Can't Make a Variable, please help!

[HeyInsanity]

So i am attempting to make a variable in my main code file, for a character. The problem is that I have a code file for the character, so it gives me an error whenever i attempt to make a variable.

Code to make the variable:

public var Char:character = new character();

Error I am receiving:

TypeError: Error #1009: Cannot access a property or method of a null object reference.

  at character()

  at main()

[Colin Holgate]

In Publish Settings you can check the box that says Permit Debugging, that would then give you the line number where the problem occurred.

By convention, Class files start with a capital letter. It would make more sense if your Class was Character, and the line would read:

public var char:Character = new Character();

But that wouldn't explain the error. The error message looks like the problem may be inside the character class. What does that code look like?

[HeyInsanity]

The entire code file:

package

{

  import flash.events.*;

  import flash.display.Stage;

  import flash.display.MovieClip;

  public class character extends MovieClip

  {

  // global variables go here

  private var _root;

  private var stepDown:Number = 1;

  private var stepUp:Number = 1;

  private var stepLeft:Number = 1;

  private var stepRight:Number = 1;

  private var addyStepDown:Number = 1;

  private var addyStepUp:Number = 1;

  private var addyStepLeft:Number = 1;

  private var addyStepRight:Number = 1;

  private var keyCode:Number;

  private var speed:Number = 6;

  private var damage:Number = 4;

  private var wisdom:Number = 1;

  public function character()

  {

  //program initialization code goes here

  addEventListener(Event.ADDED, link);

  stepDown = 0;

  stepUp = 0;

  stepLeft = 0;

  stepRight = 0;

  addyStepDown = 0;

  addyStepUp = 0;

  addyStepLeft = 0;

  addyStepRight = 0;

  gotoAndStop(1);

  stage.addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, loop);

  }

  private function link(e:Event)

  {

  addEventListener(Event.ENTER_FRAME, loop);

  _root = (root as MovieClip);

  _root.stage.addEventListener(KeyboardEvent.KEY_DOWN, keyPressed);

  _root.stage.addEventListener(KeyboardEvent.KEY_UP, keyLetGo);

  }

  private function keyLetGo(e:KeyboardEvent)

  {

  if (keyCode == 40)

  {

  stepDown = 1;

  }

  if (keyCode == 38)

  {

  stepUp = 1;

  }

  if (keyCode == 37)

  {

  stepLeft = 1;

  }

  if (keyCode == 39)

  {

  stepRight = 1;

  }

  }

  private function keyPressed(e:KeyboardEvent)

  {

  keyCode = e.keyCode;

  if (keyCode==40 /*DOWN*/)

  {

  y +=  speed;

  stepDown +=  1;

  stepUp = 0;

  stepLeft = 0;

  stepRight = 0;

  if (stepDown == 2)

  {

  gotoAndStop(2);

  }

  if (stepDown == 3)

  {

  gotoAndStop(3);

  }

  if (stepDown == 4)

  {

  gotoAndStop(1);

  stepDown = 1;

  }

  }

  if (keyCode==38 /*UP*/)

  {

  gotoAndStop(4);

  y -=  speed;

  stepUp +=  1;

  stepDown = 0;

  stepLeft = 0;

  stepRight = 0;

  if (stepUp == 2)

  {

  this.gotoAndStop(5);

  }

  if (stepUp == 3)

  {

  gotoAndStop(6);

  }

  if (stepUp == 4)

  {

  gotoAndStop(4);

  stepUp = 1;

  }

  }

  if (keyCode==37 /*LEFT*/)

  {

  stepLeft +=  1;

  stepDown = 0;

  stepUp = 0;

  stepRight = 0;

  if (stepLeft == 2)

  {

  this.gotoAndStop(8);

  }

  if (stepLeft == 3)

  {

  gotoAndStop(9);

  }

  if (stepLeft == 4)

  {

  gotoAndStop(7);

  stepLeft = 1;

  }

  x -=  speed;

  }

  if (keyCode==39 /*RIGHT*/)

  {

  x +=  speed;

  stepRight +=  1;

  stepDown = 0;

  stepLeft = 0;

  stepUp = 0;

  if (stepRight == 2)

  {

  this.gotoAndStop(11);

  }

  if (stepRight == 3)

