Simple AS 1.0 ques

cartoonme91,

> I then tried what you said (i think) and called the checkScore
> function in the keyframe of the mc where the code is written
> that tells the score to increase.

Okay.

> For some reason it doesn't work.

Everything depends on positioning. You can easily reach for the
softdrink sitting next to your computer, because it's right there. If you
try to reach for the softdrink that's in the fridge, you actually have to
get up and reference the fridge before picking up your drink.

In code, it's similar. The keyframe inside that movie clip (where the
code is written to increase the score) may not "see" the function from it's
point of view. You might need to reference the function by preceding it
with a prefix of some kind, such as _parent.checkScore(), or
instanceNameOfClipThatContainsTheCode.checkScore() -- if that makes sense.

> I created a very basic way to get it to work for now but I'd still
> like to figure it out for future ref and for my own sanity.

Sure thing. :)

> so in the maintimeline keyframe, i have
>
> score = 0;
> function checkScore() {
> if (score == 2500){trace("winner")}
> }

Right.

> then in the mc keyframe where the score is changed I have:
>
> score += 500;
> checkScore();

If that works, then you're perfectly fine. In fact, that's what I was
mentioning before: you could just reference the checkScore() function from
wherever you increase the score variable. Sounds like you got it! :)


David Stiller
Adobe Community Expert
Dev blog, http://www.quip.net/blog/
"Luck is the residue of good design."

I just added your code and did indeed get the winner trace over and over. I then tried what you said (i think) and called the checkScore function in the keyframe of the mc where the code is written that tells the score to increase. For some reason it doesn't work. I created a very basic way to get it to work for now but I'd still like to figure it out for future ref and for my own sanity. so in the maintimeline keyframe, i have

score = 0;
function checkScore() {
if (score == 2500){trace("winner")}
}


then in the mc keyframe where the score is changed I have:

score += 500;
checkScore();


Am i way off? Thanks alot for your help.

cartoonme91,

> my maintimeline is only 1 frame long so isnt that line
> of code being run over and over?

It isn't. You can prove it by creating a new FLA file and entering the
following single line in frame 1:

trace("testing");

Test your SWF and see how often you see the word "testing" in the Output
panel. Just once!

So to continuously run that line, you could wrap it in a function and
trigger it repeatedly with setInterval(). That's one approach.

function checkScore() {
if (score == 2500){trace("winner")}
}

setInterval(checkScore, 50);

In the above few lines, the setInterval() function triggers the
checkScore() function every 50 milliseconds. That should do it, but it
means you're triggering the checkScore() incessantly, which may not be
necessary -- and, done often enough, with enough various functions, can
potentially bog down your SWF. Much better, if you can, to call the
checkScore() function as part of the routine that updates your score
variable in the first place. That way, whenever the score updates, you
respond based on its new value (and only then).


David Stiller
Contributor, How to Cheat in Flash CS3
http://tinyurl.com/2cp6na
"Luck is the residue of good design."

I think so, but my maintimeline is only 1 frame long so isnt that line of code being run over and over?

Chris,

> The score box works fine as far as keeping score

Yup, and that comes from the association with the variable (via the Var
field of the Property inspector). You don't need the instance name for
that, but it's often helpful to think of movie clips in terms of the
MovieClip class, in which case, practically speaking, the instance name
functions very much like a variable that you would use for any other sort of
instance.

For example ...

var myArray = new Array();

... gives you a variable (myArray), that contains all the functionality
defined by the Array class. Things that object can do are called methods,
things it can react to are called events, and characteristics it has are
called properties -- collectively called class members. Any of these class
members can be refrence by way of the variable. If you want to add
something to the array, you use the Array.push() method ...

myArray.push("something");

In the same way, movie clip symbols -- with instance names -- are used
in the same way to access members of the MovieClip class. For example,
this:

myClip._x = 400;

... puts the movie clip with the instance name myClip at 400 pixels in from
the left of its parent timeline.

But I'm rambling. :-p

> but when it reaches 2500, I dont get my trace.
> What am I missing? Thanks

That's one of the dangers of using the Var field, only because it
potentially gives you the idea that things can be wired up, then left to
operate on their own -- which isn't always the case. In your code ...

if (score == 2500){trace("winner")}

The trace will indeed trace "winner" when the score variable reaches
2,500 -- but this will only happen if the condition is met *when* that line
of code is executed. If that line appears in frame 100 -- totally making up
a number -- and if score is 2,500 by the time the playhead reaches that
frame, then you'll see the trace. If that line is on frame 1, when the
value of score is presumably 0, then it's executed and done with. It won't
be revisited until you run that same line of code again. Does that make
sense?


David Stiller
Co-author, Foundation Flash CS3 for Designers
http://tinyurl.com/2k29mj
"Luck is the residue of good design."