Has anyone ever put this code in the timeline?
trace(this);
//result: [object MainTimeline]
However, the AS3 Language Reference says nothing about this class “MainTimeline”.
In addition, trying to create a new MainTimeline object results in a very unusual error, one I have never received:
//Gives error!
var tl:MainTimeline = new MainTimeline();
trace(tl);
//Works just fine, but outputs null
var tl:Timeline;
trace(tl);
Instead of a standard “1046: Type was not found or was not a compile-time constant.” error, you instead get a runtime error:
[INDENT]Error: Error #2136: The SWF file file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Andreas/Local%20Settings/Temp/Untitled%2D1.swf contains invalid data.
- at Untitled_fla::MainTimeline/frame1()[Untitled_fla.MainTimeline::frame1:1]*
[/INDENT]A simple “flash.utils.describeType(this);” results in the following XML:
<type name="Untitled_fla::MainTimeline" base="flash.display::MovieClip" isDynamic="true" isFinal="false" isStatic="false">
<extendsClass type="flash.display::MovieClip"/>
<extendsClass type="flash.display::Sprite"/>
<extendsClass type="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer"/>
<extendsClass type="flash.display::InteractiveObject"/>
<extendsClass type="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<extendsClass type="flash.events::EventDispatcher"/>
<extendsClass type="Object"/>
<implementsInterface type="flash.display::IBitmapDrawable"/>
<implementsInterface type="flash.events::IEventDispatcher"/>
<accessor name="currentFrameLabel" access="readonly" type="String" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip"/>
<method name="prevScene" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip" returnType="void"/>
<accessor name="framesLoaded" access="readonly" type="int" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip"/>
<method name="prevFrame" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip" returnType="void"/>
<accessor name="currentLabel" access="readonly" type="String" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip"/>
<method name="nextScene" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip" returnType="void"/>
<accessor name="currentFrame" access="readonly" type="int" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip"/>
<accessor name="currentScene" access="readonly" type="flash.display::Scene" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip"/>
<accessor name="scenes" access="readonly" type="Array" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip"/>
<method name="play" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip" returnType="void"/>
<method name="addFrameScript" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip" returnType="void">
<metadata name="Inspectable">
<arg key="environment" value="none"/>
</metadata>
</method>
<accessor name="enabled" access="readwrite" type="Boolean" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip"/>
<method name="gotoAndPlay" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip" returnType="void">
<parameter index="1" type="Object" optional="false"/>
<parameter index="2" type="String" optional="true"/>
</method>
<accessor name="trackAsMenu" access="readwrite" type="Boolean" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip"/>
<accessor name="currentLabels" access="readonly" type="Array" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip"/>
<accessor name="totalFrames" access="readonly" type="int" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip"/>
<method name="gotoAndStop" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip" returnType="void">
<parameter index="1" type="Object" optional="false"/>
<parameter index="2" type="String" optional="true"/>
</method>
<method name="stop" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip" returnType="void"/>
<method name="nextFrame" declaredBy="flash.display::MovieClip" returnType="void"/>
<method name="stopDrag" declaredBy="flash.display::Sprite" returnType="void"/>
<accessor name="dropTarget" access="readonly" type="flash.display::DisplayObject" declaredBy="flash.display::Sprite"/>
<accessor name="graphics" access="readonly" type="flash.display::Graphics" declaredBy="flash.display::Sprite"/>
<accessor name="hitArea" access="readwrite" type="flash.display::Sprite" declaredBy="flash.display::Sprite"/>
<method name="startDrag" declaredBy="flash.display::Sprite" returnType="void">
<parameter index="1" type="Boolean" optional="true"/>
<parameter index="2" type="flash.geom::Rectangle" optional="true"/>
</method>
<accessor name="useHandCursor" access="readwrite" type="Boolean" declaredBy="flash.display::Sprite"/>
<accessor name="buttonMode" access="readwrite" type="Boolean" declaredBy="flash.display::Sprite"/>
<accessor name="soundTransform" access="readwrite" type="flash.media::SoundTransform" declaredBy="flash.display::Sprite"/>
<accessor name="mouseChildren" access="readwrite" type="Boolean" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer"/>
<method name="setChildIndex" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer" returnType="void">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.display::DisplayObject" optional="false"/>
<parameter index="2" type="int" optional="false"/>
</method>
<accessor name="tabChildren" access="readwrite" type="Boolean" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer"/>
