sending a var between functions (but using Timer)

[aidanmack]

Hi guys im using the timer to triger a second function from the top one.
But how do i sent a variable from the top function down to second one??

public function wait_for_flv() {
     var poo = "plop";
     var myTimer:Timer = new Timer(5000, 1);
      myTimer.addEventListener("timer",attach_menu);
      myTimer.start();
}


public function attach_menu(event:TimerEvent):void {

	trace("plop");			
}

The above code works fine, but how would you send the var poo down to attached_menu function??

Tar
Aidan

[5TonsOfFlax]

You can't.

But you do have alternatives. The easiest way is to put poo in a scope which is accessible to both wait_for_flv and attach_menu. Simply move it up to the class level:

private var poo;
public function wait_for_flv() {
     poo = "plop";
     var myTimer:Timer = new Timer(5000, 1);
      myTimer.addEventListener("timer",attach_menu);
      myTimer.start();
}

public function attach_menu(event:TimerEvent):void {

	trace(poo);			
}

This is kind of clumsy, but not terrible.

A second choice would be to create an anonymous thunk function as an event handler.

public function wait_for_flv() {
     var poo = "plop";
     var myTimer:Timer = new Timer(5000, 1);
      myTimer.addEventListener("timer",makeAttachMenuListener(poo));
      myTimer.start();
}

private function makeAttachMenuListener(poo:String):Function{
  return function(event:Event):void{
    attach_menu(poo);
  }
}

public function attach_menu(p:String):void {

	trace(p);			
}

This technique is more sophisticated, but be VERY aware that creating anonymous functions to use as event listeners is a fast-track to memory leaks unless you are very careful. This is also not a true thunk, as it takes an argument, but that's merely a technicality.

[aidanmack]

Thanks for explaining that to me 5tons!
Think i will stick with the private var looks a bit easyier!

Thanks again
Aidan