Getting variables from .txt file

[jadarite]

I am looking for a simple way to get variables from a .txt file. I was able to do it in previous versions of Flash, but now I am using CS3. They seem to have changed things. When I try to assign a variable name, it says "You must target ActionScript 1.0-2.0". I don't know what this means, but I do see ActionScript 3.0 being used.

If it can be easily done in 3.0, then I would like to see it.

[neznein9]

Here's what you need to get a textfile in and store it to a string:

const l:URLLoader = new URLLoader();
l.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, onTxtLoad);
l.addEventListener(IOErrorEvent.IO_ERROR, onIO);
l.load(new URLRequest('mytxtfile.txt'));

function onIO(e:IOErrorEvent):void{
    trace('error ' + e.target.url)
}

function onTxtLoad(e:Event)void{
    var s:String = e.target.data;
    trace(s);
} 

To do anything, you'll need to parse the text...the easiest would probably be to put in a special character ('$$' or '|' or something) and use array.split('$$'), which will seperate all the text between those characters into different array cells.

If you're doing anything bigger, you should probably switch over to json (search for as3corelib) or else just use an xml file.

[jadarite]

1) When I paste in the code, I get an error message when publishing.

"Scene 1, Layer 'load text', Frame 1, Line 9 1158: Syntax error: missing left brace ({) before the function body."

Adding one just gives another error message.

2) Where do I put the code "array.split('$$')"

Can't I use "&" in the next file before a new variable? Or is this obsolete now? If you think it is more complicated now, is it possible see a demo file?

I am doing something very simple, just a few variables containing text which can be modified.

[5TonsOfFlax]

Although I haven't done this, I think you can still use the old urlencoded variables style text files, but you need to load them with a URLLoader and set the dataFormat to VARIABLES. Check the livedocs for URLLoader and URLLoaderDataFormat for example code.

http://livedocs.adobe.com/flash/9.0/...riptLangRefV3/

[neznein9]

1 - Sorry, I missed the colon...onTxtLoad(e:Event):void{

2 - You would split the text in the onTxtLoad function...so if you had this text file:

123$$Some rockin text$$and some more text

You could do this:

function onTxtLoad(e:Event):void{ 
    const s:String = e.target.data;     
    const a:Array = s.split('$$');
    trace('First var:' + a[0]);        //  123
    trace('Second var:' + a[1]);        //  Some rockin text
    trace('Third var:' + a[2]);        //  and some more text
} 

3 - Flax is probably right, although I havent done it since the mx epoch so I don't remember how it's done either :/

[jadarite]

I can't seem to get any of this to work, now another error message "1037: Packages cannot be nested.

It just gets more confusing. I don't know what the code means, so I am just cutting and pasting. I am an absolute beginner, so I don't know the component parts of this beyond what worked in previous versions.

If only they just left it the way it was, I would be done. But now, it seems like it is a huge task just to call up one variable.

[cancerinform]

Here is an example:
function completeHandler (event:Event):void
{
trace (event.currentTarget.data.var1);
event.currentTarget.removeEventListener (Event.COMPLETE, completeHandler);
}

var request:URLRequest=new URLRequest;
request.url="xml_files/textexample.txt";
request.method=URLRequestMethod.POST;
var loader:URLLoader=new URLLoader;
loader.dataFormat=URLLoaderDataFormat.VARIABLES;
loader.load (request);
loader.addEventListener (Event.COMPLETE, completeHandler);

In your text you have for example:
var1=1

[jadarite]

Ok, that brought no error messages, but nothing seems to show the variable text I have. How do I get it to display the text from the .txt file? Is there a working demo I can look at?