ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition

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Copyright © 2007 O’Reilly & Associates, Inc. All rights reserved.

Functions as Objects

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By understanding certain Actions as functions, you’ll have an easier time remember-

ing and using their syntax. For example, to load a movie into the Flash Player we

need to know that a loadMovie() function exists and what parameters it expects.

After a quick jaunt over to the Language Reference, we find the info and can easily

put together a statement like this:

loadMovie("myMovie.swf", "_level1");

This will be easy stuff once you’ve become comfortable with using functions.

ActionScript’s built-in functions are many and varied. They give us control over the

elements of a movie, empowering us to examine and change everything from the vol-

ume of a sound to the amount of text selected in an editable text field. For a thor-

ough description of ActionScript’s built-in functions, consult the Language

Reference. Skim it periodically to familiarize yourself with the type of functions that

are available, although there is no need to memorize their specific syntax. In addi-

tion to the built-in functions that are a native part of the ActionScript language, Mac-

romedia and third parties offer libraries of custom functions that can be incorporated

into your movies and used exactly like built-in functions. For more information on

extending Flash, see the resources in Appendix ...