_global isn't global

programming flash
1

Can anyone tell me if I have to use _root instead of _global?
I am loading a movie into an empty movie clip,
but when it is loaded it seems to have it’s own _global object!

Like maybe all the core objects are the same,
but anything I put in there isn’t.
The loaded movie sees objects it has created in _global,
but not the objects that were already created in _global
before it was loaded.
And vice-versa for the _root movie.

Anil

Here is some code from the movie that is loaded:
_global.hello=“hello”;
_global.another=“whatdyanow”;
for(one in _global){
this.status+="
"+one;
}
It displays ‘hello’ and ‘another’ in the ‘status’ textfield.
But nothing else.

Here is some code from the existing _root movie:
for(one in _global){
Y.Log(one);
}
The Y.Log code displays all the properties and sub-objects
(including the Y object which it is a sub-object of, in _global)
that are placed in _global by the _root movie,
but not “hello” and “another”.

2

Just use _root, unless you really need the scope of the variable to be available in all areas of your movie. As it is, all objects in Flash MX have _global properties, that is why you see them as such. It is much simpler to simply use your variables with _root. That should simplify matters.

3

Wow! That is the quickest reply!
Thanks for your help IAmMontoya…

Actually, yes, I did rather want the object to be totally global.
That’s why I used _global!
It is crucial that it is global, I have to find a way round this.

I guess using _root will work,
I am about to try it out right now.
But I find _global simpler (when it works),
because the target path is cleaner.
I like shorter identifiers,
especially when the code gets complex,
which it will.

I guess I’d just like to know whether _global is actually global,
if I’m just using it in the wrong way…
Or whether when Macromedia say _global is global they are lieing.

At least then I can happily go on my way to make a kludge,
without thinking I am missing out on it being better.

Thanks for your time and consideration.
Anil

4

_global is global… which really means that once you do

_global.myvar=100;

you can reference myvar by itself, and it should recognize it anywhere in any movie clip. You do not have to use _global.myvar to reference it again.

5

Now it’s really getting tough.

Yes, _global SHOULD be _global.
I SHOULD be able to access any _global subobject,
without using any target path.
I can do this:
_global.Y = {};
Y.Log=function(msg){somecode=inhere;};
And then access the Log function anywhere,
just by using:
Y.Log(“Log this message”);

And it does work,
but only inside the main (’_root’) movie.

When I download another movie like this:
var mc;
_root.createEmptyMovieClip(Q.q[2],Q.depth);
mc=_root[Q.q[2]];
mc._visible=true;
mc._x=Q.q[4];
mc._y=Q.q[5];
mc.loadMovie(Q.liburl+Q.q[3]);
The new movie CAN’T SEE the _global environment.
ALSO I just discovered, it CAN’T SEE the _root environment!
It actually has a totally empty _global and _root.

In fact, even though a targetPath(this) statement
inside the downloaded movie returns ‘_level0.menu’
(Q.q[2] = ‘menu’)
A 'for(varname in _level0){} statement doesn’t find ANYTHING.

To make it worse, using the debugger DOES reveal
ALL the _global objects for BOTH movies, side by side,
just the way they SHOULD be.

Aaaaaarrrrrrrgggggghhhhhh!!!
Anil

6

functions are different and can only be called by addressing them properly.

7

Woo that’s strange. I’ll test this… when my computer starts functionning normally.

8

I made a very simple test, it works for me. You must be doing something wrong… but what :q:

pom :cyclops:

9

ilyaslamasse/pom

i am so glad to here that this works for you!
i need it to work for me too!

could you post your test fla for me please?

i am about to back out on the flas that i have got
and start all over again with a very simple test fla
that only tackles this problem and nothing else
then i can double prove it

but if you can send me your fla
then things could be happening for me a whole lot quicker

thanks for your post
anil

10

now i have created two VERY simple flas and they work
they do everything they are supposed to do
none of the problems that i had before are present!

thankyou Lord JESUS !

now i guess i only have to work out the differences
between these ones and what i had before

if i come up with anything interesting i will post here

thanks for all your help and encouragement

anil

11

well well very strange
seems like i have found some ‘undocumented behaviour’
how’s this:
the following _global is visible using for (i in _global) {}:
_global.Q = “hello my name is Q”;
but this one just doesn’t appear at all using the same code:
_global.O = “hello my name is the big letter O”;
so maybe macromedia have secretly reserved _global identifiers whose name begins with ‘O’?

i have brought my new code up to do exactly what it did before,
i went step by step only adding code to the simple fla
that i knew already worked, and testing it every time

so now i have two fla’s
they both do the same thing
but only one of them works
while the other one has all the problems mentioned before

i wouldn’t believe it myself if i didn’t run the swfs 100 times each
and watch the same thing happen over and over again

at least my problem is fixed

thankyou everyone
thankyou jesus

anil