# \_root\["string" + var\] - question
**URL:** https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601
**Category:** Uncategorized
**Created:** [August 16, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601 "2004-08-16T19:42:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 19
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@MrFlashALot](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/MrFlashALot)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 7:42pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/1 "2004-08-16T19:42:24Z")
So I wanna merge a string and a variable to get another variable. I tried this syntax, but I get “undefined” as output. What am I doing wrong?
```auto
var temp_1 = "testing";
var temp_2 = 1;
trace(_root["temp_" + temp_2]);
```
---
### Author:  [@claudio](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/claudio)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 7:46pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/2 "2004-08-16T19:46:20Z")
Simple typo:
```auto
var temp_1 = "testing";
var temp_2 = 1;
trace(_root["temp_ **1**"+temp_2]);
```
---
### Author:  [@Tesseract](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Tesseract)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 7:58pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/3 "2004-08-16T19:58:09Z")
If you don’t have an object of some kind (movie clip, variable, array, etc), somewhere called \_root.testing1, then the trace will have nothing to show:
```auto
var testing1 = "Hello World";
var temp_1 = "testing";
var temp_2 = 1;
trace(_root["temp_1"+temp_2]);
```
---
### Author:  [@claudio](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/claudio)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:05pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/4 "2004-08-16T20:05:02Z")
What are you trying to do MrFlashALot?
> [@Tesseract](#):
>
> If you don’t have an object of some kind (movie clip, variable, array, etc), somewhere called \_root.testing1, then the trace will have nothing to show:
>
> ```auto
>
> var testing1 = "Hello World";
>
> var temp_1 = "testing";
> var temp_2 = 1;
> trace(_root["temp_1"+temp_2]);
>
>
> ```
Actually flash will search for an object named _temp\_11_
---
### Author:  [@Voetsjoeba](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Voetsjoeba)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:09pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/5 "2004-08-16T20:09:22Z")
Ehm …
```auto
var temp_1 = "testing";
var temp_2 = 1;
trace(_root["temp_"+temp_2]);
```
outputs “testing”, as it should. By the way, it’s better to use this in this situation instead of \_root.
---
### Author:  [@claudio](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/claudio)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:11pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/6 "2004-08-16T20:11:59Z")
Yes voets, i noticed that only after i had already replied 😛
---
### Author:  [@Tesseract](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Tesseract)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:15pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/7 "2004-08-16T20:15:07Z")
Oops… heh… should have looked at what the code ACTUALLY said, rather than what I THOUGHT it said…
---
### Author:  [@Voetsjoeba](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Voetsjoeba)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/8 "2004-08-16T20:17:10Z")
Lol, what did you think you said then ? 😛
---
### Author:  [@claudio](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/claudio)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:17pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/9 "2004-08-16T20:17:27Z")
Same here 😛 😛
---
### Author:  [@MrFlashALot](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/MrFlashALot)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:21pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/10 "2004-08-16T20:21:45Z")
Im just trying to display the text within the variable “temp\_1” by merging the string “temp\_” with the value inside variable “temp\_2” (which is 1).
But even trying your code I get undefined as trace-output. I just cant get it to work _very confused_
---
### Author:  [@Voetsjoeba](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Voetsjoeba)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:24pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/11 "2004-08-16T20:24:06Z")
Are you using Flash 5 ?
---
### Author:  [@MrFlashALot](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/MrFlashALot)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/12 "2004-08-16T20:25:20Z")
Do you actually get “testing” as output with that code?
```auto
var temp_1 = "testing";
var temp_2 = 1;
trace(_root["temp_"+temp_2]);
```
Ive tried pinning it to a simple button, but it ouputs “undefined”.
This is really strange - maby I got some bug here or something?
---
### Author:  [@MrFlashALot](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/MrFlashALot)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:25pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/13 "2004-08-16T20:25:51Z")
nope, using flash mx 2004 (v.7.2)
---
### Author:  [@Voetsjoeba](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Voetsjoeba)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:27pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/14 "2004-08-16T20:27:00Z")
Wait wait.
1. Are you using Flash 5 ? \*\*edit: nvm
2. If this code is on a button, then the \_root may be your problem. Where is this button located ? On the main timeline ?
---
### Author:  [@MrFlashALot](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/MrFlashALot)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:30pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/15 "2004-08-16T20:30:40Z")
yes, right on the main timeline (using a button-component, with on(click){} code)
---
### Author:  [@MrFlashALot](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/MrFlashALot)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/16 "2004-08-16T20:35:25Z")
Ill be \*\*\*\*ed (or darned, if you prefer) - I tried the exact same code but on a button I created and with the on(press){} code instead, and what do you know, it worked fine!!
So, the component button was the villain 😛
---
### Author:  [@Voetsjoeba](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Voetsjoeba)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:38pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/17 "2004-08-16T20:38:32Z")
Use this:
```auto
on (click) {
temp_1 = "testing";
temp_2 = 1;
trace(this["temp_"+temp_2]);
}
```
😉
---
### Author:  [@MrFlashALot](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/MrFlashALot)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:44pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/18 "2004-08-16T20:44:34Z")
Ok 🙂 Thanks a lot for the help, guys 🙂
---
### Author:  [@Voetsjoeba](https://forum.kirupa.com/u/Voetsjoeba)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2004, 8:46pm UTC](https://forum.kirupa.com/t/-root-string-var-question/119601/19 "2004-08-16T20:46:07Z")
No problem 🙂