Load Error for AS 3 swf

[Pherankh]

Hello:

I have an "interface" file that uses an XML menu. Selecting the menu items loads an external SWF into a container movieclip on the interface stage. The SWF being loaded all have text content generated from xml too. The files that were created with AS 2 load just fine, but I started to update 2 of the files to AS 3 and when I try to load the AS 3 versions I get the following message:

TypeError: Error #1009: Cannot access a property or method of a null object reference.
    at roots_fla::MainTimeline/frame1()

("roots.swf" is the name of the loaded SWF).

The AS 3 code is on the first frame of the main timeline of both the menu/interface and the externally loaded content. I don't really know what this error means so I wonder if anyone has had experience with this.

[Flep]

It means that Flash does not find an object you called.
This object should stay in frame1 of roots_fla

[Pherankh]

Would that be the external XML? I really don't know what object would be "missing" after compile.

[Pherankh]

I ran some tests and the menu has no problem loading SWFs that have external classes assigned to them so I think AS 3 is having a problem with the main timeline code in my loaded file. As a last step in the process I wanted to create external classes, so I guess I'll have to do that now whether I like it or not. I don't have much practice with external classes since I'm new to AS 3, so if anyone can help me with this I would appreciate it, here's the code from one of the two templates I'm using:

import flash.display.Stage;
import flash.display.StageAlign;
import flash.display.StageScaleMode;
import flash.events.Event;
import flash.display.StageDisplayState;
import flash.display.Sprite;
import flash.text.TextField;
import flash.text.TextLineMetrics;
import flash.text.AntiAliasType;
import flash.text.TextFormat;
//----------------------------------------------------------------
import flash.utils.getDefinitionByName;
import flash.media.Sound;
import flash.media.SoundLoaderContext;
import flash.media.SoundChannel;
//----------------------------------------------------------------

stage.displayState = StageDisplayState.FULL_SCREEN;
stage.scaleMode = StageScaleMode.NO_SCALE;

//----------------------------------------------------------------
content_tb.embedFonts = true;
content_tb.selectable = false;

//----------------------------------------------------------------
var clickSound:Sound;
var librarySoundOne:Class = getDefinitionByName ( "Click" ) as Class;
clickSound = new librarySoundOne();
var clickChannel:SoundChannel;

//----------------------------------------------------------------
var dingSound:Sound;
var librarySoundTwo:Class = getDefinitionByName ( "Ding" ) as Class;
dingSound = new librarySoundTwo();
var dingChannel:SoundChannel;

//----------------------------------------------------------------
var xmlLoader:URLLoader = new URLLoader();
var xmlData:XML = new XML();
xmlLoader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, LoadXML);
xmlLoader.load(new URLRequest("xml/modernism.xml"));
function LoadXML(e:Event):void {
    xmlData = new XML(e.target.data);
    LoadContent(xmlData);
}
//----------------------------------------------------------------
function LoadContent(textData:XML):void {
    //CONTENT TO BE DISPLAYED ON INITIAL LOAD
    var defaultText = textData.item[0].content.text();
    var pageTitle_text = textData.item.label.text()[0];
    pageTitle_tb.htmlText = "<b>" + pageTitle_text + "</b>";
    var formatSpacing:TextFormat = new TextFormat();
    formatSpacing.letterSpacing = 4;
    pageTitle_tb.setTextFormat(formatSpacing);
    //----------------------------------------
    function setPage(page:Number):void {
        field.scrollV = (page - 1) * linesPerPage + 1;
    }
    // Assigns the text field that is on the stage to a local variable
    var field:TextField = content_tb;
    field.embedFonts = true;
    // Assign the content to the text field
    field.htmlText = defaultText;

    // Extracts the text format and line height properties
    var format:TextFormat = field.getTextFormat();

    var leading = int(format.leading);
    var extent:TextLineMetrics = field.getLineMetrics(0);
    var ascent = extent.ascent;
    var descent = extent.descent;

