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.

Defining Components

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3. Rename Layer 1 to sharedCode.

4. Select File

➝ Open As Library, and choose codeLibrary.fla. The codeLibrary.fla

Library appears.

5. From the codeLibrary.fla Library, drag an instance of the sharedFunctions clip

onto the Stage at frame 1 of myMovie.fla.

6. Name the instance

sharedFunctions.

7. On the main timeline of myMovie.fla, create a new layer called scripts.

8. Add a keyframe to the scripts layer at frame 2.

9. Add a new frame to the sharedCode layer.

10. On frame 2 of the scripts layer, attach the following code:

stop();

sharedFunctions.test();

11. Export myMovie.swf.

12. The following text appears in the Output window: “The shared function, test,

was called.”

Note that a shared library is a linked asset, much like a .gif image is linked to a .html

file. Therefore, shared library .swf files must always be uploaded correctly with the

files that use them. To change the location of a link from an imported symbol to a

shared library, follow these steps:

1. Select the symbol in the Library.

2. From the Library panel’s pop-up Options menu, choose Linkage.

3. Under URL, set the new location.

Defining Components

A component is a movie clip that allows some of its properties to be assigned

through a special graphical user interface in the Flash authoring tool. Components ...