Issues with simple banner
OK, I am trying to rework an AS1 piece for the learning process of trying to get used to AS3. The original is not my piece - but it is something worth trying to figure out.
Basically, it pulls information from an external text file, and plays some simple animation.
At one point, I had everything working fine.
Then, in the process of trying to actually set things up for the animation using the external class, I went searching for help on animating the text pulled from the file, and was pointed (by a Developer Expert that claimed to be from Adobe) to Caurina Tweener to do this.
OK, so I did. And at first, it worked.
Then, following the documentation, I tried adding an "onComplete" to the code for the Tweener class. Of course, then I got an error stating:
TypeError: Error #1009: Cannot access a property or method of a null object reference.
at externalText/completeHandler()
at flash.events::EventDispatcher/dispatchEventFunction()
at flash.events::EventDispatcher/dispatchEvent()
at flash.net::URLLoader/onComplete()
So, since everything was working correctly BEFORE I added the onComplete() reference, I went back to that working version. Except even after saving, after commenting everything out, after even DELETING everything that talks about that - I continue to get the same error even when the actual code is nowhere to be found in the external AS file.
I've restarted my computer, I have even reinstalled Flash thinking that maybe, just maybe, the issue is because my Flash CS4 was crashing, and therefore got corrupted.
I even contacted Adobe. Not that I am impressed with their support - the person who has been "helping" me doesn't even READ the issues I am putting forward. I used to work in tech support - this person's work is COMPLETELY unacceptable. I've already put in a complaint about it.
I've started new files with the same code, and now I still get the SAME error with that code. I have no clue what I am doing wrong.
So, here - I am uploading the file that is giving me the issues - maybe someone else can find what the heck I am doing wrong.
I have to assume that you (if you are helping me out) will already have the Caurina Tweener - because it won't let me add that as well.
Thanks.
Cat
PS: It won't let me upload my text file - so here's the info:
TEXT FILE:
logo=Yoursitetitle.com
&slogan= Optional company slogan or phrase goes here...
&textline1=Professional Gear
&textline2=Top Brand Names
&textline3=Affordable Prices
&textline4=Everything You Need
&linkLocation=index.html
PS2: It won't let me upload my AS file either, so here is THAT code:
package {
import flash.display.*;
import flash.events.*;
import flash.net.URLLoader;
import flash.net.URLLoaderDataFormat;
import flash.net.URLRequest;
import flash.text.TextField;
import flash.text.TextFormat;
import flash.text.TextFieldAutoSize;
import caurina.transitions.*;
public class externalText extends Sprite {
//variables for controlling the external data
private var logoText:String;
private var logoField:TextField;
private var logoFormat:TextFormat;
private var sloganText:String;
private var sloganField:TextField;
private var sloganFormat:TextFormat;
private var market1Text:String;
private var market1Field:TextField;
private var market1Format:TextFormat;
private var market2Text:String;
private var market2Field:TextField;
private var market2Format:TextFormat;
private var market3Text:String;
private var market3Field:TextField;
private var market3Format:TextFormat;
private var market4Text:String;
private var market4Field:TextField;
private var marketFormat:TextFormat;
private var mktBox:MovieClip;
private var mktBox2:MovieClip;
private var mktBox3:MovieClip;
private var mktBox4:MovieClip;
// private var container:Sprite = new Sprite();
//variables for controlling location and sizes of the external data
private var bgColor:uint = 0xFFFFFF;
private var marketStartX:int;
private var marketStartY:int = 15;