    // CALCULATE lineHeight  VALUE USING A SINGLE FONT SIZE
    // IF HTML TEXT INCLUDES HEADINGS OF DIFFERING SIZES THE NUMBERS 
    // WILL BE SKEWED. ONCE lineHeight IS CALCULATED YOU CAN HARDCODE
    // THE VALUE BELOW AND THEN GO BACK AND RESTORE HTML FONT SIZES
    //var lineHeight = ascent + descent + leading;
    var lineHeight = 16;
    var linesPerPage = Math.floor((field.height - 4 + leading) / lineHeight);
    //field.numLines
    var lineCount = (field.maxScrollV - 1) + linesPerPage;
    var pageCount = Math.ceil(lineCount / linesPerPage);

    var offset = (linesPerPage * pageCount) - lineCount + 1;
    var lineBreak:String = "<br />";
    //var lineBreak:String = "\r\n";

    for (var i = 0; i < offset; i++) {
        defaultText.htmlText += lineBreak;
    }
    //LINE BELOW IS A NECESSARY REPEAT
    field.htmlText = defaultText;

    var panelNum = pageCount;
    var curNum = 1;
    pageNum.htmlText = "<b>" + curNum + "</b>";
    pageTotal.htmlText = "<b>" + panelNum + "</b>";
    prevButton_mc.visible = false;

    function NextOnClick(event:MouseEvent):void {
        curNum++;
        pageNum.htmlText = "<b>" + curNum + "</b>";
        setPage(curNum);
        if (curNum == 2) {
            prevButton_mc.visible = true;
            clickChannel = clickSound.play();
        } else if (curNum == panelNum) {
            event.currentTarget.visible = false;
            curNum = panelNum;
            dingChannel = dingSound.play();
        } else {
            clickChannel = clickSound.play();
        }

    }
    nextButton_mc.buttonMode = true;
    nextButton_mc.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, NextOnClick);

    function PrevOnClick(event:MouseEvent):void {
        curNum--;
        pageNum.htmlText = "<b>" + curNum + "</b>";
        setPage(curNum);
        if (curNum == 1) {
            setPage(curNum);
            event.currentTarget.visible = false;
            curNum = 1;
            dingChannel = dingSound.play();
        } else {
            clickChannel = clickSound.play();
        }
        nextButton_mc.visible = true;
    }
    prevButton_mc.buttonMode = true;
    prevButton_mc.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, PrevOnClick);
}

The code is my upgrade of an old AS 2 pagination technique - lets you divide a block of xml into individual pages to navigate through. I'm shocked to say that I actually have this working.

[Pherankh]

I have been trying to convert the code posted previously to a custom class:

package {
    import flash.display.*;
    import flash.events.*;
    import flash.net.*;
    import flash.display.Stage;
    import flash.display.StageAlign;
    import flash.display.StageScaleMode;
    import flash.events.Event;
    import flash.display.StageDisplayState;
    import flash.accessibility.AccessibilityProperties;
    import flash.display.Sprite;
    import flash.text.TextField;
    import flash.text.TextLineMetrics;
    import flash.text.AntiAliasType;
    import flash.text.TextFormat;
    //----------------------------------------------------------------
    import flash.utils.getDefinitionByName;
    import flash.media.Sound;
    import flash.media.SoundLoaderContext;
    import flash.media.SoundChannel;
    //----------------------------------------------------------------
    var stage:Stage;
    var content_tb:TextField;
    var xmlLoader:URLLoader;
    //----------------------------------------------------------------
    stage.displayState = StageDisplayState.FULL_SCREEN;
    stage.scaleMode = StageScaleMode.NO_SCALE;
    //----------------------------------------------------------------
    content_tb.embedFonts = true;
    content_tb.selectable = false;
    //----------------------------------------------------------------
    var clickSound:Sound;
    var librarySoundOne:Class = getDefinitionByName ( "Click" ) as Class;
    clickSound = new librarySoundOne();
    var clickChannel:SoundChannel;
    //----------------------------------------------------------------
    var dingSound:Sound;
    var librarySoundTwo:Class = getDefinitionByName ( "Ding" ) as Class;
    dingSound = new librarySoundTwo();
    var dingChannel:SoundChannel;
    //----------------------------------------------------------------

    // Demonstrates the code required to load external XML
    public class LoadXML extends MovieClip {
        var xmlLoader:URLLoader = new URLLoader();
        var xmlData:XML = new XML();
        xmlLoader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, LoadXML);
        xmlLoader.load(new URLRequest("xml/modernism.xml"));

