# \_global isn't global
**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-global-isnt-global/6724
**Category:** flash
**Created:** [October 15, 2002, 1:57am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-global-isnt-global/6724 "2002-10-15T01:57:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@anil](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/anil)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 1:57am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-global-isnt-global/6724/1 "2002-10-15T01:57:31Z")
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”.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 2:27am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-global-isnt-global/6724/2 "2002-10-15T02:27:23Z")
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.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 2:43am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-global-isnt-global/6724/3 "2002-10-15T02:43:01Z")
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
---
### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 3:18am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-global-isnt-global/6724/4 "2002-10-15T03:18:35Z")
\_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.
---
### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 4:09am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-global-isnt-global/6724/5 "2002-10-15T04:09:29Z")
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
---
### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 11:23am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-global-isnt-global/6724/6 "2002-10-15T11:23:48Z")
functions are different and can only be called by addressing them properly.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 2:58pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-global-isnt-global/6724/7 "2002-10-15T14:58:44Z")
Woo that’s strange. I’ll test this… when my computer starts functionning normally.
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 15, 2002, 3:22pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-global-isnt-global/6724/8 "2002-10-15T15:22:45Z")
I made a very simple test, it works for me. You must be doing something wrong… but what :q:
pom :cyclops:
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### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2002, 4:25am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-global-isnt-global/6724/9 "2002-10-16T04:25:01Z")
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
---
### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 16, 2002, 5:35am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-global-isnt-global/6724/10 "2002-10-16T05:35:31Z")
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
---
### Author:  [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)
#### Post date: [October 18, 2002, 4:01am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-global-isnt-global/6724/11 "2002-10-18T04:01:29Z")
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