Flash CS5: The Missing Manual

Choosing and Using Text Containers

At design time, when you click in a text field with the Text tool, you can select and edit the existing text. You may also notice that the handles around the text box change. One of the handles on the right or bottom of the text box appears larger than the rest, as shown in Figure 6-10. This handle always provides some helpful information about the text box's characteristics and behavior.

Figure 6-10. The handles on a text box provide details about the type of text field and the way it's sized. The hollow, round handle in the upper-right corner of this text field shows that it's static text that expands with the box.

Here's your secret text field handle decoder ring for horizontal text:

• Handle at upper-right means it's Classic static text.

• Handle at lower-right means it's Classic dynamic or input text.

• Hollow circle means the text field expands as text is added.

• Hollow square indicates that the text has a fixed width (as shown in Figure 6-11).

• Solid square means the dynamic text is scrollable.

The codes for vertical text are similar, except that the handle providing information is always at the bottom of the text box. It appears at bottom left for static text and at bottom right for dynamic and input text.

When you click inside a TLF text container, it displays square handles on the left and right side. As described on Flow Text from One Container to Another ...