private var marketHeight:int = 60;
private var marketWidth:int = 100;
private var logoStartX:int = -250;
private var logoStartY:int = 0;
private var sloganStartX:int = -250;
private var sloganStartY:int = 25;
public function externalText () {
var requestText:URLRequest = new URLRequest("../images/flash.txt");
var variables:URLLoader = new URLLoader();
variables.dataFormat = URLLoaderDataFormat.VARIABLES;
variables.addEventListener (Event.COMPLETE, completeHandler);
try {
variables.load (requestText);
}
catch (error:Error) {
trace ("Unable to load URL: " + error);
}
}
private function completeHandler (event:Event):void {
var loader:URLLoader = URLLoader(event.target);
logoText = loader.data.logo;
sloganText = loader.data.slogan;
market1Text = loader.data.textline1;
market2Text = loader.data.textline2;
market3Text = loader.data.textline3;
market4Text = loader.data.textline4;
// trace(loader.data.linkLocation;
logoField = new TextField();
logoFormat = new TextFormat();
logoField.text = logoText;
logoField.autoSize = TextFieldAutoSize.LEFT;
logoField.x = logoStartX;
logoField.y = logoStartY;
logoField.multiline = false;
logoField.wordWrap = false;
logoFormat.font = "Garamond";
logoFormat.color = "0xFFFFFF";
logoFormat.size = 25;
logoFormat.underline = false;
logoField.setTextFormat(logoFormat);
addChild(logoField);
sloganField = new TextField();
sloganFormat = new TextFormat();
sloganField.text = sloganText;
sloganField.autoSize = TextFieldAutoSize.LEFT;
sloganField.x = sloganStartX;
sloganField.y = sloganStartY;
sloganField.multiline = false;
sloganField.wordWrap = false;
sloganFormat.font = "Garamond";
sloganFormat.color = "0xFFFFFF";
sloganFormat.size = 14;
sloganFormat.underline = false;
sloganField.setTextFormat(sloganFormat);
addChild(sloganField);
market1Field = new TextField();
market1Format = new TextFormat();
market1Field.text = market1Text;
market1Field.autoSize = TextFieldAutoSize.LEFT;
market1Field.y = marketStartY;
market1Field.multiline = false;
market1Field.wordWrap = false;
market1Format.font = "Garamond";
market1Format.color = "0xFFFFFF";
market1Format.size = 18;
market1Format.underline = false;
market1Format.bold = true;
market1Format.letterSpacing = 1;
market1Field.height = marketHeight;
market1Field.width = marketWidth;
market1Field.setTextFormat(market1Format);
mktBox = new marketingBox();
mktBox.x = (stage.stageWidth - market1Field.width - 10);
mktBox.width = marketWidth;
mktBox.height = marketHeight;
mktBox.alpha = 0;
addChild(mktBox);
mktBox.addChild(market1Field);
mktBox2 = new marketingBox();
mktBox2.x = (stage.stageWidth - market2Field.width - 10);
mktBox2.width = marketWidth;
mktBox2.height = marketHeight;
mktBox2.alpha = 0;
addChild(mktBox2);
mktBox3.addChild(market2Field);
mktBox3 = new marketingBox();
mktBox3.x = (stage.stageWidth - market3Field.width - 10);
mktBox3.width = marketWidth;
mktBox3.height = marketHeight;
mktBox3.alpha = 0;
addChild(mktBox3);
mktBox3.addChild(market3Field);
mktBox4 = new marketingBox();
mktBox4.x = (stage.stageWidth - market4Field.width - 10);
mktBox4.width = marketWidth;
mktBox4.height = marketHeight;
mktBox4.alpha = 0;
addChild(mktBox4);
mktBox4.addChild(market4Field);
addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, animateMarketing);
function animateMarketing (e:Event):void {
if (logoField.x <= 5) {
logoField.x += 5;
if (logoField.x > 5) {
logoField.x = 5;
}
}
trace ("And we're moving")
}
// Tweener.addTween(logoField, {x: 10, time: 10});
// Tweener.addTween(sloganField, {x: 10, time: 10});
// Tweener.addTween(mktBox, {alpha: 1, scaleX: 1, scaleY: 1, time: 10});
// Tweener.addTween(mktBox, {alpha: 0, time: 10});
}
}
}
And now it won't let me attach the FLA file. It's a simple file - it's 750 x 50, background is blue. And it has a "button" that allows essentially the whole banner to be a "Home" link when the piece is put on a web page.
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