ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition

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Chapter 11: Arrays

Array Element Indexing

An element’s position in the array is known as its index. Just as we can access the

seventh character in a string, we can access the seventh element of an array via its

index (in this case, the index is 6). We use an element’s index to set or retrieve the

element’s value or to work with the element in various other ways. Some of the

array-handling functions, for example, use element indexes to specify ranges of ele-

ments for processing.

We can also insert and delete elements from the beginning, end, or even middle of an

array. An array can have gaps (that is, some elements can be absent). We can have

elements at positions 0 and 4, without requiring anything in positions 1, 2, and 3.

Arrays with gaps are called sparse arrays.

Array Size

At any point during its life span, an array contains a specific number of elements.

The number of elements an array can hold is called the array’s length, which we’ll

discuss later in this chapter.

Creating Arrays

We can create a new array with a data literal (i.e., by simply specifying its elements

in a comma-separated list enclosed in brackets) or with the built-in array constructor

function, Array().

Array Literals

Usually, it’s more convenient to create arrays using array literals than to create them

with