Scope of variable in event handler

All I want to do is run showAlert if the number of this item in stock
now is less than the quantity requested by the customer. showAlert then
simply allows the customer to choose to take what is available or give
it up.

Whether, the handler is inside or outside the main function won't alter
the code as far as I can see, so I shall leave it as it is since the
present code has the unrivaled virtue that it works.

But I admit, it seems an ugly solution. Can anyone come up with a better
one?

And I still don't understand why the scope in the handler is separate
when var ret; is set in the main handler, and not separate when it isn't!!

Doug

actually, now that i look at my interpretation of your coding, it doesn't make sense. showAlert() will return undefined when it's first executed. that surely isn't what you want. therefore, it makes no sense to have myClickHandler defined within showAlert().

I have found that the following code works:

function showAlert(num) {
var ret;
var myClickHandler = function(evt) {
var ret2;
if (evt.detail == mx.controls.Alert.OK) {
ret2 = true;
} else {
ret2 = false;
}
return ret2;
}
ret = alert("Only " + num + " of this item are available. Click OK to
buy these.", "Availability", mx.controls.Alert.OK |
mx.controls.Alert.CANCEL, myClickHandler);
return ret;
}

But I still don't understand why my original code didn't work. When I
'var ret;' in the main function, the ret in the handler does not error.
But when I don't 'var ret;' in the main function I get errors for every
line where ret is occurs even those in the handler.

So if var makes ret local to the main function why don't the lines with
ret in the handler throw an error?

Since they don't, they surely must be the same variable, whilst at the
same time they're obviously not the same as it doesn't work.

This seems totally illogical to me and I really can't understand it.

Doug

If I remove the datatyping, there is no change. I still get the errors:

There is no property with the name 'ret'.

There is no property with the name 'myClickHandler'.

Doug

again, datatyping your variables is unnecessary.

If I remove var, I get the error:

There is no property with the name 'ret'.

Doug

when you prefix a variable declaration with var, you're making that variable local within the context of its definition. in your situation ret (and myClickHandler) are only defined and accessible from within showAlert().

to remedy, do not prefix with var. (and there's no need to type your variables.)