Comments for flash developer | steven sacks http://www.stevensacks.net (o'.')-o(x_x) Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:00:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.1 Comment on The Loader and the Mouse: Why AS3 Is "Too Hard" by Steven Sacks http://www.stevensacks.net/2008/09/04/the-loader-and-the-mouse-why-as3-is-too-hard/#comment-3621 Steven Sacks Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:57:59 +0000 http://www.stevensacks.net/?p=179#comment-3621 http://livedocs.adobe.com/flash/9.0/ActionScriptLangRefV3/flash/display/Sprite.html Loader is a direct sibling to Sprite in that they share the same parent (DisplayObjectContainer), but while Sprite gets your standard Flash mouse stuff, specifically buttonMode, useHandCursor, startDrag() and stopDrag(), Loader gets none of these measly FOUR things that truly make it worthy of inheriting InteractiveObject. There's no good reason for this. They should treat Loader the same as Sprite as far as interface goes. http://livedocs.adobe.com/flash/9.0/ActionScriptLangRefV3/flash/display/Sprite.html

Loader is a direct sibling to Sprite in that they share the same parent (DisplayObjectContainer), but while Sprite gets your standard Flash mouse stuff, specifically buttonMode, useHandCursor, startDrag() and stopDrag(), Loader gets none of these measly FOUR things that truly make it worthy of inheriting InteractiveObject.

There's no good reason for this. They should treat Loader the same as Sprite as far as interface goes.

]]> Comment on AS3 getURL solved by Blair http://www.stevensacks.net/2008/02/06/as3-geturl-solved/#comment-3611 Blair Thu, 04 Sep 2008 23:03:18 +0000 http://www.stevensacks.net/2008/02/06/as3-geturl-solved/#comment-3611 anyone know how to get around myspace blocking a link from flash as3? anyone know how to get around myspace blocking a link from flash as3?

]]> Comment on The Loader and the Mouse: Why AS3 Is "Too Hard" by Josh Tynjala http://www.stevensacks.net/2008/09/04/the-loader-and-the-mouse-why-as3-is-too-hard/#comment-3609 Josh Tynjala Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:40:41 +0000 http://www.stevensacks.net/?p=179#comment-3609 Great article, Steven. I didn't know that Loader doesn't let you set useHandCursor. I see no good reason why that should be the case. Though I haven't needed to do it yet in any of the projects I've worked on, I'm a little annoyed now that I can't. Did you submit this to bugs.adobe.com so that we can vote for it? Great article, Steven. I didn't know that Loader doesn't let you set useHandCursor. I see no good reason why that should be the case. Though I haven't needed to do it yet in any of the projects I've worked on, I'm a little annoyed now that I can't.

Did you submit this to bugs.adobe.com so that we can vote for it?

]]> Comment on The Loader and the Mouse: Why AS3 Is "Too Hard" by Skye Giordano http://www.stevensacks.net/2008/09/04/the-loader-and-the-mouse-why-as3-is-too-hard/#comment-3594 Skye Giordano Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:15:35 +0000 http://www.stevensacks.net/?p=179#comment-3594 Agreed: It makes sense given this the object hierarchy is how it is, it just doesn't necessarily make sense that it is how it is. :) Agreed: It makes sense given this the object hierarchy is how it is, it just doesn't necessarily make sense that it is how it is. :)

]]> Comment on The Loader and the Mouse: Why AS3 Is "Too Hard" by zedia.net http://www.stevensacks.net/2008/09/04/the-loader-and-the-mouse-why-as3-is-too-hard/#comment-3592 zedia.net Thu, 04 Sep 2008 18:07:36 +0000 http://www.stevensacks.net/?p=179#comment-3592 Ya I think that's where the problem is coming from. It make sense that a Loader should be a DisplayObjectContainer but it doesn't make sense that it should be an InteractiveObject. To keep it logical, I wouldn't even make the Loader a DisplayObject. That way there would be no confusion at all. You would have no choice to put the Loader.content into a DisplayObject to add it to the stage. The problem is that this would make it even more difficult for neophites. I guess the Loader is the way it is because it's a compromise between two worlds. Ya I think that's where the problem is coming from. It make sense that a Loader should be a DisplayObjectContainer but it doesn't make sense that it should be an InteractiveObject.

To keep it logical, I wouldn't even make the Loader a DisplayObject. That way there would be no confusion at all. You would have no choice to put the Loader.content into a DisplayObject to add it to the stage. The problem is that this would make it even more difficult for neophites.

I guess the Loader is the way it is because it's a compromise between two worlds.