<accessor name="numChildren" access="readonly" type="int" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer"/>
<accessor name="textSnapshot" access="readonly" type="flash.text::TextSnapshot" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer"/>
<method name="swapChildrenAt" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer" returnType="void">
<parameter index="1" type="int" optional="false"/>
<parameter index="2" type="int" optional="false"/>
</method>
<method name="swapChildren" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer" returnType="void">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.display::DisplayObject" optional="false"/>
<parameter index="2" type="flash.display::DisplayObject" optional="false"/>
</method>
<method name="getChildByName" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer" returnType="flash.display::DisplayObject">
<parameter index="1" type="String" optional="false"/>
</method>
<method name="getObjectsUnderPoint" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer" returnType="Array">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.geom::Point" optional="false"/>
</method>
<method name="removeChildAt" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer" returnType="flash.display::DisplayObject">
<parameter index="1" type="int" optional="false"/>
</method>
<method name="removeChild" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer" returnType="flash.display::DisplayObject">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.display::DisplayObject" optional="false"/>
</method>
<method name="getChildIndex" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer" returnType="int">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.display::DisplayObject" optional="false"/>
</method>
<method name="getChildAt" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer" returnType="flash.display::DisplayObject">
<parameter index="1" type="int" optional="false"/>
</method>
<method name="addChildAt" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer" returnType="flash.display::DisplayObject">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.display::DisplayObject" optional="false"/>
<parameter index="2" type="int" optional="false"/>
</method>
<method name="addChild" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer" returnType="flash.display::DisplayObject">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.display::DisplayObject" optional="false"/>
</method>
<method name="contains" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer" returnType="Boolean">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.display::DisplayObject" optional="false"/>
</method>
<method name="areInaccessibleObjectsUnderPoint" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer" returnType="Boolean">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.geom::Point" optional="false"/>
</method>
<accessor name="tabEnabled" access="readwrite" type="Boolean" declaredBy="flash.display::InteractiveObject"/>
<accessor name="mouseEnabled" access="readwrite" type="Boolean" declaredBy="flash.display::InteractiveObject"/>
<accessor name="tabIndex" access="readwrite" type="int" declaredBy="flash.display::InteractiveObject"/>
<accessor name="accessibilityImplementation" access="readwrite" type="flash.accessibility::AccessibilityImplementation" declaredBy="flash.display::InteractiveObject">
<metadata name="Inspectable">
<arg key="environment" value="none"/>
</metadata>
</accessor>
<accessor name="focusRect" access="readwrite" type="Object" declaredBy="flash.display::InteractiveObject"/>
<accessor name="doubleClickEnabled" access="readwrite" type="Boolean" declaredBy="flash.display::InteractiveObject"/>
<accessor name="contextMenu" access="readwrite" type="flash.ui::ContextMenu" declaredBy="flash.display::InteractiveObject"/>
<accessor name="scaleZ" access="readwrite" type="Number" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="accessibilityProperties" access="readwrite" type="flash.accessibility::AccessibilityProperties" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="scrollRect" access="readwrite" type="flash.geom::Rectangle" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="rotationZ" access="readwrite" type="Number" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="height" access="readwrite" type="Number" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<method name="getBounds" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject" returnType="flash.geom::Rectangle">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.display::DisplayObject" optional="false"/>
</method>
<accessor name="alpha" access="readwrite" type="Number" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="blendShader" access="writeonly" type="flash.display::Shader" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="opaqueBackground" access="readwrite" type="Object" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="cacheAsBitmap" access="readwrite" type="Boolean" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="x" access="readwrite" type="Number" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<method name="local3DToGlobal" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject" returnType="flash.geom::Point">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.geom::Vector3D" optional="false"/>
</method>
