# \_Parent

**URL:** <https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-parent/8344>\
**Category:** flash\
**Created:** [November 19, 2002, 2:35am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-parent/8344 "2002-11-19T02:35:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![BullDog\_Flash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d07c76/32.png) [@BullDog\_Flash](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/BullDog_Flash)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 2:35am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-parent/8344/1 "2002-11-19T02:35:28Z")

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\_parent what is it?  
What do you use it for?  
How do you use?

basically this thread is all about \_parent

I hope someOne can help me with common knowledge

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 3:01am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-parent/8344/2 "2002-11-19T03:01:37Z")

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I’m still new to AS so I’m not 100% sure. I believe \_parent refers to the movie clip or object that contains the \_parent script. For example you have a movie clip that contains the AS:

\_parent.gotoAndStop(20 );

This tells flash to stay inside that movieclip, go to frame 20 of that same movie clip and stop.

I hope that helped you understand it a lil bit more.  
:-\

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:15am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-parent/8344/3 "2002-11-19T05:15:08Z")

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\_parent refers to the timeline that contains the movie clip, not the timeline inside of the movie clip.

Say you have a movieclip called “Movie1” on the main timeline, but inside that movie clip you have another movieclip called “Movie2”, and on the timeline of “Movie2” you have an action that uses \_parent. This action will take you the timeline of “Movie1”.

\_root takes you all the way back to the main timeline btw.

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**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex011/uploads/kirupa/original/3X/6/2/621e5c11736f46532526e61be85940af4230f3e5.png) [@system](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/system)\
**Post date:** [November 19, 2002, 5:26am UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-parent/8344/4 "2002-11-19T05:26:19Z")

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Thanks for clearing that up, I was starting to confuse myself. 😛