make and use what I want)

<book>
    <author>Joe Blow</author>
    <title>some book</title>
</book> 

thre ya go..an XML file... nothing to it.. the HARD part is what system is going to PARSE this XML file and "WHAT" to do with this data...

FLASH has its own XML parser..and reads the XML file in as a BIG ARRAY object.
book being the first array element.. you can access them as such: firstNode, childNode, siblingNode..etc.. or firstNode.ChildNode... that would be the author NODE.

[tongxn]

mm so how do you set up a path to a variable inside an Array?
It sounds quite cool and makes AScripting easy but

Is it like the type i used or what?

Thanks for the Imput guys.

[whispers]

well if its XML..you would use the XML actions liek childNode and what not..but still similar.. (and theres only a few)

example: (for a store/shopping cart I made)

code:

---

//create XML object

myXML_xml.ignoreWhite = true;

myXML_xml.onLoad = getTotalProducts;

myXML_xml.load("products.xml"); //local version



//what to do when/if the XML file loads

function getTotalProducts(success):Void {

	if (success == true) {

        // make quick refernece VARIABLES to the certain NODES in my XML object (faster then typing them all out each time)

		rootNode = myXML_xml.firstChild;

		productsNode = rootNode.childNodes;

		totalProducts = rootNode.childNodes.length; //counts how many total "products/nodes" I have

		// a function that attaches as many CLIPS as there are child nodes in my XML document

		createTemplates(); 		

	}else {

		trace("Load Failed");

	}

}



//function to attachClips according to the totalProducts

function createTemplates():Void {

    for (i=0; i<totalProducts; i++) {

        var attachProduct:MovieClip = attachMovie("templateClip", "product"+i, i);

        attachProduct._y +=10;

        attachProduct._y += i * 50;

    }

}

---

[walsher]

Well, from your example up top your close. Instead of,
description = aEmployees[0];

You'd have it like this.

code:

---

  var description:Array = new Array

description[0] = "Arun" 

---

And if you want to refer to something in it you use desription and then whatever line it is in.