]]> Comment on The Loader and the Mouse: Why AS3 Is "Too Hard" by Skye Giordano http://www.stevensacks.net/2008/09/04/the-loader-and-the-mouse-why-as3-is-too-hard/#comment-3589 Skye Giordano Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:38:11 +0000 http://www.stevensacks.net/?p=179#comment-3589 @zedia.net: On the other hand, Loader does extend DisplayObjectContainer, which extends InteractiveObject...which does make a logical case for Loader getting mouse interactivity. @zedia.net: On the other hand, Loader does extend DisplayObjectContainer, which extends InteractiveObject…which does make a logical case for Loader getting mouse interactivity.

]]> Comment on The Loader and the Mouse: Why AS3 Is "Too Hard" by zedia.net http://www.stevensacks.net/2008/09/04/the-loader-and-the-mouse-why-as3-is-too-hard/#comment-3587 zedia.net Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:27:12 +0000 http://www.stevensacks.net/?p=179#comment-3587 In my opinion, it is not logical that a Loader should get mouse interactivity. It is logical for a Loader to load stuff and then to hand it to something else. In that sense I'd remove all mouse interactivity from it. AS3 might not be perfect, but frankly, what is? In my opinion, it is not logical that a Loader should get mouse interactivity. It is logical for a Loader to load stuff and then to hand it to something else. In that sense I'd remove all mouse interactivity from it.

AS3 might not be perfect, but frankly, what is?

]]> Comment on The Loader and the Mouse: Why AS3 Is "Too Hard" by Skye Giordano http://www.stevensacks.net/2008/09/04/the-loader-and-the-mouse-why-as3-is-too-hard/#comment-3584 Skye Giordano Thu, 04 Sep 2008 17:03:54 +0000 http://www.stevensacks.net/?p=179#comment-3584 :) Good article, Steven. To some extent, every language requires developers to L2P and deal with its shortcomings and oddities. Beginning, intermediate or advanced advanced alike use hacks and workarounds discovered by experts like you for issues like these until a real fix later emerges. Articles like this help create awareness, change, and make it easier for people to discover the problem when they search for solutions to their issues. I suspect you are familiar with the specific scenario this has raised for me trying to enable the mouse cursor in a loader object in the display list of a current project on which I am working. To exacerbate the issue, in a multi-swf, layered project, users like myself potentially first have to find out which object(s) are obstructing others before you realize they were obstructing a loader, not a MovieClip. The link you posted on the Gaia forums was helpful with this: http://labs.bigspaceship.com/2008/08/05/snaring-mouseenabled/ Thanks again for writing about topics like these. :) Good article, Steven. To some extent, every language requires developers to L2P and deal with its shortcomings and oddities. Beginning, intermediate or advanced advanced alike use hacks and workarounds discovered by experts like you for issues like these until a real fix later emerges.

Articles like this help create
awareness, change, and make it easier for people to discover the problem when they search for solutions to their issues.

I suspect you are familiar with the specific scenario this has raised for me trying to enable the mouse cursor in a loader object in the display list of a current project on which I am working.

To exacerbate the issue, in a multi-swf, layered project, users like myself potentially first have to find out which object(s) are obstructing others before you realize they were obstructing a loader, not a MovieClip. The link you posted on the Gaia forums was helpful with this:
http://labs.bigspaceship.com/2008/08/05/snaring-mouseenabled/

Thanks again for writing about topics like these.

]]> Comment on AS3 getURL solved by Casey http://www.stevensacks.net/2008/02/06/as3-geturl-solved/#comment-3173 Casey Thu, 28 Aug 2008 20:04:17 +0000 http://www.stevensacks.net/2008/02/06/as3-geturl-solved/#comment-3173 Hey Steven, stumbled upon this while working on a GAIA project coincidentally enough! Anyway, I agree with everything you've done and said except for the static function. I made a similar solution but modeled it after flash.utils.getTimer and the like. It's just an .as file with one public function and no class so you use it like so... import com.snaptopixel.utils.getURL; getURL("foo.html","_blank"); Hey Steven, stumbled upon this while working on a GAIA project coincidentally enough! Anyway, I agree with everything you've done and said except for the static function. I made a similar solution but modeled it after flash.utils.getTimer and the like. It's just an .as file with one public function and no class so you use it like so…

import com.snaptopixel.utils.getURL;
getURL("foo.html","_blank");

]]> Comment on JSFL Documentation by Neisen http://www.stevensacks.net/2008/03/05/jsfl-documentation/#comment-3164 Neisen Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:46:00 +0000 http://www.stevensacks.net/2008/03/05/jsfl-documentation/#comment-3164 I also found this: http://livedocs.adobe.com/flash/9.0/main/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=LiveDocs_Parts&file=00003909.html Hope it helps :) I also found this:
http://livedocs.adobe.com/flash/9.0/main/wwhelp/wwhimpl/common/html/wwhelp.htm?context=LiveDocs_Parts&file=00003909.html

Hope it helps :)

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