Flash, ActionScript, Flash SEO

1086: Syntax error: expecting semicolon before line

Have you ever seen this error, when trying to move your fla from AS2 to AS3:

“Location: tempInit, Line 2   Description: 1086: Syntax error: expecting semicolon before line.”

In my case the problem was that I had a movieclip with a Linkage identifier in my AS2 file that contained space in the name. When I moved to AS3 all my Linkage identifiers were converted to class names and when I tried to compile my AS3 flash file I got this error above.

So be careful when you name your linkage identifiers. Better use “camel case” instead of using spaces. This will help you move your AS2 fla file to AS3 fla file without seeing this error.

Happy coding!

If you use a standart timeline animation with a shape tween above a button and you want to call a function that sets the events for the button from a frame – put the call to the function after the shape tween is over. If the shape tween is over the button, the shape receives the Mouse events and the button won’t work.

Skinning Slider Component

In a comment on my previous post [AS3] Skinning Flash Components I was asked to show how to change the size of the thumb of the Slider component. After some experiments with the component here is the way it can be done:

import fl.controls.Slider;
 
var s:Slider = new Slider();
s.move(10,10);
s.setSize(500,300);
/*s.setStyle("thumbUpSkin", SliderThumbCustomSkin);
s.setStyle("thumbDownSkin", SliderThumbCustomSkin);
s.setStyle("thumbOverSkin", SliderThumbCustomSkin);*/
s.maximum = 100;
s.minimum = 0;
s.tickInterval = 5;
addChild(s);
s.getChildAt(1).width = 50;
s.getChildAt(1).height = 100;

With the code above I found that Read the rest of this entry »

Recently I was asked if I know how to show a number with a fixed number of digits after the decimal point. Here is how it can be done:

var num:Number = 12.3456;
trace(num.toFixed(2));// => 12.34

ATTENTION: This method toFixed returns String. If you want to have a Number after using this method you should use casting or:

var num:Number = 12.3456;
var num2:Number = Number(num.toFixed(2));
// => returns Number not String

Today I run into this strange problem while trying to scale a Sprite containing dynamic TextField. As you can see in the flash demo below, when you scale the Sprite the TextField retains its position in the Sprite container.

This is the code that I use for scaling: Read the rest of this entry »

You can easily skin a Flash component using only ActionScript using component’s method setStyle() providing as parameters:

1. the name of the style and
2. your class that you want to use as the skin.

Here is the list of the styles that can be used for skinning a component:
Read the rest of this entry »