        // Constructor
        public function LoadXML(e:Event):void {
            xmlData = new XML(e.target.data);
            LoadContent(xmlData);
        }
        // Method invoked automatically when the XML finishes loading
        function LoadContent(textData:XML):void {
            //CONTENT TO BE DISPLAYED ON INITIAL LOAD
            var defaultText = textData.item[0].content.text();
            var pageTitle_text = textData.item.label.text()[0];
            pageTitle_tb.htmlText = "<b>" + pageTitle_text + "</b>";
            var formatSpacing:TextFormat = new TextFormat();
            formatSpacing.letterSpacing = 4;
            pageTitle_tb.setTextFormat(formatSpacing);

            //----------------------------------------

            function setPage(page:Number):void {
                field.scrollV = (page - 1) * linesPerPage + 1;
            }
            // Assigns the text field that is on the stage to a local variable
            var field:TextField = content_tb;
            field.embedFonts = true;
            // Assign the content to the text field
            field.htmlText = defaultText;

            // Extracts the text format and line height properties
            var format:TextFormat = field.getTextFormat();

            var leading = int(format.leading);
            var extent:TextLineMetrics = field.getLineMetrics(0);
            var ascent = extent.ascent;
            var descent = extent.descent;

            // CALCULATE THIS NUMBER USING BODY TEXT OF THE SAME FONT SIZE
            // IF HTML TEXT INCLUDES HEADINGS OF DIFFERING SIZES THE NUMBERS WILL BE SKEWED
            //var lineHeight = ascent + descent + leading;
            var lineHeight = 16;
            var linesPerPage = Math.floor((field.height - 4 + leading) / lineHeight);
            var lineCount = (field.maxScrollV - 1) + linesPerPage;
            var pageCount = Math.ceil(lineCount / linesPerPage);

            var offset = (linesPerPage * pageCount) - lineCount + 1;
            var lineBreak:String = "<br />";
            //var lineBreak:String = "\r\n";

            for (var i = 0; i < offset; i++) {
                defaultText.htmlText += lineBreak;
            }
            //LINE BELOW IS A NECESSARY REPEAT
            field.htmlText = defaultText;

            var panelNum = pageCount;
            var curNum = 1;
            pageNum.htmlText = "<b>" + curNum + "</b>";
            pageTotal.htmlText = "<b>" + panelNum + "</b>";
            prevButton_mc.visible = false;

            function NextOnClick(event:MouseEvent):void {
                curNum++;
                pageNum.htmlText = "<b>" + curNum + "</b>";
                setPage(curNum);
                if (curNum == 2) {
                    prevButton_mc.visible = true;
                    clickChannel = clickSound.play();
                } else if (curNum == panelNum) {
                    event.currentTarget.visible = false;
                    curNum = panelNum;
                    dingChannel = dingSound.play();
                } else {
                    clickChannel = clickSound.play();
                }

            }
            nextButton_mc.buttonMode = true;
            nextButton_mc.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, NextOnClick);

            function PrevOnClick(event:MouseEvent):void {
                curNum--;
                pageNum.htmlText = "<b>" + curNum + "</b>";
                setPage(curNum);
                if (curNum == 1) {
                    setPage(curNum);
                    event.currentTarget.visible = false;
                    curNum = 1;
                    dingChannel = dingSound.play();
                } else {
                    clickChannel = clickSound.play();
                }
                nextButton_mc.visible = true;
            }
            prevButton_mc.buttonMode = true;
            prevButton_mc.addEventListener(MouseEvent.CLICK, PrevOnClick);
        }
    }
}

I've managed to eliminate all the errors except one:

1067: Implicit coercion of a value of type Class to an unrelated type Function.

. That error refers to the following line:

xmlLoader.addEventListener(Event.COMPLETE, LoadXML);

The compiler doesn't like the name of the public function I guess. Shouldn't the public function name be the same as it's class name?

[Pherankh]

I know this has to be implemented in stages, so here are some files to play with - Can anyone get the XML to display in the textfield ("content_tb") on stage?

http://www.tornedgedesign.com/_test/...stom_class.zip

Note: the code worked originally when it was on the main timeline, but I need to translate it into classes.

[al2.0]

Hi I'm al2.0 1067: Implicit coercion of a value of type Function to an unrelated type flash.media:SoundChannel.
var myChannel:SoundChannel=mySound.play;
What does mean? and how can i fix the problem

[Onsitus]

var myChannel:SoundChannel=mySound.play();

[al2.0]

Thanks Onsitus