ActionScript for Flash MX: The Definitive Guide, Second Edition

This is the Title of the Book, eMatter Edition

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

406

|

Chapter 16: ActionScript Authoring Environment

Where’s All the Code?

Even for experienced Flash users, locating the code in a movie can sometimes be

challenging. Because code can be attached to any frame in any timeline, any button,

or any movie clip on stage, it is often lost in a sea of content. Obviously, a highly

organized structure and thorough code documentation can save dozens or hundreds

of hours over the life span of a project. But if you’re faced with a movie that mysteri-

ously seems to be missing important code, open the Actions panel and try these tech-

niques for finding it:

• To search the current scene for ActionScript code, use the Movie Explorer win-

dow’s search option as described in the paragraph that follows this list.

• Click on any frame that has a little circle icon on it in the timeline. A circle indi-

cates the presence of ActionScript code.

• Look for, and select, any white circle with a black outline on stage. These circles

indicate empty movie clips, which often contain nothing but code. If there’s no

code on the empty clip itself, double-click the clip to edit it and investigate its

frames.

• Select each button in the movie, one at a time. Some programmers tend not to

centralize code and instead place long, important scripts directly on buttons.

• Check ...