  {

  gotoAndStop(12);

  }

  if (stepRight == 4)

  {

  gotoAndStop(10);

  stepRight = 1;

  }

  }

  if (keyCode == 16 && hitTestObject(_root.addy)==true)

  {

  _root.addyTalkBox.textBox.text = "Hello Vyvan";

  _root.addyTalkBox.nameBox.text = "Addy";

  stage.addChild(_root.addyTalkBox);

  _root.addyTalkBox.x = 275;

  _root.addyTalkBox.y = 350;

  _root.addyTalkBox.addyOpt.visible = false;

  }

  }

  private function loop(e:Event)

  {

  //code that needs to update constantly goes here

  if (_root.compAddy == true)

  {

  if (this.y + 50 < _root.addy.y)

  {

  _root.addy.y -=  _root.addySPD;

  addyStepUp +=  1;

  addyStepDown = 0;

  addyStepLeft = 0;

  addyStepRight = 0;

  if (addyStepUp == 2)

  {

  _root.addy.gotoAndStop(5);

  }

  if (addyStepUp == 3)

  {

  _root.addy.gotoAndStop(6);

  }

  if (addyStepUp == 4)

  {

  _root.addy.gotoAndStop(4);

  addyStepUp = 1;

  }

  }

  if (this.y - 50 > _root.addy.y)

  {

  _root.addy.y +=  _root.addySPD;

  addyStepDown +=  1;

  addyStepUp = 0;

  addyStepLeft = 0;

  addyStepRight = 0;

  if (addyStepDown == 2)

  {

  _root.addy.gotoAndStop(2);

  }

  if (addyStepDown == 3)

  {

  _root.addy.gotoAndStop(3);

  }

  if (addyStepDown == 4)

  {

  _root.addy.gotoAndStop(1);

  addyStepDown = 1;

  }

  }

  if (this.x + 50 < _root.addy.x)

  {

  _root.addy.x -=  _root.addySPD;

  addyStepLeft +=  1;

  addyStepDown = 0;

  addyStepUp = 0;

  addyStepRight = 0;

  if (addyStepLeft == 2)

  {

  _root.addy.gotoAndStop(8);

  }

  if (addyStepLeft == 3)

  {

  _root.addy.gotoAndStop(9);

  }

  if (addyStepLeft == 4)

  {

  _root.addy.gotoAndStop(7);

  addyStepLeft = 1;

  }

  }

  if (this.x - 50 > _root.addy.x)

  {

  _root.addy.x +=  _root.addySPD;

  addyStepRight +=  1;

  addyStepDown = 0;

  addyStepLeft = 0;

  addyStepUp = 0;

  if (addyStepRight == 2)

  {

  _root.addy.gotoAndStop(11);

  }

  if (addyStepRight == 3)

  {

  _root.addy.gotoAndStop(12);

  }

  if (addyStepRight == 4)

  {

  _root.addy.gotoAndStop(10);

  addyStepRight = 1;

  }

  }

  /*if (this.y  > _root.Char.y)

  {

  this.y -=  speed;

  }

  if (this.x  < _root.Char.x)

  {

  this.x +=  speed;

  this.scaleX =1;

  }

  if (this.x > _root.Char.x)

  {

  this.x -=  speed;

  this.scaleX =-1

  }*/

  }

  if (stepDown == 1)

  {

  gotoAndStop(1);

  }

  if (stepUp == 1)

  {

  gotoAndStop(4);

  }

  if (stepLeft == 1)

  {

  gotoAndStop(7);

  }

  if (stepRight == 1)

  {

  gotoAndStop(10);

  }

  }

  }

}

[Colin Holgate]

root might be stage, which wouldn't be movieclip. Could you work this way?:

public var Char:character = new character(this);

and:

  public function character(mc:*)

  {

_root =  mc as MovieClip;

[HeyInsanity]

Now the error is

at Character()

  at main()

In my character file, line 37 is where i add the event listener for my loop. In my main file, line 10 is where i add the variable.

[Colin Holgate]

If it's still a problem can you post a zip online of the files, for me to try?

[HeyInsanity · Accepted solution]

I figured it out, thank you very much. I was accidentally adding my loop twice in my character file.

[Colin Holgate]

Good to hear, thanks for reporting back.