<accessor name="y" access="readwrite" type="Number" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="visible" access="readwrite" type="Boolean" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="z" access="readwrite" type="Number" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="scaleX" access="readwrite" type="Number" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<method name="globalToLocal3D" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject" returnType="flash.geom::Vector3D">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.geom::Point" optional="false"/>
</method>
<accessor name="mouseX" access="readonly" type="Number" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<method name="hitTestPoint" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject" returnType="Boolean">
<parameter index="1" type="Number" optional="false"/>
<parameter index="2" type="Number" optional="false"/>
<parameter index="3" type="Boolean" optional="true"/>
</method>
<accessor name="scaleY" access="readwrite" type="Number" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="mouseY" access="readonly" type="Number" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="parent" access="readonly" type="flash.display::DisplayObjectContainer" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="mask" access="readwrite" type="flash.display::DisplayObject" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="width" access="readwrite" type="Number" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<method name="getRect" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject" returnType="flash.geom::Rectangle">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.display::DisplayObject" optional="false"/>
</method>
<accessor name="rotation" access="readwrite" type="Number" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="transform" access="readwrite" type="flash.geom::Transform" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<method name="localToGlobal" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject" returnType="flash.geom::Point">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.geom::Point" optional="false"/>
</method>
<method name="globalToLocal" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject" returnType="flash.geom::Point">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.geom::Point" optional="false"/>
</method>
<accessor name="loaderInfo" access="readonly" type="flash.display::LoaderInfo" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="name" access="readwrite" type="String" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="root" access="readonly" type="flash.display::DisplayObject" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="filters" access="readwrite" type="Array" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="blendMode" access="readwrite" type="String" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="scale9Grid" access="readwrite" type="flash.geom::Rectangle" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="rotationX" access="readwrite" type="Number" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<method name="hitTestObject" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject" returnType="Boolean">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.display::DisplayObject" optional="false"/>
</method>
<accessor name="stage" access="readonly" type="flash.display::Stage" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<accessor name="rotationY" access="readwrite" type="Number" declaredBy="flash.display::DisplayObject"/>
<method name="addEventListener" declaredBy="flash.events::EventDispatcher" returnType="void">
<parameter index="1" type="String" optional="false"/>
<parameter index="2" type="Function" optional="false"/>
<parameter index="3" type="Boolean" optional="true"/>
<parameter index="4" type="int" optional="true"/>
<parameter index="5" type="Boolean" optional="true"/>
</method>
<method name="removeEventListener" declaredBy="flash.events::EventDispatcher" returnType="void">
<parameter index="1" type="String" optional="false"/>
<parameter index="2" type="Function" optional="false"/>
<parameter index="3" type="Boolean" optional="true"/>
</method>
<method name="toString" declaredBy="flash.events::EventDispatcher" returnType="String"/>
<method name="dispatchEvent" declaredBy="flash.events::EventDispatcher" returnType="Boolean">
<parameter index="1" type="flash.events::Event" optional="false"/>
</method>
<method name="willTrigger" declaredBy="flash.events::EventDispatcher" returnType="Boolean">
<parameter index="1" type="String" optional="false"/>
</method>
<method name="hasEventListener" declaredBy="flash.events::EventDispatcher" returnType="Boolean">
<parameter index="1" type="String" optional="false"/>
</method>
</type>
As you can see by this quite extended output, there doesn’t seem to be any properties or added functions that are declared by the “MainTimeline” class, which leads one to wonder, why create a totally new Class, extending MovieClip, but ignore adding anything new or original?
The only things that are out of the ordinary is the undocumented and hidden property “accessibilityImplementation” and function “addFrameScript()”, but those are defined by other classes anyway, and not specific to MainTimeline.
Why not just let the timeline be an instance of a MovieClip? Why would Adobe do this?