ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition

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

OOP Quick Reference

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Some OOP Tips

We’ve covered a lot of conceptual ground, so let’s synthesize some of these ideas to

help you put OOP into practice.

• Define everything in a class. All variables and functions should be properties and

methods of a class. This ensures that properties and methods are grouped logi-

cally and are always qualified by some object (which helps avoid scope prob-

lems).

• For the sake of organization and reuse across projects, store each class in a sin-

gle, separate .as text file.

• Define all classes on

_global.

• Use simulated namespaces. Create an object on

_global that will hold all your

classes, as shown in the next section, “OOP Application Template.”

• Create a single main( ) function that starts your application rolling.

• Create all instance methods on your constructor’s

prototype object, not in the

constructor.

• Always document your classes, properties, and methods. For an example, see the

next section, “OOP Application Template.” In your documentation, specify

which methods and properties are intended for public use and which are

intended for private, internal use by the class.

OOP Application Template

Sometimes ActionScript is so flexible that it becomes slippery. There are so many

ways to create a legal object-oriented application that finding a