ActionScript™ 3.0 Bible

Chapter 12. Understanding the Flash Player 9 Display List

Introduction

In this chapter

• Understanding the display list

• Using the DisplayObject and DisplayObject Container

• Creating a User Interface element with Sprite

• Introducing the Graphics Object

• Working with the Stage

• Working with the MovieClip

• Examples using the display list

One of the biggest updates between ActionScript 2.0 and ActionScript 3.0 and Flash 8 and Flash 9 is the way that you can create new graphics and handle the graphics you've already created. In order to fully understand the differences between ActionScript 2.0 and ActionScript 3.0, you need to look at the following commonplace code:

var myMovieClip:MovieClip = →
    _root.attachMovie(libraryNameString);

You want to create a movie that has some drawings in it, so you create a reference to what you've just attached to the Stage, and use that to call methods and access properties of what we've just attached. Seems a little strange right? As it should. What ActionScript 3.0 enables you to do is instantiate and work with the clips in a far more streamlined way. Although to the practiced ActionScript 2.0 developer much of what you're about to look at will seem very strange, it will ultimately make your life better in deep and wonderful ways. So say good‐bye to createEmptyMovieClip(), you're going to get a whole new way to program all of your graphics in Flash.

Display List

The display list has been around for a while. You could always access all the graphic objects present on ...