Instance name being used as movie clip text

Try code snippets.

mac monkey,

>> Hi, I have a button that I want to have set functions, but
>> I want it to contain dynamic text so that whatever the
>> name of the instance, it is also the text of that instance...

All right. The text part is unrelated to the part about assigning
functions. Let's take them one at a time. Your subect line speaks of
"movie clip text," so I'll assume your button is a MovieCip instance (that
is, a movie clip symbol), not a Button instance.

Give your movie clip an instance name by selecting it on the Stage and
looking to the Property inspector. Let's say you choose the instance name
theClip. Make sure the dynamic text field also has an instance name (we'll
say theField). Then, from a keyframe in the timeline that contains the
movie clip (which, in turn, contains your text field), type the following:

theClip.theField.text = theClip._name;

What's happening here? Well, look up the class entries for MovieClip
and TextField, and you'll see. We're using the MovieClip._name property to
retrieve the movie clip's instance name and we're using the TextField.text
property to set the dynamic text field's textual content. (As an aside,
class entries in the ActionScript Language Reference are your best bet a a
first stop for research. Classes define object, and just about everything
in ActionScript is an object. Properties are an object's characteristics;
methods are the things an object can do; events are the things an object can
react to.)

To assign functions to a movie clip-based button, look up the MovieClip
class events.

theClip.onRelease = function() {
// put your instructions here
}

>> so my standard button could be used in an instance
>> called hello-where the text is hello and an instance
>> called goodbye where the text is goodbye.

That'll do it. I don't know what you mean by "standard button"; perhaps
you're speaking of a Button instance. If that's it, the same principle
applies, but I should mention that I cannot seem to set dynamic text inside
a Button instance (a button symbol). I'm not saying it cannot be done --
I'm actually surprised that I can't -- but a movie clip button handles this
just as nicely.

> Oh and I'll also want to associate different values to
> variables in each instance of the button.

Not sure what you're asking.

> Is there any easy way to do this...I mean I'm a little
> confused by the whole structure of the timelines and
> symbols and stuff.

The MovieClip class is arguably the most important class to learn, since
even the main timeline (the published SWF itself) is a movie clip.

> I don't want to assign a variable to the instance and
> find it's assigned it to the button and hence all instances
> of the button.

You don't want to "assign a variable to the instance" -- *what*
instance? If you put ActionScript inside the timeline or a given symbol,
then all instances of that symbol will contain that ActionScript. If you
scope variables, functions, and the like to your instances as I described
above, the code will only apply to the instance(s) you choose.

> Where would I put the variables that just relate to that
> instance, but can be refered to in the button.

In a keyframe of the timeline that holds your instance. Just use the
instance name to direct your ActionScript.


David
stiller (at) quip (dot) net
Dev essays: http://www.quip.net/blog/
"Luck is the residue of good design."

Oh and I'll also want to associate different values to variables in each instance of the button. Is there any easy way to do this...I mean I'm a little confused by the whole structure of the timelines and symbols and stuff. I don't want to assign a variable to the instance and find it's assigned it to the button and hence all instances of the button. Where would I put the variables that just relate to that instance, but can be refered to in the button.

If you see what I mean...I want to set some variables in each of the instances that a standard method in the button reads in different values depending on the instance.